DTE Executive Director Martha Bowers was on the planning committee of the South Brooklyn Community High School (SBCHS) when it opened, in 2002, to meet the needs of "over-aged, under-credited" students- young people who had faced challenges in their academic careers, but were choosing to give themselves a second chance at a high school diploma.
SBCHS served as the prototype for New York City transfer school high schools, which have now been replicated in four boroughs. DTE began programming at the school in 2003 and is currently serving two additional transfer high schools opened by former SBCHS staff through year-round arts programs.
In 2008, with the support of NYSCA "School-wide Implementation" funding, DTE underwent a series of in-depth planning meetings and workshops with teaching artists and teachers at the SBCHS. Over the next five years, DTE will organize and implement arts education programming to improve the educational experience of every student at the school.
(Photos [from top]: Students cheer on a classmate at the Red Hook Fest © Edwin Anglero; Teaching Artist Jive Poetic and student Maddy Hernandez at work in a Spoken Word Performance class © Jon Mayer)
