Brooklyn Community Arts & Media High School (BCAM)

At Brooklyn Community High School for Communication, Arts and Media students get four years of instruction in the arts in addition to regular high school courses.  

They study studio art in 9th grade, moving on to photography, filmmaking, and college portfolio development in the upper grades. Students also apply or audition for after school arts academies each semester in printmaking, fashion design, photography, theater, filmmaking, mural painting, modern dance and music production. 

Every student gets hands-on experience and must assemble an art portfolio as a requirement for graduation—but they also pass required academic courses and Regents exams.

Bringing students up to and above grade level is critical at BCAM, where most students arrive poorly prepared for high school work. They participate in small group advisories for all four years, with a faculty member as advisory leader, to foster strong relationships. 

BCAM is one of several schools that share the former IS 117 Francis Scott Key School building in Bedford Stuyvesant. The other schools are Brooklyn Prospect Charter Clinton Hill Middle School, Brooklyn HS for Leadership and Community Service, and PS 369, and a District 75 school for students with special needs. 

All schools share the basement lunchroom, outdoor schoolyard, and other public spaces. Only a few PSAL sports are offered but some are unusual like handball and table tennis for boys, and a co-ed Stunt team. 

Admissions: Open citywide. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, December 2018)