De La Salle Academy in New York to partner with the News Literacy Project

HBO is sponsoring the school’s participation, marking the first such corporate sponsorship of a school in New York. It will be NLP’s seventh partner in New York City this school year.

Founded in 1984 by Brother Brian Carty and located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, De La Salle Academy welcomes students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades from all five boroughs of New York City. The school’s admission policy is need-blind; 61 percent of students are from families with incomes of $50,000 or less. Each year, the school raises more than 90 percent of its annual budget from sources other than tuition.

De La Salle is committed to racial and religious diversity: 36 percent of its students are Latino, 21 percent are African-American, 26 percent are Asian-American, 7 percent are Caucasian and 9 percent are multiracial. Catholics make up 43 percent of the student body, and 32 percent are Protestant. One-fifth of students come from other faiths, including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism, while 5 percent practice no faith.

“At De La Salle Academy, we do our utmost every day to enrich the students entrusted to our care with exceptional opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. We teach to both the head and the heart,” Brother Brian said.

“Character counts. We are excited and grateful that our students will be able to participate in the rich program offered by the News Literacy Project. By enhancing our students’ habits of mind as they sort through all the information available to them in our digital age, we are supporting them as they dream, learn, strive and achieve to become leaders in the 21st century.”

De La Salle Academy will implement NLP units as a semester-long elective course and an after-school program, beginning in January 2012.