Our Insights
What’s Special
Challenging academics with a strong emphasis on research and inclusion of students with special needs
The Downside
Shares space in building with several other schools
Millennium Brooklyn is a small, selective school with strong academics and a friendly vibe. The school takes pride in its inclusive culture that welcomes students from diverse backgrounds as well as those with special needs. It opened in 2011 with the mission of taking the successful practices of the original Millennium High School in Manhattan and replicating them in the heart of Park Slope. Since then, Millennium Brooklyn has established its own identity and has become a strong option for students across Brooklyn.
Group work is a staple of instruction at the school and it's common to hear the chatter of students working together in class, whether they’re on a five-minute task or a project that will take several days to complete. Teachers in all subjects emphasize writing and find creative and helpful ways to ensure their students understand concepts. For example, in algebra II, a project named after the popular transformer toy helps students understand how to build new functions from existing ones. In Advanced Placement (AP) courses, students are taught to compile highly detailed outlines of each chapter they read in their textbooks—a very useful skill for college.
All 9th-graders at Millennium Brooklyn take a class called “foundational research” where they learn how to do field research and conduct controlled experiments such as testing different approaches to cleaning up water contaminated by an oil spill. In 10th grade, students study qualitative methods such as designing surveys and running focus groups.
In the upper grades, students deepen their research skills in classes such as statistics, sociology, product design, AP psychology and AP computer science. They also participate in internships during the school year and over the summer. An internship coordinator helps place students at sites such as architectural firms, hospitals and the American Museum of Natural History.
Students study core academic subjects—English, history, math and science—for all four years in addition to taking a research course each year. In math and science, the school offers a variety of options. For math, freshmen take either algebra or geometry depending on their incoming skills. By senior year, students can take calculus (AP and non-AP options), pre-calculus or statistics. In the lower grades, all students study living environment and chemistry. In the upper grades, options include earth science, physics and a range of AP courses such as in biology and chemistry.
One successful practice the school borrowed from the original Millennium is the 9th and 10th grade humanities curriculum, which coordinates instruction in English and history. For instance, students read The Odyssey when studying ancient Greece. In upper grades, students choose among English classes in AP English, Shakespeare and poetry, journalism and memoirs.
Rare for a small school, Millennium Brooklyn offers four years of instruction in both Spanish and French (students choose one to study).
Ninth- and 10th-graders take visual arts. Upperclassmen may take electives in advanced visual arts, portfolio arts, photography and theater. Music and dance are offered as clubs along with other options such as Model UN, creative writing, gay-straight alliance, mock trial, robotics, and running.
The entire student body comes together for an annual “culture day” in April, which includes performances and student-led workshops. Other school events include ice cream socials, field days, and a senior barbeque.
Millennium is located on the third floor of the John Jay Educational Complex, which is also home to Park Slope Collegiate, the John Jay School for Law and Cyberarts Studio Academy. All schools in the building share use of common spaces, including an onsite swimming pool. Students may participate in campus-wide PSAL sports teams known as the John Jay Jaguars.
Most Millennium students go out to lunch on busy Seventh Avenue. Those who stay in typically spend their lunch period in the cafeteria. All students in the building must pass through scanners when entering the building, even when returning from lunch.
Teachers lead small group advisories, which meet three times each week. Students have the same advisor for all four years and get extra support as needed from the school’s guidance counselors and social workers.
College guidance is built into the advisory classes. Two counselors oversee the application process, while teachers walk their advisory students through the process and keep tabs on their progress. Every student has a one-on-one college meeting in their junior year and a second family meeting in their junior and senior year. Qualifying students take a college readiness class in all four years that provides targeted academic support. Juniors and seniors are taken on college visits.
SPECIAL EDUCATION: Inclusion is a centerpiece at Millennium Brooklyn, where roughly 50 percent of the classes follow the ICT (integrated co-teaching) model. Millennium also has an ASD Nest program; in each grade a few students with an autism spectrum disorder are integrated into classes with extra support. (Laura Zingmond and Dashiell Allen, via interview, July 2024).
Get more from InsideSchools
School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Computer Science
Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
Not offered in 2021-21College Readiness
Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryMillennium Brooklyn (L63A)
Millennium Brooklyn HS ASD Nest Program (L63Y)
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
French, Spanish
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP French Language and Culture, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP United States History, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)
Boys PSAL teams
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis, Volleyball
Girls PSAL teams
Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Volleyball
Coed PSAL teams
Stunt
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
237 7 Avenue
Brooklyn
NY
11215
Trains: to 7th Av
Buses: B61, B63, B67, B69
Contact
Other Details
This school shares the John Jay Educational Campus with three other schools
Was this information helpful?
Get more from InsideSchools
You may also like …
John Jay School for Law
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Cyberarts Studio Academy
Brooklyn, NY 11215
Comments