Salomé Ureña Leadership Academy MS 322, a Children’s Aid community school, has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prize for Community Collaboration. This is a historic moment as it’s the first New York City public school to achieve this honor.

The middle school serves as a vital hub for its neighborhood, offering a range of support services that extend beyond traditional education to meet the holistic needs of students and their families. This model promotes strong partnerships between the school, families, and community organizations to provide integrated academic, health, and social services.

Known as SULA in the Washington Heights community it serves, the school is a beacon of hope and resilience, particularly for immigrant families. The school was catalyzed by the urgent need for comprehensive educational and wellness support during the pandemic, which exposed significant socialization and emotional distress among students. In collaboration with Children’s Aid, tailored programs were created focusing on social-emotional learning, equity, and leadership to equip students to advocate for justice and equality.

The five World’s Best School Prizes, founded by T4 Education in collaboration with Accenture, American Express, and the Lemann Foundation, are the world’s most prestigious education prizes and this year’s winners will share a $50,000 prize fund.

In addition, all 50 shortlisted schools across the five Prizes will also take part in a Public Vote, which closes on June 28. The school that receives the most public votes will receive the Community Choice Award and membership to T4 Education’s Best School to Work program to help them support teacher wellbeing and solve the teacher recruitment and retention crisis.

Watch Community School Director, Migdalia Cortes, explain why Salomé Ureña Leadership Academy MS 322 has been a vital resource for children and families in Washington Heights.