Academy for Conservation and the Environment

The Academy for Conservation and the Environment (ACE) opened in 2008 with the goal of engaging students in an array of environmental projects. While some of those opportunities remain, and others have been added in the area of technology, the school's main focus is getting students to pass their academic classes and Regents exams and graduate on time.

Longtime Principal Eugene Mazzola gets high marks from teachers, based on their responses to the NYC School survey. During his tenure, ACE's graduation and college readiness rates have improved. However, few students successfully complete advanced high school math and science courses such as chemistry and algebra, 2 according to the most recent School Quality Guide.

Seniors in the environmental program take a hands-on hydroponics class taught by a Cornell University professor at the school. As part of the class, students cultivate crops planted in water and organize outings to clean up local beaches and parks. Some students secure coveted internships to work on environmental projects around the country through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

In the technology and visual arts program, students learn computer coding, robotics, graphic design and digital arts and participate in activities such as attending the citywide computer science fair.

Those who are up for the challenge may take Advanced Placement classes as well as several collegeg level courses taught onsite through a partnership with Medgar Evers College.

To help foster a sense of community and have some fun, each student is assigned to one of four, school-wide "houses," which compete against one another in games and contests throughout the year, according the the school's Comprehensive Educational Plan. Teachers also run lunchtime clubs on Fridays that cater to students’ interests.

ACE is one of five high small schools in the South Shore Educational Complex. There are campus-wide PSAL sports teams open to students from all the schools in the building.

ADMISSIONS: Open to all New York City residents. Admission to both programs is based on the educational option formula, which is designed to admit a mix of low-, average- and high-achieving students (Laura Zingmond, web reports, December 2018)