It Takes a Village Academy

It Takes A Village Academy has a high graduation rate and is particularly known for helping new immigrants graduate on time, even if they had limited schooling in their home country. Many children speak Haitian or French at home; others speak Arabic and Spanish.

The school, housed in the Samuel J. Tilden Educational Campus, gets good marks for its high expectations, its positive culture and its success in preparing students for college, according to the city’s Quality Review. However, some students complain about safety in the bathrooms and locker rooms, according to school surveys. 

In one troubling incident in the fall of 2017, four students complained that older students touched them inappropriately in the boys' locker room, police said. Principal Marina Vinitskaya was removed for failing to report the incident to authorities, and three students were suspended. 

Sybil Girard took over as principal in November 2017. She was formerly assistant principal at Academy for Conservation and the Environment, a tiny school in the South Shore Educational Campus.

It Takes A Village offers French- and Spanish-language instruction and several Advanced Placement courses. The school day is longer than usual, lasting from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Newcomers may choose from three programs: It Takes a Village Academy is the largest, with a science and math focus; Engineering Academy has a computer and technology theme; and Science Institute prepares students for careers in health professions.

Students are encouraged to participate in campus-wide Tilden athletics. Students in the Robotics Program at Brooklyn College participate in U.S. National competitions. There is a swimming pool on site. Teens may learn to swim and earn a Red Cross lifeguard certification. Other perks of the large campus include a renovated playing field, well-kept gymnasiums and a refurbished auditorium.

ADMISSIONS: Students must apply to each program separately. Admissions decisions are based on the educational option formula, which is designed to attract a mix of low-, average- and high-performing students. About a dozen 10th grade seats have been available in each program in previous years. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and DOE data, January 2018)