2024 Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn

Welcome to the 2024 Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn Challenge Forum! We are thrilled to be returning to Brooklyn, and working with the brilliant and talented students and educators of Brooklyn North High Schools. We are excited to be in community together, discussing societal challenges you may be facing in Brooklyn and that young people experience across the country. Today, we will hear from leading thinkers who tackle some of our world’s toughest problems. These experts will pose their challenge statements to you, tasking you to design creative and innovative solutions that will benefit your community, your city, and beyond. We believe that you have what it takes to make demonstrable change in Brooklyn and we can’t wait to see the unique solutions you design over the next ten weeks!

The Challenge Forum will take place on February 6, 2024, 8:45 – 3:45 pm ET at Brooklyn Army Terminal.

The Solution Showcase will take place on April 18, 2024, 8:45 am – 7:00 pm ET at Brooklyn Army Terminal.

NYC Public Schools: Brooklyn North Participating Schools

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is the largest public school system in the United States, serving more than 900,000 students in over 1,800 schools. The department is responsible for the education of children from 3K through 12th grade and is overseen by the New York City Schools Chancellor, who is appointed by the Mayor of New York City. The NYCPS’ mission is to ensure that each student graduates on a pathway to a rewarding career and long-term economic security, equipped to be a positive force for change. To achieve this goal, the department sets rigorous academic standards, provides resources and support to schools and teachers, and offers a wide range of programs and services to students and families. New York City Public Schools is dedicated to providing all students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in life and building a brighter future for the city of New York.

The Brooklyn North High Schools (BKNHS) district represents 47 high schools across seven community school districts in New York City. BKNHS serves approximately 27,000 students from culturally diverse backgrounds including African American/Black, White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, Asian. Additionally, the district is home to many historical and new immigrants from the Caribbean, South and Central America, Africa, India, and South Asia. Our schools are as diverse as its student body, comprising large comprehensive high schools, CTE schools, and an array of mid-size and small high schools offering specialized, personalized instructional programs to serve and support the whole child. These differentiated instructional and student services are responsive to the diverse learning needs of students with an emphasis on ensuring that students with disabilities and English Language Learners receive equitable, rigorous instruction and services equal to their peers.

The following 20 schools will participate in the Aspen Challenge: Brooklyn 2024:

Founding Partners

The Aspen Challenge was launched by the Aspen Institute and the Bezos Family Foundation.

The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization committed to realizing a free, just, and equitable society. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve the most important challenges facing the United States and the world. Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Institute has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, and an international network of partners. The Aspen Challenge is a part of the Leadership Division at the Aspen Institute, whose programs are committed to the development of values-based leaders that proactively confront societal challenges – both individually and collectively – in order to create a more just, fair, and equitable society

The Bezos Family Foundation supports rigorous, inspired learning environments for young people, from birth through high school, to put their education into action. Through investments in research, public awareness, and programs, the foundation works to elevate the field of education and improve life outcomes for all children.