You might know him as Puff, Puff Daddy, Sean John or P.Diddy. Sean John Combs, the man of many monikers whose entrepreneurial reach is unlike any other hip-hop artist (the man has had a clothing line, a perfume and even his own brand of vodka), wants to school others. How? By founding his own charter school in Harlem, NY, of course!

His vision is to expand educational opportunities for the young women and men in Harlem, and to create a new generation of community leaders. 

The Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School, for 6th and 7th grade students, will be located on 104th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Planning the school took five years of meeting with community leaders, parents and educators. The process was overseen by the founder of Capital Prep Magnet School in Hartford, Connecticut, Dr. Steve Perry and the school will be headed by one of the US’s top educators, Danita Jones.

The announcement of Capital Prep Harlem received well-deserved twitter praise from Dr. Steve Perry. Dr. Perry states that he and Combs had been working on this amazing project for six years.

Harlem’s educational system is a prime example of how legacies of racism and classism impact the present and shrink opportunities for African-Americans living in low-income communities. Modern controversies within Harlem schools include the withholding of high school diplomas and unreported high school dropout rates.

P. Diddy's school aims to distinguish itself in numerous ways. Most immediately, the school's schedule is unusual--there's no summer break. The school follows an eleven month schedule to ensure that students do not fall victim to summer learning loss, the problem of students forgetting what was taught in earlier grades because of so many months off. 

Summer learning loss is pronounced in low-income communities that have few extracurricular activities. The phenomenon has been linked to students not going on to college or other forms of higher education

Sean and his board plan to make sure the students who attend Capital Prep, have access to all things academic, artistic and athletic. The school’s grounds feature a large cafeteria, gymnasium, indoor swimming pool, theater, and dance studio. The school’s East Harlem location, right on the city’s Museum Mile, will give students access to countless cultural enrichment opportunities.

Summer learning loss meet your maker!

At Capital Prep, students are assigned to advisors and guardians who help them write their own academic and professional itinerary. These learning plans will focus on the needs of each student as they move toward their next academic dream: college.

The school is currently accepting applications for its first set of 160 students, and plans to expand beyond 6th and 7th to become available to grades 6 through 12. The school will grow each year until it meets its cap of 700 students. Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School will join the 183 other charter schools in the New York City area that serve over 70,000 students.

The rigor and commitment that Comb’s and his team have put into the development of this school shines through in the school’s mission statement.

“Capital Prep Harlem’s mission is to provide historically disadvantaged students from Harlem with college and career-readiness skills needed to become responsible and engaged citizens for social justice.” 

Sean Combs can cross bona-fide hometown hero and dream maker off his bucket list.

TopicsAccess to Education

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Defeat Poverty

P. Diddy to open charter school in East Harlem

By Katherine Curtiss