Welcome to Democracy Prep Public Schools, a network of open- enrollment, high performing, "no excuses" public charter schools operating in Harlem. The mission of Democracy Prep is to educate responsible citizen-scholars for success in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship. A simple philosophy guides Democracy Prep staff, students, and alumni alike: Work Hard. Go to College. Change the World!

The King of Hip Hop & The Mayor of New York Receive Yellow Hats

February 6th, scholars chosen for their hard work and diligence were awarded tickets to attend the Jay-Z concert benefiting education, donated by board members. The next night, they returned to meet the artist.

On February 9th, Mayor Michael Bloomberg came to Taino Tower, which houses Harlem Prep, to give a speech about the success of a program increasing fiscal support of non-custodial fathers.

Both Jay-Z and Bloomberg were given Yellow Hats and proclaimed that students should: "Work Hard. Go to College. Change the World."

Join us for our "270 Lives"
Cocktail Party

A year ago, DPPS was granted permission to take over a failed charter school, Harlem Day. For a decade, Harlem Day was unable to provide the quality of education its students deserved. With only the students and families staying constant, we opened Harlem Prep to show that it the quality of a school and its teachers that determines success.

We invite you to help this incredible school thrive. Join us for our "270 Lives" Cocktail Party for Harlem Prep Charter School on Tuesday March 6. Together, we can help more students work hard, go to college, and change the world.

Purchase Tickets ›

Enrollment Open House for New Students and Families

Interested in learning more about enrolling in a Democracy Prep school? Please join us for one of our seven Open Houses. You will tour one of our campuses and learn about the 2012-2013 admissions process for grades K-12.

RSVP for one of the open houses below to students@democracyprep.org.

Open Houses
February 21 at 11am – 6-8 grade focus – 2230 5th Ave
March 3 at 10am – 9-12 grade focus – 207 W 133rd St
March 16 at 2pm – K-6 grade focus – 240 E 123rd St
March 29 at 6pm – K-6 grade focus – 2230 5th Ave

Getting students back on track in Harlem

ABC News — Democracy Prep's first-of-its kind charter turnaround, Harlem Prep Charter School was featured on ABC News. Click to watch Art McFarland's video segment, "Getting students back on track in Harlem."

Read More ›

Join Us for a Virtual Tour

Take a virtual tour of Democracy Prep on our new and improved Vimeo channel. Don't miss our brand new promo video and subscribe to our channel to stay up to date with frequent updates and more ways to watch Democracy Prep scholars and teachers in action!

Learn More ›

Highlights and Events

Read More Headlines ›