KIPP Miami is part of the KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) national non-profit network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving elementary, middle, and high school students. KIPP has a 20-year track record of preparing students for success in college and life. Opening in the summer of 2018, KIPP Miami will operate its first free, public, open-enrollment charter school in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood. In its first year, KIPP Miami will educate students in Kindergarten and first grades.
KIPP Miami is a proud partner of the Urban League’s We Rise Liberty City initiative to bring additional educational options to the Liberty City neighborhood.
“We are proud to have KIPP as a partner in the We Rise initiative. By focusing on the advancement of education, we have set a standard for excellence and achievement that pushes others to strive for the best—for themselves, for their children and for their neighborhoods.”
– T Willard Fair
KIPP is a non-profit network of college-preparatory, public charter schools educating elementary, middle, and high school students. KIPP schools are part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. There are 209 KIPP schools in 20 states and the District of Columbia educating nearly 90,000 students on their path to and through college, careers, and life. KIPP believes that great teachers and school leaders, a supportive learning environment, and an emphasis on both academics and character are the foundation for student success. KIPP students complete college at a rate that is above the national average for all students and approximately four times higher than that of students from similar economic backgrounds.
Clearly defined and measurable high expectations for academic achievement and conduct that creates and reinforces a culture of achievement and support. We know that every student is different and we personalize learning based on a student’s needs, skills, and interests.
Success in life depends on more than academic learning. We help students foster character strengths that are essential for their own success. And we empower them to express their voice and improve the world around them.
Great schools require great teachers and school leaders. We empower our school teams and invest in leadership and training rather than in bureaucracy.
Physical and emotional safety is needed for students to take risks and learn from their successes and their mistakes. Our schools provide a safe, structured, and nurturing environment with minimal distractions so our students love school and maximize their learning.
Our counselors and advisors support students as they prepare for and select the right college for their needs and interests. After high school, we help KIPP alumni navigate the social, academic, and financial challenges they might encounter while in college.
KIPP Miami Public Schools seek to create and sustain high achieving and inspiring community schools that battle inequity by empowering students to develop the knowledge, skills, character strengths, and habits to thrive in college and beyond, shape their futures, and positively impact the world.
It all started with a simple but powerful idea. If we help children develop the academic and character skills they need for college and choice-filled lives, they will be able to build a better tomorrow for themselves, their communities, for everyone.
KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) began in 1994 when two former Teach For America teachers, Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, launched a fifth-grade program with 47 fifth-graders within a public elementary school in Houston, Texas. The following year two new public schools began. Mike remained in Houston to lead KIPP Academy Middle School, and Dave returned home to New York City to establish KIPP Academy Middle School in the South Bronx. These schools started with a fifth-grade and added one grade a year until they were educating students in grades fifth through eighth.
By 1999, these original KIPP public charter schools were among the highest-performing schools in their respective communities.