New Directions Secondary School, Bronx

New Directions Secondary School is a 6^th to 12^th grade talent and academic discovery program structured for Bronx over-aged middle and high school youth seeking a pathway to life-long success. Our mission is to reconnect youth to their innate value to the world and to re-invest them in the value of regularly attending and flourishing in school. To accomplish this we support highly motivated and caring adults to create a culture of saftey, that supports and stimulates students' personal growth and academic achievement. Through a unique program design that begins with an authentic goal setting process, we invite and encourage students to set meaningful and relevant goals for their near and distant future. We support students to reach these goals by providing a personalized academic and talent development setting with classes of 15 students to one or two teachers, daily small group advisory classes, daily one-one-one counseling and the use of an academic coaching model which teaches all students to take responsibility for their progress and to actively advocate for themselves to address their needs. At NDSS we value and deliver choice and voice for all students through our course content, program design and youth development activities. We aim to empower youth to make more informed choices by building real and relevant relationships with them, exposing them to activities and perspectives that are new or unfamiliar and by allowing them to make connections between their own rich life experiences and those experiences which are brought to them through the school.