Beacon School

General Information:
Co-Directors: Stephen Stoll, sstoll@beaconschool.org
Ruth Lacey, rlacey@beaconschool.org
Tech Coordinator: Chris Lehmann, clehmann@beaconschool.org
ILT Contact: Dick Parsons
Grades: 9-12
No. Students: 680

Contact Information:
227 West 61st Street,
New York, NY 10023
Phone: 212-245-2807
Fax: 212-245-2179
www.beaconschool.org
get map

The Beacon School has been created from a great sense of hope. It is a place where students and teachers aim to make sense of each day shared together, to understand the complexity of the world and about ourselves. We feel that the moment-to-moment vitality and transformation exploding in humans, aged 14-18 years, should never be quashed by the imposition of arbitrary standards, preordained expectations, and zealousness toward 'what it's for' rather than 'what it is.' We believe that youthful vitality should be tapped, that expectations should emanate from student preference and ability, and that standards should evolve from the collaborative efforts of students, teachers, and parents. We opt to forge expectations and standards for achievement from the creativity, strength, integrity, and power that inherently exists within each child. Our purpose is to give our students the opportunities, the resources, and the go-ahead to find meaning and success in their lives, meaning and success as defined by them in consultation with teachers and parents. Yet, meaning and success are complex. We do not believe they can be comprehended through the fragmented, restricted study of one subject area at a time. Rather, the Beacon School facilitates work that cuts across traditional subject borders, posing unifying themes from various perspectives and by collaborating on interdisciplinary projects, we intend for our students to discover connections and relationships that offer a rich understanding of their world.