The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School

What The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School does

The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School (KHELS) is a public secondary high school operated by the New York City Department of Education and located at 5800 Tilden Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It is a member of the NYC Outward Bound Schools network and implements the EL Education model, combining rigorous project-based learning with a character development framework organized around five commitments (courage, compassion, respect, stewardship, perseverance). KHELS is also a member of the NY Performance Standards Consortium, which authorizes it to substitute Performance Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) for traditional New York State Regents Exams in most subjects. The school serves students in grades 9-12 admitted through the NYC DOE centralized application and lottery, with families as a secondary stakeholder segment engaged through a Parent Teacher Association, Student-Led Conferences, and the NYC Schools Account parent portal.

The school's academic model is anchored by the Crew Program, in which groups of 12-16 students meet multiple times weekly with a dedicated Crew Advisor for all four years, providing continuous academic support, character development, and conflict resolution. KHELS supplements the standard curriculum with two signature experiential programs: the 9th Grade Crew Adventure, a five-day overnight wilderness trip in Fishkill, NY featuring cabin stays, day hiking, and ropes courses; and Explore Week Intensives, twice-yearly immersive weeks covering topics such as Marine Ecosystems, Hero's Journey, Food Photography, and Great Civilizations. The school operates a Summer School Program with a hybrid format (asynchronous Mondays plus in-person Tuesday through Thursday) and a free on-campus SAT Preparation Course using Princeton Review materials.

As a public school, KHELS charges no tuition and is funded through NYC DOE per-pupil allocations. The technology stack is commodity education software rather than proprietary IP: JumpRope for grading and attendance, Google Classroom for assignment management, the Sora App and Comics Plus for digital reading, the NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) for parent access, and eChalk Notify for push communications. Athletics are delivered through the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), and a broad college/career readiness ecosystem layers external partners — Greenpoint YMCA, Allstar Code, Marcy Lab, America On Tech, NY Historical Society, NYC Parks, Paley Center for Media, SYEP, and the College Board — on top of the academic core.

Name

The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School

Legal name

The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School

Website

https://kurthahnschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School is a public NYC Department of Education high school in Brooklyn serving grades 9-12 via the EL Education model, NY Performance Standards Consortium PBAT assessments, and a four-year Crew advisory system.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Readiness & College Prep (In-School) (EDAJAFAM), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Public high school education
• Expeditionary learning model
• Performance based assessment
• Character education program
• College readiness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public NYC Department of Education school, KHELS is funded through public education budgets and does not charge tuition. The school operates as part of the NYC public school system.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

KHELS is a tuition-free NYC Department of Education public high school (grades 9–12) that delivers secondary education through the EL Education model. Its core offerings center on Performance Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) replacing Regents Exams under the NY Performance Standards Consortium, a sustained 4-year Crew advisory program, experiential learning through Explore Week intensives and the 9th Grade Crew Adventure wilderness trip, college readiness programming, and Student-Led Conferences. Students gain access to academic instruction, character education around five commitments, SAT preparation, PSAL athletics, internships, and summer school programming.

Product overview

The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School is an NYC Outward Bound school implementing the EL Education model. The school offers a comprehensive educational ecosystem comprising academic programs (PBATs replacing Regents Exams, Student-Led Conferences), experiential learning (9th Grade Crew Adventure, Explore Week Intensives), test preparation (SAT Prep via Princeton Review), athletic programs (PSAL sports), career services (internships, career resources), and summer programming. The school uses JumpRope for grading, Google Classroom for assignments, and NYC Schools Account for parent portal access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer School Program
• SAT Preparation Course
• PSAL Athletics Program
• 9th Grade Crew Adventure Program
• Explore Week Intensives
• Performance Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs)
• Student-Led Conferences
• Crew Program
• Career & College Resources
• Student Internship Opportunities

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYC Outward Bound SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHELS is part of the NYC Outward Bound Schools network, implementing the nationally recognized EL Education model. This partnership provides the pedagogical framework, professional development, and network support for school operations. The EL Education model features rigorous learning experiences in and out of the classroom built upon a high-achievement culture and mutual support.
• NY Performance Standards ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKHELS is a member of the NY Performance Standards Consortium, a group of schools granted alternative graduation requirements. This partnership allows students to complete Performance Based Assessment Tasks (PBATs) instead of traditional Regents Exams. Consortium schools demonstrate higher graduation rates and higher acceptance rates to competitive colleges.
• Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS participates in PSAL athletics, offering students full slate of men's and women's sports including flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, track, cross country, bowling, swimming, and cheerleading.
• College BoardminorOthersKHELS offers SAT testing and preparation through the College Board. The school provides free SAT prep classes using Princeton Review materials and administers PSAT during school hours.
• NY Historical Society - Student Historian Internship ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with the Student Historian Internship Program at the NY Historical Society, offering historical research and education experience opportunities.
• NYC Parks - Ranger Conservation Corps InternshipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with conservation and environmental education internships through NYC Parks Ranger Conservation Corps program.
• Paley Center for Media - High School Media InternshipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with media internships at the Paley Center, including the Hearst High School Media Internship and Peter Roth Internship Program.
• Greenpoint YMCA - College & Career Readiness ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS partners with Greenpoint YMCA to provide college and career readiness services including office hours with counselors, SAT prep, resume assistance, and internship placement support.
• Allstar Code - Summer Intensive Engineering ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with Allstar Code's Summer Intensive Engineering Program focused on technology career pathways.
• Marcy Lab - Tuition-Free Software Engineering FellowshipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with Marcy Lab's tuition-free software engineering fellowship program.
• America On Tech - TECH360 Coding ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS connects students with America On Tech's TECH360 coding program for summer technology education.
• Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKHELS promotes and supports student enrollment in NYC's SYEP, the nation's largest youth employment program connecting 14-24 year olds with career exploration and paid work experience.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Workshop School: NYC Outward Bound-affiliated high school in Manhattan implementing project-based learning with crew structure. Comparable to KHELS in pedagogy, scale, and designation as a small NYC public school.
• Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies: NYC Outward Bound-affiliated high school in Red Hook, Brooklyn serving grades 9-12. Closest geographic and structural peer — same EL Education model, same Outward Bound affiliation, same PBAT-eligible Consortium membership.
• Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School: Queens-based NYC Outward Bound high school implementing the EL Education model with a similar crew and expedition design. Direct peer because it shares the same pedagogical framework and Outward Bound network affiliation.
• City and Country School: Independent K-8 school in Manhattan founded on Kurt Hahn's progressive-education principles. Comparable as a same-philosophy peer rooted in the same Hahn/Outward Bound educational tradition that KHELS explicitly invokes.
• NY Performance Standards Consortium: Coalition of NY public schools granted alternative graduation requirements, allowing students to substitute PBATs for Regents exams. KHELS is a member; peer schools share the same assessment model and the same demonstrated graduation and college-access outcomes.
• NYC Outward Bound Schools Network: Network of NYC public schools that share the EL Education model and pedagogical framework with KHELS. Operates as both the parent affiliation and a peer cohort; comparable schools include Brooklyn School for Collaborative Studies, Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School, and Essex Street Academy.
• The School for Human Rights: NYC Outward Bound high school in Brooklyn serving grades 9-12 with the same EL Education model and restorative justice orientation. Directly comparable small public high school in the same network and borough.
• Institute for Collaborative Education: Manhattan NYC Outward Bound high school using the same EL Education model and Consortium PBAT pathway. Directly comparable small public high school with project-based, student-led conference structure.
• Essex Street Academy: Manhattan-based NYC Outward Bound high school sharing the EL Education framework and Consortium membership. Operates the same crew-based, project-based model that defines KHELS's differentiation.
• EL Education: National network from which KHELS derives its core curriculum and professional development model. Comparable K-12 schools across the U.S. implement the same EL framework, including crew, expeditions, and case studies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/kurthahnschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/kurthahnschool?igsh=YzRpdDZwN2hjbTd3
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-kurt-hahn-expeditionary-learning-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Kurt Hahn Expeditionary Learning School