our mission
We support the Bronx Academy of Letters (BAL), a public Urban Assembly middle and high school in Mott Haven that offers a rigorous, college-preparatory academic program with an intense focus on developing literacy and driving social change across disciplines.
The Bronx Letters Foundation works to ensure that our students and teachers have the tools they need to succeed.
Through frequent volunteer work, outreach within our city and tireless fundraising, we are committed to serving the BAL community and its promising students, who have the power and potential to change the world.
OUR PROGRAMS
Thanks to donations from supporters like you, we enrich our students' education inside and outside of the classroom with robust offerings of high-impact initiatives and programs.
COLLEGE ACCESS
“At the median, career earnings for a bachelor’s degree graduate are more than twice as high as for someone with a high school diploma or GED.
”
One vital way to address achievement disparities is to enable more students to obtain a college degree. Most estimates suggest that life-time earnings from a college education are some $2 mil higher than those of high school diploma holders. Other health and social benefits tend to accrue as well. All Bronx Letters students are offered free overnight college visits, as well as assistance with their essays and applications.
We also recognize that a traditional college path may not be best for all our students and are putting increasing emphasis on a wider variety of post-secondary options.
BAL sixth graders tour the campus of Yale University.
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Artists-in-Residence are a signature program of Bronx Letters. Our resident artists are fully integrated into the school curriculum and community. They teach classes, spearhead special projects, (including two school publications, an AV club, and the school band), take students for special off-site experiences, and collaborate on school-wide events and productions.
Current artists focus on Writing, Media/Theater Tech, Visual Arts, Music, and Dance.
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Forging new connections, meeting new friends and mentors, learning by doing. Our array of community partnerships is both broad and deep. We are grateful to our many partners such as Behind the Book, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Junior State of America, the Moth, and many more. We also fund summer camp and internship experiences and after-school programs.
Your donations make this possible!
BAL students participate in the rigorous summer program “Youth About Business.”
STUDENT TECHNOLOGY
Closing the digital divide is a crucial way to improve equity in education, a cause we are committed to. The Foundation provides brand-new laptops for all incoming 9th graders; all 6th graders have access to laptops within their classrooms. During remote learning, the Foundation also purchased hotspot devices and underwrote internet access for students in need.
