Season’s Greetings from Unity – Highlights from 2023

Dear friends, family, community members, and supporters of Unity,

As we approach the midpoint of our 11th school year and reflect back on the past twelve months and all that we have achieved, there is much to celebrate alongside you.  Notable accomplishments in 2023 include:

• Graduating our fourth class – Unity High’s Class of 2023! This is a class that experienced remote schooling in half of their freshman year and all of their sophomore year.  We are immensely proud of this special class and all of the challenges that they overcame together during the past four years. Overall, the average 4-year graduation rate of our first four classes is 92% (vs. the citywide average of 83% over the same time period).
• Continuing to actively contribute to the success of our alumni!  With our mission centered on empowering students to lead fulfilling lives, the support of our students extends beyond their high school graduation.  Over 60% of our alumni have persisted in their college studies (vs. the citywide average of 39%) under the support of our College & Career Readiness team and Alumni Success Manager.  Moreover, 100% of our graduates who chose not to matriculate in college immediately following graduation had concrete career plans in place through our College & Career Readiness program, such as enrolling in trade union apprenticeship or pursuing employment.
• Expanding and refining our academic curricula to best serve our students’ academic growth and success.  Achievements here include:
  • Our middle school students demonstrated levels of proficiency in mathematics that far exceeded their peers in neighboring schools – by more than 10 percentage points!
  • 52% of graduating students completed at least one AP course, nearly double the citywide rate!
• Earning our second renewal term from the State of New York as a charter school!  The New York State Education Department awarded Unity with a four-year renewal to continue to proudly serve the families of central Brooklyn.  Over the coming four years, we are excited to build on our success as well as improve in areas that are especially impactful to our students’ success at Unity and beyond.
• Acquiring our high school facility and establishing a permanent home in Williamsburg!  Through the support of Build NYC and the New York City Economic Development Corporation, we now have our very own space for our high school to call home.  We are now preparing to embark on a major renovation and expansion of the building so that it is equipped to fully bring out the many talents of our students.  Expect to hear more about our plans and opportunities to support our efforts in the New Year!

As we forge ahead in our quest to become the best open-enrollment public school in Brooklyn, I kindly request that you continue to support our school and mission by making a donation by year end.  Your past generosity has allowed over 900 families to experience the education that they have always wanted for their children.  Making a donation now will directly support us, not only in sustaining our current programs, but in making them even better.  I thank you in advance for your contribution.

I end this note by sharing photos from the past twelve months that feature our students fully immersed in a complete Unity education.  I hope they bring to you the same smile and joy that they bring to me.

Again, many thanks and warmest wishes to you and yours this holiday season!

In Unity,
JB

Joshua Beauregard
Head of School / Co-founder