User:FDA1234/Frederick Douglass Academy 1

About FDA

The Frederick Douglass Academy (FDA), serving the Harlem community of New York City, has had one very special mission since 1991: to prepare students from the surrounding community to succeed at the college or university of their choice. This is accomplished by offering opportunities for personal growth through extracurricular activities, providing support in the college process for students & their families, and ensuring a rigorous curriculum that prepares students for the academic expectations of the top colleges and universities in our nation. First and foremost, college preparation is the primary focus for all students at FDA. In addition to traditional courses, FDA offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement (AP) classes in all subject areas, including history, literature, foreign language, mathematics, and the sciences. Student who take and score highly on AP exams earn credits toward colleges and universities. During the application process, this shows potential colleges and universities how prepared a student is for the rigors of college level course work. FDA’s commitment to college preparation extends to its College Office where students and their families are guided through the college process. The College Office regularly communicates with students and their families to support them throughout the college process. The College Office also cooperates with the guidance department and teachers at FDA. From start to finish, the College Office strives to serve students and their families in the application process, financial aid, acceptance, and scholarships. Colleges and universities look for students who are academically strong, but also expect well-rounded students who are involved in extra curricular activities. In addition to traditional athletics and student groups, FDA offers extra curricular activities that support all types of interest. From athletics to performance arts, to student groups and international travel, there is an extra curricular for every student. Every single structure offered at FDA is an extension of its commitment to students and families that college is not only a feasible reality; it is the daily expectation for all students at FDA1.

History
The Frederick Douglass Academy 1 was rededicated in 1991 under the leadership of Dr. Lorraine Monroe to offer a college preparatory education to the residents of Harlem. Dr. Hodge became the school's second principal and established many partnerships that have distinguished the school. Mr. Joseph Gates is the current principal.

Academics
The Frederick Douglass Academy 1 was ranked a New York Daily News "Best High School" and a New York Post "Top 25 High School" in 2012. The school offers many advanced palacement courses that include the following:
 * Biology
 * Calculus AB
 * Chemistry
 * English Language
 * English Literature
 * European History
 * French Language
 * Micro-economics
 * Physics C: Mechanics
 * Spanish Language
 * Statistics
 * U.S. History
 * Government & Politics

College and Career Readiness
The Frederick Douglass Academy 1 shows an overall 94% graduation rate giving FDA an "A" rating for College and Career Readiness on the 2012-2013 NYC Progress Report. Students from the class of 2012 attended elite colleges such as Harvard, Brown, Carnegie Mellon, UPenn, and Vassar.

Notable Extracurricular activities
Frederick Douglass Academy offers many noted extracurricular activitiesfor the 2013 school year.

The North Star School Newspaper is known for it's cutting edge articles that relate to the current interests of FDA1 students.
 * Chess - The 2013 Chess Club has amassed over 12 first place tournement finishes and is headed to the National Chess Competition.
 * History - The 2013 History Club placed 2nd in New York city, and is headed to the NY State Competition.
 * Robotics - The 2013 Harlem Knights Robotics Team recently placed 2nd at the Regional Competition. The team won the events highest honor, The Chairman's Award. The Team is now headed to the National Competition in St. Louis.
 * School newspaper club
 * Basketball - The Lions Boys Basketball Team placed 2nd in Manhattan and placed admirably in the all borough title, losing in the playofffs only to the eventual all borough champion. The Girls Basketball team also qualified for the NYC playoffs.
 * Dance - The accomplished dance program has recently expanded to include a spring performance to the very popular "Festival if Lights" winter performance.
 * Chorus - The newly formed FDA1 Chior has already performed before Irish President Mary McAleese, New York City Mayor Bloomberg, The Irish Chamber of Commerce, and the Gilder Lehrman National Teacher of the Year Program.
 * Drama - The Aquilla Drama program will act out a modern take on a Shakespeare Play. This performace will debut in an Off-Broadway theater.

Varsity sports

 * Baseball (M)
 * Basketball
 * Handball (F)
 * Indoor Track
 * Lacrosse
 * Outdoor Track
 * Soccer (M)
 * Softball (F)
 * Tennis
 * Taekwondo

Partnerships
Frederick Douglass Academy's business partnerships include a variety of companies.
 * HBO -- The HBO mentoring program in FDA is an important asset to the school as it pairs high school students with HBO employees. In such manner, students gain insight to the professional world and receive advise such as how to write a resume or prepare for a college interview.
 * Gap -- The Little Shop of Scholars is FDA's school store—affiliated with Gap—which has everything from school uniforms to holiday gifts. The merchandise are gifts from Gap. The monetary proceeds go to graduating seniors in the form of scholarships.
 * Harlem Children Society—This program partners FDA with Harlem Children Society—indirectly with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the renowned cancer research institution. FDA students part of the program are able to be paired up with research mentors and are placed in research labs. Students take part in research ranging from nutrition to neurology. This program gives students who have an interest in science and medicine a great hands-on experience. Students involved in the past have been able to assume important roles in the lab as they have done tasks ranging from performing perfusions on lab mice to DNA ligations.
 * Columbia University -- As a college preparatory school, FDA spends a great deal of effort in providing SAT-prep courses catered mostly to juniors and seniors. With Columbia University, the school has a Let's Get Ready chapter. The program has been proven effective as it generally increases the students' SAT scores by placing the students in appropriate groups that target the students' specific problems, be it math or the verbal section.
 * The New York Times -- Every year a senior is offered a scholarship for outstanding scholarly articles awarded by a New York Times affiliate. Thus, seniors are motivated each year to compile their most outstanding written pieces in hope of winning the prestigious scholarship.
 * Sullivan & Cromwell -- This partnership is a very fundamental one given that the law-firm company is the main provider of Advanced Placement-course textbooks.
 * Futures and Options -- This nonprofit organization serves as an umbrella to several other programs in the school as it offers "paid semester internships at private sector and not-for-profit sites in the city."

==Notable alumni == Baldwin, James - Late Author Bearden, Romare - Late Famous Artist Boffman, James	- Former Assistant Superintendent, Manhattan Brown, Claude 	- Author Brown, Chucky 	- NBA Basketball Player Brown, Courtney - Former Director Human Rights Carlos, Jon 	- Athlete / US Olympic Champion Carpenter, Edward F. - Headmaster of Harlem Prep Charles Hamilton - Rapper/Entertainer Clark, Kenneth 	- Late Psychologist Cobham, Dudley 	- Clergyman Crawford, Fred 	- Former NY Knickerbockers Player Davis, Ozzie 	- Actor, Director, Producer DeWindt, Harold - Actor Dickens, Thomas	- Judge Felix, Ray 	- Basketball Player Greaves, William - Actor / Producer Hanson, Marshall Major 	Former American Council in Switzerland, Liberia, Trinidad and West Indies Herbert, James 	- Olympic Track Star Hill, Arthur 	- Inspector, Police Department Jamison, Spencer - Basketball Player Jordan, Alexander - Physician Kuntz, William F. - Assistant District Manager Social Security Administration Lawrence, Jacob - Artist Lee, Butch - Basketball Player Mangnur, Robert - Judge McMurren, Lionel R. - Former Principal, IS 10 Department Supt. #5 Michelson, Thomas - Chief, Uniformed Police Forces Moore, Buddy - Boxer Overton, Joseph - Late Community Activist / School Board President Peters, Brock - Actor Phipps, Kenneth - Judge Popwell, Albert - Actor Rangel, Charles - Congressman Ray, Gene Anthony - Dancer and Actor in 'Fame' Roberts, James - Former Deputy Superintendent District 6 Sallid, Otis - Choreographer and Dancer in 'The Wiz' Sena, George C. - Late Judge Skinner, James - Clergyman Smith, David G. - Foreign Service Officer Thompson, William - Clergyman Toppins, Kenneth - Physician Wainwright, Reverent - Shiloh Baptist Church Walker, John - Late Proprietor of Snookies Sugar Bowl Wareham, Alton - Dentist Wiggan, Chester - Former Principal, Morris HS

Other Schools Sharing the Frederick Douglass Academy Name
There are seven other schools in the New York City school system are named Frederick Douglass Academy. The Frederick Douglass Academy 1 is the original and flagship school.

The replicated FDA schools are the following:
 * Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary School (Manhattan) (H.S. M860)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy III Secondary School (Bronx) (H.S. X517)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy IV Secondary School (Brooklyn) (H.S. K393)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy V Middle School (Bronx) (M.S. X273)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy VI High School (Queens) (H.S. 260)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy VII High School (Brooklyn) (H.S. 514)
 * Frederick Douglass Academy VIII Middle School (Brooklyn) (M.S. 452)