Voyages Preparatory High School South Queens

Voyages South Queens, opened in 2013, is a small transfer school for overage students who are behind in credits. The school is safe, supportive and orderly, according to school surveys and reports. It has an above-average transfer school graduation rate.

The school name stands for Viable Option for Young Adults to Grow, Excel and Succeed. It follows the model created by Voyages Preparatory in Elmhurst, where a mix of structure and freedom helps students thrive.

Principal Chris Losurdo, who was a teacher at the original Voyages, says "the connections between staff and individual students" are key to the program's success. The program also stresses community service and internships in an effort to build "larger connections to the outside community," he says.

To help students accumulate credits, Voyages South Queens offers three 12-week trimesters and uses a blend of computer instruction and regular teaching. Specific course offerings and extracurricular activities are determined in part by student interests.

Voyages South Queens is located in August Martin High School. The building has metal detectors.

ADMISSIONS: Students must be at least 16 years old, have attended a city high school for at least a year and be behind in credits. Applicants all go through an intake process, including an interview with the student and parents. They also take a short test to assess where they are academically. (Gail Robinson, high school fair, May 2013; updated, DOE statistics, June 2018)