OVERVIEW

Teachers cannot teach students they don’t know, and community cannot take place among strangers. At UAMA, teachers know the students for whom they are developing instruction. While we all participate in different ways within our community, every member of the UAMA family – students, peers, faculty and staff – is responsible for a caring learning environment.

To ensure and maintain a public space for meaningful dialogue and expression, we have built into the structure of the school small class size. An average academic class size of 18 students per teacher, and arts elective class size of 8-12 students per instructor, ensures that every student has a voice and is recognized for his or her individual strengths. Our teacher support and counseling staff provide additional guidance and scaffold students’ transition from middle school to high school, and from high school to college.

Special events foster a sense of school community and spirit. These include celebrations, presentations by visiting artists, all-school film screenings, and on- and off-campus showcases. Many of these events are student-run, giving students valuable experience as community leaders.

Students at UAMA quickly learn that a supportive arts and learning community is not just confined to school hours. Students are encouraged to take part in extracurricular activities at UAMA and in the larger cultural community of New York City. Students often take the initiative to start their own activities. Staff members dedicate their time as tutors, club leaders, and coaches, and actively match students with out-of-school programs and internships. The goal is that no opportunity will be lost to students.