On Wednesday, Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School won $10 million in a contest designed to create innovative high schools.
The school is one of 10 “Super Schools” nationwide that received the prize from an organization backed by Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs. It was selected for its commitment to connect local students to Brooklyn’s burgeoning technology industry, according to a press release from the XQ Institute.
But there’s more to Brooklyn LAB’s model than its emphasis on technology, which was showcased this week during a tour for White House and U.S. Department of Education officials. Earlier this year, Chalkbeat sat down with the school’s co-founders Erin Mote and Eric Tucker to discuss their philosophy and plans to expand from a middle school to a high school next fall.
The couple has a bold ambition: to enroll some of Brooklyn’s neediest students — including low-income students, students with disabilities and English Language Learners — and encourage them to aim for selective four-year colleges.
Read the full interview with the award-winning founders here.