Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women

Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women (BLSYW, pronounced "Bliss"[6]) is a public charter middle and high school for girls in Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Maryland. It is the first public all girls' secondary school in the city that had both middle and senior high school levels.[6]

Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women
Address
128 W. Franklin Street

Baltimore
,
Maryland
21201

United States
Coordinates39°17′43″N 76°37′5″W
Information
TypePublic charter
FounderBrenda Brown Rever[1]
SuperintendentDr. Sonja Brookins Santelises[2]
School number348
High School PrincipalChristina Jacobs[3]
Middle School PrincipalTanea Moore [4]
CEOChevonne Hall[3]
Enrollment539[5] (2018)
Websiteblsyw.org

History

Founded by philanthropist and women's rights advocate Brenda Brown Rever,[6] it opened in 2009 with 120 students. It initially only served 6th graders,[7] and was located on the third floor of the Western High School building.[6] The people of Western High School opposed the idea of BLSYW being housed in that building. In 2010 BLSYW moved into its permanent campus, the former headquarters of the Greater Baltimore Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Mount Vernon, making it the first newly established public school in that area in a three decade period.[8]

In June 2016 the school's first 12th grade class, made up of 60 students, graduated.[6]

In 2017 director Amanda Lipitz released Step, a documentary about three students from the school who participate in a step dance competition. Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Baltimore Ravens contributed to the film's financing.[9] Fox Searchlight Pictures received worldwide distribution rights for the film.[10]

Management

As of 2016 the head of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Carla Hayden, is on the board of directors of BLSYW.[6]

Demographics

In 2016, 59 of the girls in the 12th grade class were low income African-Americans.[6]

References
  1. "About the Founder: Brenda Brown Rever". Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  2. "Meet CEO Sonja Brookins Santelises". Baltimore City Public Schools. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  3. "Staff". Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  4. "Middle School Principal". Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  5. "Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women". Baltimore City Public Schools. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  6. Green, Erica L. (2016-06-03). "Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women graduates first class". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  7. "About the Founder: Brenda Brown Rever ." Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. Retrieved on March 8, 2017.
  8. Green, Erica L. (2010-09-28). "All-girls' school moves into former YWCA building". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  9. Tkacik, Christina (2017-01-26). "Baltimore documentary 'Step' gets picked up by Fox Searchlight". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
  10. Britto, Brittany (2017-02-03). "After Sundance success, 'Step' director hopes Baltimore dance team continues to inspire". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2017-03-08.
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