The History of Renaissance

Located at the very crossroads of Jackson Heights, The Renaissance School opened in 1993 as a New Visions school under the old Board of Education. After several years and buildings, it saw the promise of the newly enacted New York State Charter Schools Act and converted to The Renaissance Charter School (TRCS) in 2000. TRCS has been granted two charter terms so far, and is currently renewing its charter for a third term.

Rooted in the conviction that a change in the destiny of a single individual can lead to a change in the destiny of a community, nation, and ultimately humankind, TRCS has upheld its mission as a K-12 school fostering educated, responsible, humanistic young leaders who through their own personal growth spark a renaissance in New York. TRCS graduates are global citizens with an abiding respect for peace, human rights, the environment, and sustainable development.

Renaissance values the important roles of parents and the community. Both parents and representatives of the community serve on the Board of Trustees. Parents form half of the membership of the Collaborative School Governance Committee which sets educational policy and charter improvement goals. Parents have organized an extremely active PTA and serve on numerous schoolwide committees such as Staffing, Budget, Safety, and Admissions. Parents volunteer throughout the school and many staff members began their relationship with the school as parents.

TRCS has partnered with numerous community organizations both near and far from home. Some of these include the Bank Street College of Education; the Center for Education Innovation-Public Education Association (CEI-PEA); the Partnership for Innovation in Compensation for Charter Schools (PICCS: a Teacher Incentive Fund consortium of ten NYC Charter Schools); Queens College ; the National School Reform Faculty; the Charter School Athletic League; New York University; the Child Study Institute; the Public School Athletic League; the New York City Center for Charter Schools; the National Geographic Education Foundation; the New York City Geographic Alliance/Hunter College; City-at-Peace; the Sadie Nash Leadership Project; the Taproot Foundation; Nature’s Classroom; Colgate University’s Summer Science and Sports Camp; KISS Robotics; Students Against Sweatshops; Misled Youth; and the University of Florida – Department of Anthropology.

Visit the TRCS website: www.renaissancecharter.org