Our Mission
The mission of EPIC HS North is to challenge all students to dream big and to support them in designing their future. We recognize that each student has their unique way of learning therefore we provide a series of learning experiences that will help them develop the skills they need to be successful.
We honor and integrate our communities to make learning relevant, responsive and accessible. Students will develop a positive sense of self and have developed college-career readiness.
Our Model
With a focus on preparing students for success in college, career, community and life, EPIC North High School promotes learning by doing. At EPIC North, our students design solutions to everyday problems. They build community and develop confidence in their roles as young leaders.
EPIC North Instructional Model
EPIC North High School is a competency-based school. We organize all of our teaching and learning around a core set of skills, mindsets and abilities that students must master in order to graduate. Our students are assessed and advanced based on what they are able to demonstrate. We expect and support all of our students to achieve at high levels.
Our classes are organized into four categories: studios, selectives, targeted support and CORE.
- Studios: interdisciplinary classes that cover Math, Science, English Language Arts, and Social Studies content
- Selectives: choice-based art, movement, and special interest classes
- Targeted support: daily tutoring and enrichment classes
- CORE: advising, group mentoring, and college and career exploration class
EPIC North students also participate in our Rite of Passage program. Our goal is to empower youth through discovery and discussion of history, culture, social problems, and the political forces surrounding them. Mentors build trusting relationships and offer guidance to their members as they face the challenges of young adulthood throughout the 4 years of High School.
How We Address the Needs of All Learners
At EPIC North, we pay attention to the strengths and needs of each individual student.
- Our competency-based model supports students with disabilities and English language learners
- We use a Response To Intervention (RTI) approach that offers a variety of supports to students including assistive technology, access to Learning Coaches, and programmed supports and tutoring
- We have Special Education staff
- We emphasize literacy across the curriculum
- EPIC North employs bilingual staff
Education at EPIC North High School
At EPIC North, learning is dynamic. We focus on the process of learning so that students can continue to strive and thrive beyond high school and throughout life. We focus on a core set of learning targets called competencies and attainments which are skills that support deeper learning.
EPIC North Culturally Responsive Education
At EPIC North, we value who our students are and believe in their right to explore and express their identities. We respect the customs, beliefs, and lived experiences that students bring to our community. We value how students make sense of the here and now and view culture as a living thing. At EPIC North, we encourage students to envision their future selves while acting daily to build a better world. We prepare our learners to challenge stigmas and to excel consistently with confidence and style. We believe that each of our students is uniquely made and uniquely vital to our community. Therefore, we hold ourselves accountable to ensuring that each member of the EPIC North community genuinely feels safe, supported, empowered, and important.
Core Values
EMPOWERMENT | Students make important decisions about the direction of their learning and their lives. At EPIC North, we listen to our young people and, instead of prescribing paths, we present options, and teach skills pertaining to leadership and choice.
CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS | Cultural biases in education are rooted out and all students’ senses of place and perspective are reflected in content and pedagogy. At EPIC North, instruction connects students to their heritage and expands access points to learning.
PERSONALIZED AND APPLIED LEARNING | Learning is built upon a sense of self and connects wherever possible to practical experience. At EPIC North, all students and staff maintain personal growth plans that engage strengths to surmount challenges and that emphasize application.
PERSONALIZED AND APPLIED LEARNING | Learning is built upon a sense of self and connects wherever possible to practical experience. At EPIC North, all students and staff maintain personal growth plans that engage strengths to surmount challenges and that emphasize application.
CONTINUOUS GROWTH AND DESIGN FOR TRANSFORMATION | Students and staff understand how future ability evolves from present ability and approach learning to improve both the self and the world. At EPIC North, we encourage our students to take risks, learn from failure, and design a better future.
INCLUSION AND SERVICE | We embrace the communities already in our students’ lives just as we guide them to forge new ones. At EPIC North, honoring who we are is intimately bound up with deciding who we’ll be through acts of service and connection.
COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY | We each exist as unique and powerful learners but we also work together to transform our community and ourselves. At EPIC North, our learning community operates on the moral principle of Ubuntu — “I am because we are.”
Upcoming Events
SLT Meeting January 9th 5-6 P.M.
Our School Leadership Team (SLT) meets every second Tuesday of the month at 5PM. Major school decisions are made during this meeting and we encourage you to attend. All are welcome!
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PTA Meeting January 9th 6-7 P.M.
Our PTA meets every second tuesday of the month right after our School Leadership Team (SLT) Meetings.
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Game Design Hackathon on 12/19/17
EPIC North is hosting a game design hackathon as part of the CS4ALL initiative to expose computing and programming to more students. All students are encouraged to participate. Please contact jesseha@epicschoolsnyc.org for more information.
read moreSchool News
Game Design Hackathon Winners
Sarina Yu, Jahaan Jain, and Marlyn Paulino are our first EPIC North Hackathon winners. They will be moving on to the second round to compete with 100 schools participating in the Game Design Hack League. You can see their winning submission...
Student Performance on Broadway
On December 13th 2017, Our students performed an original song by Ryan Ramsammy and Ernesto Tello during a Hamilton show.
Student Spotlight
Congratulations to our second Posse Scholar, Brandon Marin!
Brandon Marin is our second Posse Scholar who was accepted to Lafayette College with a full ride scholarship on 12/6/17!
Congratulations to our first Posse Scholar, Rafael Duran!
Rafael Duran is our first Posse Scholar who was accepted to Babson College with a full ride scholarship on 12/4/17!
Admissions
EPIC HS North is an unscreened school. Your child simply needs to put our school down in the application. All students are selected at random.
Interested in being a staff member at an innovative new high school? Apply to EPIC North High School today.
Contact Us
94-25 117th Street, Queens, NY 11419
(718) 570-8230
94-25 117th Street, Queens, NY 11419
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Donate
Your generous gift will fund far-reaching and mission-critical work, including:
- College and career access, counseling, planning, and attainment
- Internships, summer pre-college programs, and diverse off-site enrichment
- Cutting-edge instruction through further development of EPIC’s model competency framework
- Teacher development in progressive emerging practices, particularly around instructional design for mastery and cultural responsiveness