Prep for Prep

Prep for Prep is a leadership development and gifted education program founded in 1978 by Gary Simons, a public-school teacher in the Bronx. It is targeted toward high achieving minority students in New York City public, charter and parochial schools.

History

Prep for Prep opened in 1978 with 25 students and three teachers. During the first year in 1978, eleven independent schools committed places for Prep students and 22 students matriculated from those schools. Today, the Prep for Prep community includes over 3,000 students and alumni. There are two sub-schools, Anne Frank and Johnny Gunther Jr. These were named for young people who died from natural (Johnny Gunther Jr.) and unnatural causes (Anne Frank). 38 contingents have been inducted since 1978.

In 2000, Prep for Prep partnered with the Goldman Sachs Foundation to establish the New York Metro Region Leadership Academy. According to a report on the Goldman Sachs Foundation signature initiative to develop high-potential youth, "The New York Metro Region Leadership Academy (NYMRLA)was established as a program of Prep for Prep to improve academic preparation of promising 12- and 13-year-old students from suburban public schools in the New York metro region. Through a rigorous course of study and an array of leadership development opportunities, the program prepares young people for accelerated and Advanced Placement courses in high school. NYMRLA’s educational mission is to create a foundation for strong academic performance that will enable students to satisfy the admission criteria of top-ranked colleges." Unfortunately, the Foundation only supported two cohorts of students (131 accepted) and the program had to end due to a lack of funding.