Thanks for supporting our Community Fund. This fund makes our program affordable to families who have been historically denied educational opportunities due to our nation’s ongoing commitment to maintaining structural racism.
Brooklyn Apple struggles to avoid mirroring the segregated landscape of the NYC school system. Only with your support can Brooklyn Apple ever be truly be successful.
For the 25/26 year we have been able to offer $72,000 in community fund support. Please help us keep this commitment to keeping our space accessible to all!
Nov 20th 4:05 P.M.
Dear Friends of Brooklyn Apple!
As I’m writing this I’m sitting on the fishing pier at Coney Island, 100 yards out into the ocean, watching the sun set. The cirrus clouds lay out on the sky like pigeon feathers. Trawlers are reeling in nets full of Menhaden and Porgys and container ships the size of city blocks are bound for Shenzhen. The fishermen on the pier talk about traffic on the Belt and the pelicans gossip about fish.
I’m filled with feelings of love towards our city, for what it has been for my ancestors, my family, and myself, and for what it has the possibility to become. It has been inspiring for me to find a way in my life to share this love for NYC and transform it into an active pedagogy.
I am so thankful that the BAA community is able to sustain our space, and to rent and hold on to this little nook on 5th Ave. It is a pocket of learning, creativity, collectivity, joy, and good vibes. It is a home to teens, who gather in person every Sunday to play music and bake cookies. It is a space designed for and owned by the young people who breathe life into it every day. BAA is a place where most answers to “Can we make this?” are answered with “Yes” , and a question like: “Can we visit a pigeon coop?” is also “Yes–but let's bring hand sanitizer.”
Our mission has always been to be a place of joy and creativity, and now, after 14 years, I can see this mirrored in the adult alumni of BAA who are such kind, creative, and inquisitive people. Interested and self possessed, they are now often appearing back at BAA as assistants who collaborate with the next generation with confidence and care.
Some of what we’ve accomplished this year:
–Peer Tutoring: We’ve collected a database of peer tutors available to help younger home school kids in a wide variety of subjects: Calculus, Ancient Greek, Viola, Chemistry, etc. There are currently 10 tutors available to meet with students from the Bronx to Flatbush.
--Staff member Amy Carrigan offered a full summer of camp activities for BAA students
--We re-started our K-5 field trip offerings on Thursdays
--We started a new class called “Exploring NYC in 37 Neighborhoods”
--We went on over 140 field trips
–We’ve supported families new and veteran to homeschooling via workshops and one on one support.
--We hosted over 60 FREE community events, including 40 teen takeovers, talent shows, holiday parties, Pi Day Party, Improv Night, and many more!
Our Goal
We're committed to making Brooklyn Apple accessible to all, regardless of socioeconomic background. Through our Community Fund, we've provided over $72,000 in financial aid this year alone. However, the community need is FAR greater, and we need your help to make sure that EVERY CHILD can access our programs. This year, we are hoping to raise $20,000 to fund full and partial scholarships. If every person on our email list donated just $100, we could reach our goal and then some!
This year, we have had to say “no” to more financial aid requests than ever before and our need is urgent. We're asking for your support to raise these funds by January 1st. Your contribution will ensure that Brooklyn Apple remains a home for imaginations and a haven for those who thrive outside the confines of traditional schooling.
Every dollar counts, and donations over $500 are tax-deductible.*
$25 lets us pay for an hour of admin support to get our families set up to attend BAA and confident in starting their homeschool reporting
$50 allows us to offer a trial day at half price to a prospective student who could otherwise not afford it.
$110 pays for one day of attendance to a BAA student
$250 pays for an accessible homeschool reporting workshop, at no cost to our BAA families
$500 allows us to offer a 25% financial aid award for one semester at BAA
$1000 allows us to offer a 50% financial aid award for one semester at BAA
$1500 allows us to offer a 50% financial aid award for the entire year to a student enrolled in “The Works” at BAA
$2000 pays for a 50% financial aid award for the entire year to any of our programs at our HQ
$4250 allows us to fulfill our mission of inclusivity and diversity and offer a full scholarship to a BIPOC student at BAA
Donate Today: https://www.brooklynappleacademy.org/donate
Every donation gets a thank you gift of an original piece of art from Natasha Mayers, or myself and a t-shirt.
With your help we can continue to empower young minds and build a brighter future. Thank you for being a part of our journey.
With Gratitude,
Noah Mayers and The Brooklyn Apple Team
P.S. For tax-deductible donations over $500, mail checks to our Fiscal Sponsor (details below).
*We can receive donations greater than $500 as fully tax-deductible donations through our Fiscal Sponsor, the Alliance of Self-Directed Education. Mail checks to Brooklyn Apple Academy, 545 5th ave. 2nd floor, Brooklyn, NY 11215 Write checks to: Alliance for Self-Directed Education and write “Brooklyn Apple” in the memo.