Overview
Who Are We
UAMA is a small ARTS based unscreened public high school in Downtown Brooklyn/DUMBO founded in 2005. UAMA infuses a rigorous early college curriculum with the arts. We do not require special auditions or portfolios for application, believing that all students benefit from an arts education and should have access to early college opportunities.
Our Mission Statement
Our 21st century arts school is committed to providing a dynamic and innovative learning environment that nurtures artistic expression, creativity, and critical thinking. We strive to inspire a lifelong love and appreciation for literacy and the arts that serves as a strong foundation for academic excellence and career readiness
Our Vision Statement
Our vision is to cultivate a community of confident, skilled, and forward-thinking artists who use their creativity to positively impact the world around them. We aim to be a premier institution that pushes artistic boundaries, embraces diverse perspectives, and prepares students to be leaders in the ever-evolving landscape of the 21st century.
21st Century Arts & Creators Academy
The Advanced Arts program explores both traditional arts and 21st Century expressions of creativity. Working with dedicated full-time arts teachers and partnering with elite NYC teaching artists, UAMA’s talented students create their own art and media content. The Creators Academy respects students as artists of the moment while preparing them for potential careers in the arts, social media, and evolving technologies. This Fall all students will enter an arts pathway in one of three fields: Modern Band & Music Production, Visual & Digital Art, Drama & Musical Theater. Dance coming in Spring 2024!
UAMA’s special programs are largely made possible by arts partnerships with organizations in the nonprofit and private sectors, as well as colleges and universities. Our partners provide and supplement onsite programming and offer hands-on learning opportunities in professional venues. Key cultural partners include Bard College Jazz and Orchestra music programs, NYCPS ARTS HUB, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, BRIC Media Arts, Creative Arts and Entertainment Agency, Family Cook Productions, and many others.
Bard Early College Academy @UAMA
Early College pathways @UAMA include both on campus, off, and remote experiences taught by our own staff and college professors. Offering an expanding array of college credits in all disciplines free of charge to our students. UAMA students in 11th and 12th grade to enroll as part-time undergraduate students of Bard College and earn tuition-free college credits concurrently with their high school studies. Participating students take a liberal arts college course of study that aims to intellectually engage UAMA students and help them prepare for and succeed in college.
On Campus Early College Partners
The Bard Early College Academy at the Urban Assembly School of Music and Art (UAMA) enables UAMA students in 11th and 12th grade to enroll as part-time undergraduate students of Bard College and earn tuition-free college credits concurrently with their high school studies. Participating students take a liberal arts college course of study that aims to intellectually engage UAMA students and help them prepare for and succeed in college.
The Bard Early College Academy establishes an academic extension of Bard College at the UAMA. College courses are taught by Bard Early College faculty, and take place on the UAMA campus within the UAMA course schedule. Additionally, students participate in field trips, including conferences and academic events on the Bard College campus in Annandale-on-Hudson, and joint programming with Bard’s other early colleges in the tri-state area. Upon completion of the Bard Seminar sequence, UAMA students have the opportunity to earn as much as a semester of Bard College credits, tuition-free.
LIU High School Scholars Program
The LIU High School Scholars Program offers high school students a unique opportunity to accelerate their college education. Through a wide range of dual-credit courses—applicable toward both the high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree—LIU High School Scholars earn college credits while studying in their high school classrooms.
CUNY College Now
College Now is a comprehensive collaborative program of the City University of New York (CUNY) and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) designed to improve the academic achievement of NYC Public High School students, while preparing them for the demands of college. College Now at City Tech offers students from designated high schools the opportunity to enroll in college credit-bearing courses FREE of cost. Classes meet after the regular high school day and/or on Saturday on the City Tech campus.