Built on Resilience & Optimism

KIPP NYC began in 1995 with the opening of KIPP Academy Middle School in the South Bronx. At a time when families had few high-quality public school options, KIPP started with just 47 fifth-grade students and a bold belief: that with strong academics, character development, and an unwavering commitment from students, families, and teachers, children could build brighter futures. From its earliest days, knocking on doors to recruit families, teaching long hours, and even holding classes outdoors when locked out of a building, KIPP NYC was defined by resilience, optimism, and the conviction that education should prepare students not just for school, but for college, careers, and life beyond.

Today, KIPP NYC serves roughly 9,400 students across 18 schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, from kindergarten through high school. Our K–12+ model extends a 20-year support system that begins as early as kindergarten and follows our alumni through college and into their careers, with more than 4,700 alumni supported to date.

The organization is powered by more than 1,100 staff members, nearly 10% of whom are KIPP alumni—educators and leaders who once sat in KIPP classrooms themselves. Grounded in its founding beliefs, KIPP NYC continues to partner closely with families and communities to deliver joyful, rigorous learning experiences that develop both academic excellence and character, with long-term support that helps students thrive in college, careers, and life.

Three decades in, our mission is unchanged: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.