Mission
The mission of the Amani Public Charter School is to provide Mount Vernon, New York students in kindergarten through 8th grade with the academic skills necessary to succeed in competitive high school programs, college and the career of their choice.
Our Story
The Gap Was In the System
Amani Public Charter School was founded on a simple, unshakable premise: equity and excellence are not competing goals they are the same goal. Every scholar who walks through our doors in Mount Vernon deserves a rigorous, joyful, well-resourced education, regardless of zip code or circumstance.
Where It Began: A Kitchen Table in Mount Vernon
Amani began with conversations around a kitchen table. What started as informal gatherings in Mount Vernon, a diverse, urban-suburban community of 68,000 residents evolved into serious conversations about educational equity, uniting, parents, and public school families around one concern: Mount Vernon’s children needed better options.
Unlike the small, homogeneous districts in neighboring Pelham a
nd Bronxville each serving no more than 3,000 students, Mount Vernon’s district served more than 7,500 children from a larger, more urban, more diverse co
mmunity. That context shaped Amani’s founding vision: an institution that would challenge the status quo and open real pathways to excellence.
Founder Dr. Debra Stern imagined a school where Latin classes would coexist with basketball, where Regents preparation would sit alongside music and rites-of-passage traditions a school genuinely rich with opportunity.
Built Against The Odds, Executing with Purpose
The road to opening was not easy. Dr. Stern and co-founder Charlie Stern worked out of a small third-floor home office, building a school from nothing while facing a lawsuit and a temporary restraining order from the local school district aimed at stopping Amani before it could open. They persevered.
On December 10, 2010, Amani, a Swahili word meaning “peace” received its charter from the New York State Board of Regents, officially beginning its journey. The school has been re-authorized through 2029.
Today, Amani serves scholars across grades K–8 a student body that reflects and celebrates the diversity of Mount Vernon, predominantly Black and African American, and including a significant number of economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and scholars with disabilities.
We build that mission on three commitments we execute ridiculously well:
- Ridiculously Great Teaching. Without great teachers, nothing else matters. Our faculty are the backbone of the Amani community, supported by embedded professional development and relentless instructional coaching.
- A Rigorous Academic Program. A standards-based curriculum focused on literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning driven by a continuous cycle of goal-setting, data analysis, and refinement.
- Strong School Culture. A purposefully structured, joyful environment marked by clear routines, high expectations, and a fair, equitable approach to supporting scholars.
Looking Forward
After 15 years, Amani continues to invest in what experience has shown works: strong co-teaching, tight data cycles, and a culture of high expectations for every scholar. As we grow toward a permanent home at 60 South Third Avenue, our founding conviction hasn’t changed: equity and excellence are the same goal and Mount Vernon’s children deserve both, together, every day.
Historical Timeline
| 2010 | The school’s application is approved by the New York State Education Department. |
| 2011 | Doors open with 80 children in grade five, in a church basement. The school receives a generous start-up grant from Walton Family Foundation. Music and arts added to curriculum through Dancing Classrooms and Young at Arts. |
| 2012 | Amani prevails in a series of lawsuits brought by Mount Vernon City School District against the State Ed Department, intended to revoke its charter. Latin classes added to curriculum plan. |
| 2013 | In order to accommodate grades five, six and seven Amani operates classrooms and facilities in three separate churches in close proximity. |
| 2014 | Amani reaches full enrollment, with children in grades five through eight. |
| 2015 | Newly renovated facility opens at 60 South 3rd Avenue in Mount Vernon. At last, the entire school is under one roof. The first cohort of children graduate eighth grade. Amani’s girls’ basketball team wins Charter School Athletic League Championship. |
| 2016 | Amani is re-authorized by New York State Education Department. 100% pass rate on Algebra Regents Exam. First theatrical play: You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. Amani scholar participates in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. |
| 2017-2018 | Amani partners with City of Mount Vernon and Habitat for Humanity to create the first Community Garden. First off-site theatrical play: Beauty & The Beast. Amani receives exposure with the Big Me mural located on South Second Avenue. |
| 2019-2020 | Just as a new academic plan begins to unfold, the Covid-19 pandemic grips the world. The school remains open until late March. Amani loses a dear friend, beloved custodian Jerry “JL” Lester. |
| 2021-2022 | Learning continues remotely, and a drop-in school is established in the cafeteria, the only of its kind in Westchester County. Food service is provided even when school is closed. Full academic programming resumes in August 2022. |
| 2023 | Exploratory work for Amani Elementary School begins. |
| 2024 | Avellino Family Foundation gives a generous grant to establish Proios Theater Arts Club, sustaining musical theater programming for years to come. |
| 2025 | First full year of kindergarten and grade 1 offered at Amani. School Play: Guys & Dolls. Black Latino Asian Charter Collaborative funds launch of Digital Creator Lab, a teaching studio for livestreams and video podcasting. |
| 2026 | Amani celebrates fifteen years with “A Legacy Takes Flight,” marking a new chapter of growth. |
Non-profit Status
Amani Public Charter School is a nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
EIN 27-4508796