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“Would you like to give your child a chance to achieve greatness? If you want that, then this is the place for your child,” says Sisulu-Walker public charter school teacher Shawn Lane when asked how he would recommend the school he teaches at to prospective parents.

The Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem focuses on educating tomorrow’s future leaders so they can make a difference in their community and the global community at large. An appropriate focus as the school’s namesakes, Walter Sisulu and Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, were each instrumental in helping civil rights leaders Nelson Mandela and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. respectively.

“I am responsible” is printed on the back of each scholar’s shirt, reminding students that if they want to be successful, they must choose to do the right thing, and “part of that is making sure you’re responsible for yourself and your actions,” says principal Michelle K. Haynes.

But don’t take our word for it – watch this video to see just how this public charter school is personally impacting the lives and futures of its students, and why The Center for Education Reform fights so hard every day to create conditions that allow schools like this to thrive.

To learn more about this school, the first-ever charter school to open in New York, check out the book A Light Shines in Harlem, available for purchase here.