Educational Opportunities
in the Bronx

STORY + PHOTOS BY PAMELA  Y. ROZON

Published Dec 2022

The Bronx has a long history of lacking opportunities for its residents, such as education. Students suffer from the lack of resources in the borough’s lower-income communities, resulting in reduced rates of high school and college graduates. High school graduation rates in the Bronx are 8% lower compared to other boroughs in NYC. College rates are also lower compared to other boroughs, with only one out of five students graduating. The Bronx Documentary Center prides itself on offering resources to children in order to find a path to higher education. However, the change starts at home, encouraging and aiding students in their future successes. The main reason these numbers are low is due to the many challenges students face compared to those in higher-income neighborhoods. 

Public schools are severely underfunded and students are denied the resources that higher-income areas provide. Students whose parents immigrated to the country, or don’t speak English, carry the responsibility when seeking higher education 

opportunities. Parents who didn’t attend college may disregard their children’s thoughts about the college process, or underestimate its complexity, leaving students to figure out the process on their own.

“I think that it’s really difficult to ask someone to focus on education when the world around them is potentially in a state of disarray,” said Kalada Halliday, the College Success Counselor for the BDC’s Bronx Junior Photo League, a free photography and college prep program for middle and high school students. “You also have students who are actively dealing with home security concerns and are still asked or expected to come to school and deal with those circumstances.”

In his role at the BDC Halliday assists high school students on their journey toward higher education. He prides himself in assisting low-income students of the Bronx, and guiding them through the challenges of college applications. Halliday noted that students have to battle through countless obstacles in their lives, making it difficult to focus on their school performance, he said.

According to Kalada, parents want the best for their kids but don’t know what that’s supposed to look like. There is a cultural lack of expectation when it comes to seeking higher education. Many students want to get jobs as fast as possible after high school graduation to help their families financially and don’t understand the massive benefits that come with a college education. Halliday combats this by engaging his students with their interests, helping them find opportunities in life that align with them. He brings in BJPL alumni to show students that their dream jobs are possible with the right amount of hard work. 

“We’re in one of the poorest neighborhoods in America,”  said BDC founder Michael Kamber. “I think the number one thing that correlates to increased earning and moving into the middle class or the upper classes is really education.”

Kamber founded the BDC in 2011 as an exhibition and arts education center based on documentary photography. Once the BJPL was created, Kamber noticed that many of the high school participants students were not going to college. With the help of  Bianca Farrow, the Education Coordinator and Rhynna Santos, the College Success Counselor at the time, the BDC focused on providing resources for those wanting to enter college. With workshops on financial aid, college essays, and applications, college acceptance rates spiked among the BDC students. Today 95% of graduating high school students from the BJPL are admitted to four-year colleges.

Kamber stresses the importance of having a college degree in today’s society. As a person who never attended college, he said that he missed many opportunities in life, including jobs that immediately turned him down due to his having only a high school degree. 

The South Bronx is widely considered a dangerous area to live. Several schools in its neighborhoods work hard to ensure the safety of their students, like the Immaculate Conception School in the Melrose neighborhood. Jennifer Paige, director of school operations at Immaculate Conception School in the Melrose neighborhood, makes sure her students feel safe in and out of class. She ensures students are greeted and dismissed by staff; upon arrival, guests must ring into the building and meet a security guard with a valid form of identification. Ms. Paige also speaks about the importance of community. ICS is an important part of the local community, a legacy school where many teachers and volunteers are alumni. 

Above all, ICS prides itself on its rigorous education, with most of its student’s grades averaging between 80 to 89. They stress the importance of an early start with children, ensuring they keep education as a top priority. “Early intervention is always going to be a great indicator on where students are going to want to go later on when they’re in high school and even in college,” said Ms. Paige. “As long as the conversation is happening early, then they’re getting exposed to it.”

There are around 84 private high schools in the Bronx that require middle school students to take the Specialized High School’s Admissions Test. Students who attend specialized high schools have a better chance of being accepted to good colleges.

Students in the Bronx deal with many more obstacles than their peers elsewhere in the city, having to confront issues related to safety, poverty, and generation gaps when it comes to higher education. By introducing the importance of education to children at a young age, it’s more likely that they’ll be inspired to succeed in their academic futures. All of us who are working in the field of youth education with students in the South Bronx have a responsibility to ensure that their futures are bright. Below we’ve suggested some ways that our readers can help with their children or their students.

What You Can Do:

Mexican Coalition:

The org helps with translating documents, immigration help, and donations 

(such as toiletries and food). Learn more at coalicionmexicana.org.

Nos Quedamos:
Youth promotion and financial aid help. Learn more at nosquedamos.org.

Attend BDC College Prep Workshops:
The BDC offers college prep workshops.

Contact School Guidance Counselors:

Parents can get in touch with their student’s college advisors as well.