HCZ Promise Academy^® Elementary Schools

From day one, our promise to all scholars is to ensure their admission to and success in college — and beyond.

College may be several years away for our Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) Promise Academy Elementary School scholars. However, we want them to grasp the importance of it early on. We want them to get excited to work hard and achieve the milestones that will earn them college admission. We want to prepare them to pursue fruitful, life-changing careers.

With this in mind, HCZ Promise Academy Elementary Schools focus on building strong foundational skills with an eye toward high school graduation, college acceptance, and successful careers. Our academic curriculum is enhanced by character development, social-emotional supports, field experiences, and project-based learning.

Keep scrolling to discover more about our top-performing HCZ Promise Academy Elementary Schools.

To keep our scholars progressing toward college and career, HCZ Promise Academy Elementary Schools focuses on building strong foundational skills.

Scholars receive rigorous instruction in math, language arts, history, social studies, and the sciences. Through our interdisciplinary approach, scholars build a strong academic foundation, develop critical thinking skills, and prepare for the state’s Common Core standards.

Beyond academics, character development is a central component of our curriculum. Scholars learn about and cultivate key traits such as integrity, perseverance, empathy, confidence, and determination. Scholars also engage in regular physical and nutritional education and enjoy exposure to the arts, music, and the vast cultural opportunities that New York City has to offer.

Scholars leave Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy Elementary School with a strong love of learning and a deep appreciation for engagement in their community. They leave ready to thrive in HCZ Promise Academy Middle Schools.

HCZ Promise Academy Elementary After School program augments scholars’ academic, personal, and social development.

Holistic and multidisciplinary, our programming focuses on high-quality arts, civics, and wellness learning. Our scholars learn self-management habits to remain on track academically, the importance of looking after their physical and emotional wellbeing, and the value of being a well-rounded, global citizen.

All activities are thematic and project based, incorporating positive youth development along with social and emotional learning. Each enrichment offering incrementally advances scholars through well-defined performance standards and builds towards mastery in STEM, arts, civics, and health & wellness programming.

After School Offerings

• Enrichments & Arts: Dance, Arts & Crafts, Theater, Media Arts, Step, Creative Lab
• Leadership: Team Building, Character Education, Student Government
• Wellness: Fitness, Nutrition, Family Fit

Participation in athletics helps our scholars grow, learn, and develop key cognitive and non-cognitive abilities.

We design sports programs that foster teamwork, sportsmanship, and ethical and responsible behavior both on and off the field. Our coaches instill behaviors that will lead scholars to better and healthier lives.

Winning is not the be all end all. Rather, we encourage scholar athletes to be their best, which prepares them for achievement throughout their lives.

Athletics at HCZ Promise Academy:

• Boys Basketball
• Girls Basketball
• Cheerleading
• Co-ed Flag Football
• Soccer
• Strength and Conditioning
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Yoga

HCZ Promise Academy Charter Schools enrolls children in grades K-12, with preference given to those living in our 97-block Zone. There are no application or tuition fees.

Enrollment for 3-year-olds

Three-year-olds are encouraged to apply now so that they can start kindergarten at Promise Academy after they finish preschool.

Once you apply, your child has the opportunity to be entered into a lottery and assigned a random number. If your child’s number is called during the lottery (to be held summer 2023), they will be accepted into Promise Academy and will begin kindergarten at the start of the 2025-2026 school year. If your child is not entered into the lottery, or their number is not chosen during the lottery, they will be placed on a waitlist.

To find out your child’s number on the waitlist, call 646-539-5941.

Enrollment for 4-year-olds and older

Once you apply, your child is placed on a waitlist. If your child is accepted, they will join HCZ Promise Academy either in fall 2024 (for those born in 2018) or fall 2025 (for those born in 2019).

To find out your child’s number on the waitlist, call 212-360-3230.