Concrete Jungle Where Dreams are Made Of: Education Inequality in NYC

New York City, NY

The infamous line from the Jay-Z and Alicia Keys anthem, Empire State of Mind (♫ In New York, Concrete Jungle where dreams are made of ♫) gives perhaps too hopeful of a lens for a place that provides opportunities to achieve more. At least when it comes to education, it’s a lot trickier than it sounds. The New York City Public Schools are one of the most diverse, yet the most segregated school districts in the nation. How did this happen? In this class, we will study the state of educational inequality in NYC, the factors that contribute to it, and where we can go from here.

Meet the co-leads:

Grace Yang

Hi I'm Grace! I'm a junior majoring in Management Science & Engineering and minoring in Computer Science. I grew up in Southeast Michigan and have always believed that everyone deserves access to equal educational opportunities, having gone to public school. Having worked at a public consulting firm on their education practice area this past summer, I'm excited to lead this trip and discuss the many factors that contribute to education inequality in NYC! In my free time, I enjoy thrifting cool jackets, trying the latest seasonal drink at local coffee shops, and watching cats stretch after a good nap :).

Yana Kim

Hi! I’m Yana and I’m a sophomore majoring in either Urban Studies or Data Science & Social Systems. I grew up in the Bay Area, but currently reside in the suburbs of Seattle. This past summer I interned at an affordable housing non-profit in New York, so I’m very excited to be back over spring break, and I'm looking forward to leading this course on education inequality. In my free time, you can find me singing along to jazz on my guitar, reading a good book, making a silly youtube vlog, or at a concert.