The Mann philosophy of education holds that public education is the cornerstone of democracy and societal well-being. So how do we ensure children access to the great equalizer when there aren’t enough student seats in one of the most densely populated, diverse regions in the country?
That’s the core challenge being addressed by Empowerment Academy Charter School | Jersey City, NJ’s K-12 charter school campus in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Envisioned as a community anchor in the Canal Crossing Redevelopment Area of Jersey City, this campus will host 300,000 square feet of student and community space across four distinct academies: one elementary school, one middle school, and two high schools.
With an initial offering of 1,560 k-12 seats for Empowerment Academy schools and 480 seats for BelovED High School, the site is designed to accommodate 240 additional students in the future and is additionally reserving landing for a future facility that would house up to 360 students. The flexible design is critical to supporting Jersey City's most vulnerable populations during this period of rapid growth.
Sited on an elongated property with extreme topography and bounded by the former Morris Canal, now an 111-mile greenway path, this adjacency to natural surroundings will create an urban oasis for students and the larger community. To balance the urban context of Jersey City and its proximity to the rugged Palisades cliffs, the outdoors commons will offer lush landscaping to lend a sense of peace and wellbeing, while a fourth-floor terrace will offer views to the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan.
Each school will be interconnected into a singular contiguous campus facility, anchored by a large shared Commons structure that houses common programming to maximize cost economy and create a strong sense of community. Students will enjoy a shared multipurpose room, kitchen and cafeteria, rooftop athletic playfields and playgrounds, an oversized gymnasium that is flexibly subdivisible into four full-sized gyms, locker rooms, and exercise and training rooms.
The campus’s rigorous commitment to access, equity, and diversity is reflected not only in the programmatic designs, but also in its dedication to sustainability and continuing access for all community members. There will be onsite rainwater harvesting and reuse, an onsite rooftop solar PV array, and onsite EV charging. The campus will also maintain on-site staff and student parking and carshare parking, onsite bus parking, drop-off and pick-up facilities, and maintains close proximity to key public transport.
This is the new face of K-12 education.
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