Partners

Riverdale is a great school, but great institutions are measured by their collaboration with other great organizations. Here is a list of the people and organizations we are currently working with:

Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey is one of the pre-eminent dance companies in the world. They are also committed to bringing dance into the classrooms, communities, and lives of people throughout the world. Ailey Arts In Education & Community Programs include special performances, lecture-demonstrations, technique classes, and curriculum-based residencies. They have conducted residencies at Riverdale for the last two years.

Authentic Education

Authentic Education, a New Jersey Registered Professional Development Service Provider, has its roots in almost 20 years of school reform at the national level. They provide practical, effective, and thoughtful staff development and consulting services specializing in design and teaching for understanding effective assessment and thoughtful school change. Grant Wiggins has helped Riverdale on a number of curriculum initiatives.

Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives (CSBGL)

Center for the Study of Boys' and Girls' Lives (CSBGL) is a research collaborative between a consortium of independent schools and the University of Pennsylvania. CSBGL supports “participatory action research” in student and faculty groups that helps to improve schools and give students a voice in school reform.

Change Leadership Group (CLG)

The Change Leadership Group (CLG) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education is a knowledge-development and capacity-building organization focused on effective strategies for school and district improvement. Since its creation in 1999 with a generous five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CLG has collaborated directly with top leadership teams of school districts, helping them develop capacities to address systemic obstacles to student performance. In the belief that all of America's children need to have higher levels of intellectual and social skills for work, citizenship, and life-long learning, CLG has worked to create new, more effective approaches to systemic improvement in education. Tony Wagner, the co-director, consults with Riverdale on a regular basis.

Coalition of Riverdale/Kingsbridge Schools (CORKS)

A coalition of independent and public educational institutions in the North-East Bronx founded by Tony Perez Cassino.

The Energy Project

The Energy Project energizes people, offering organizations a detailed blueprint for fueling a fully engaged workforce. Their clients range from companies such as Google, Ford, Sony, Ernst and Young, Time Warner, and Pfizer to organizations such as the Los Angeles Police Department, the Cleveland Clinic, Save the Children, and many others. Riverdale has worked with alumnus Tony Schwartz '70 and his team on developing the “One Big Thing” project at school.

Green Schools Alliance (GSA)

The Green Schools Alliance (GSA) is an alliance of pre-K to grade 12 public, private, and independent schools uniting to take action on climate change and the environment.

The Guild of New York City Independent Schools

The Guild is a collaborative group of over seventy New York City independent schools heads.

IDEO

IDEO is an internationally-acclaimed design and innovation company that has been working with Riverdale to help develop a design thinking “toolkit” for educators.

Independent Curriculum Group

The schools of the Independent Curriculum Group put students at the center of the education process. The Independent Curriculum Group is part of a growing movement of leading college preparatory schools that emphasize site-based, teacher-generated curriculum for advanced courses.

The Ivy Preparatory League

Riverdale is one of eight schools in the Ivy Preparatory Athletic League that includes Collegiate, Dalton, Fieldston, Hackley, Horace Mann, Poly Prep, and Trinity.

KIPP NYC

Co-founded by Riverdale alumnus David Levin '88, KIPP NYC is a non-profit network of free, public charter schools that prepare students for success in college and life. In 1995, KIPP opened their first middle school, KIPP Academy, in the Bronx. The goal was to graduate students with the strength of character and academic abilities needed to succeed in life – and in doing so, to prove what is possible in urban schools. KIPP NYC has grown to serve more than 1,300 students and 700 alumni; 80% come from low-income families, 98% are African American or Latino and all are selected by lottery.

Riverdale has conducted a multi-year project with KIPP and the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania to develop a “character strength” assessment.

Midori and Friends

Founded in 1992 by the world renowned violinist, Midori, and a small, committed Board of Directors, Midori and Friends has inspired over 150,000 underserved New York City children and their families through quality music education activities. Midori and Friends has been working with Riverdale for the last two years to provide musical performance and education that links with our curriculum.

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is the national resource group for all independent schools. Riverdale attends the national conference as well as the People of Color Conference and Student Diversity Leadership Conference on an annual basis.

New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)

New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) is a voluntary association of some 180 independent nursery, elementary, and secondary schools enrolling some 78,000 students. It is affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools and the New York State Coalition for Independent and Religious Schools. Founded in 1947, the Association is incorporated under New York State Education Law and is non-profit and federally tax exempt.

Positive Psychology Center at University of Pennsylvania

Positive Psychology is the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The Positive Psychology Center promotes research, training, education, and the dissemination of positive psychology. This field is founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. Riverdale has worked with Marty Seligman, the Director of the Center, and Angela Duckworth, Assistant Professor, over the last few years to develop ways of using positive psychology in schools.

Project Zero

Project Zero is an educational research group at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. Project Zero's mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels. Veronica Boix-Mansilla has worked with Riverdale's Upper School faculty on interdisciplinary course development. Many of our faculty have attended their summer conferences as well.

Public Prep

Public Prep is a network of college-preparatory charter schools committed to high academic standards, merit, citizenship and responsibility. They seek to empower students with critical-thinking skills and a strong character, preparing them to pursue their passions and achieve academic excellence with enthusiasm and dedication. Riverdale has been working with alumna Tiffany Austin Liston '94, Managing Director of Strategy and Development.

The Somarela Fund

The mission of the Somarela Fund is to advance humanitarian work in southern Africa and cultivate global citizenship among youth of diverse backgrounds from the United States and southern Africa through cultural exchange and service-learning trips. Riverdale Middle School history teacher Jay Crosby founded the Somarela Fund in memory of his father who had planned to start a community outreach program in Botswana before his death in 2003. Four years ago, Jay started taking groups of Upper School students on trips to Botswana to help children in need.

Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy

Riverdale is part of the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy Community Council, an alliance of park user groups that meet throughout the year to assess various park issues and recommend solutions. Committees within the council focus on: natural areas, sports fields, educational programs, safety, public relations, fundraising and more.

Wave Hill

Wave Hill is a 28-acre public garden and cultural center in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River and Palisades. Its mission is to celebrate the artistry and legacy of its gardens and landscapes, to preserve its magnificent views, and to explore human connections to the natural world through programs in horticulture, education, and the arts. Wave Hill has provided educational and enrichment activities for our Lower School over the years.

GoArtSchool.com

Riverdale is dedicated to helping its students pursue their passions, both on campus and beyond. For students interested in pursuing a degree or career in art, www.goartschool.com provides tips and resources related to applying to art schools and the prospects for a career in art after graduation.

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