Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
-Nelson Mandela

KIPP Central City Academy is a college preparatory public middle school that will change the lives of its students and the city of New Orleans. We open our doors in the fall of 2007 , enrolling 90 fifth graders. Each year we will add a new class of fifth graders, eventually serving 360 students in fifth through eighth grade.

Located in the heart of New Orleans, students at KIPP Central City Academy will build the academic skills, personal values, and intellectual habits of mind to succeed in high school, college, and beyond.  With integrity and pride, teachers and students will focus on results and develop personal and social responsibility to build a better New Orleans for themselves and us all.

A member of the KIPP network of schools, KIPP Central City is a highly structured, academically rigorous setting. Students thrive in a supportive environment with qualified and enthusiastic teachers who have the larger goal of college graduation in mind. Teachers, parents, and students sign the Commitment to Excellence, pledging to spend a longer school day, week, and year doing whatever it takes for students to succeed. KIPP Central City students are in school from 7:45am to 5:00pm each day, two Saturdays a month, and a mandatory two weeks in the summer. They often have two hours of homework in the evenings, and teachers are on call for homework help each night.  All this hard work pays off because nationally, 80% of KIPP students attend college.

With a focus on developing habits of mind, laying a strong foundation in basic reading and math skills, and inspiring critical thinking and analysis, KIPP Central City aims to prepare students for high school, college, and meaningful contribution to their community. Students will spend additional instructional time in reading and math during their first year to build the foundation for deeper work in the later grades. Through inquiry-based work in science and history, all students will be exposed to academic investigation. To prepare students for future leadership in our city, opportunities for community involvement will be a fundamental part of our Saturday School program. With the guidance of their teachers, students will seek knowledge for themselves, develop the skills to succeed in college, and endeavor to build a changed world.

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
-- Chinese Proverb