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New Roots Charter School is a small tuition-free public high school with a big mission located in the heart of downtown Ithaca. Open to any student eligible for high school in our wider region, our college and life preparatory program engages students in learning actively, thinking critically, and solving problems creatively and collaboratively, developing the knowledge and skills be 21st century solutionaries for a sustainable future. Small school, bright future!
New Roots by the Numbers
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College acceptance rate for New Roots graduates
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Students feel New Roots encourages them to be their best
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Teachers received an A+ rating from their students
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Students earn college credit during high school
Powerful Outcomes
The hands-on learning aspect of my New Roots education helped me be a lot more prepared for a variety of different projects - I'm ready to dive into any challenge or project that comes my way!
Sarajane Roenke, Alum
Environmental Engineering, PhD program, Notre Dame (Awarded the Schmidt Fellowship by Notre Dame University)
“I really enjoyed my time at New Roots. I always felt welcomed and supported by the New Roots community of students, staff, and teachers – it was small enough to be a real community.”
Ezra Davis, Alum
Yale University, PhD program in Computer Science
Worcester Polytechnic Institute, BS
“Looking back at my time at New Roots, I see myself jumping over the most difficult barrier that I’ve ever had to overcome: myself. Coming to terms with who you truly are is a very difficult task, but without the quirky, open, educational, and truly REAL experience that New Roots provided for me, I would never have become the professional and academic activist that I am today.”
Rachel Mitchell, Alum
Graduated Cum Laude with Distinction from Syracuse University with triple major: Sociology, Policy Studies, and Citizenship and Civic Engagement
"The inspiration I received at New Roots has helped me to approach new challenges in creative ways, and helped me to feel at home at Babson College, which is the #1 entrepreneurship college in the US."
Kai Haskins, Alum
“New Roots is a community that focuses on many important aspects of life. Plus the [school’s] community is integrated with the Ithaca community. I believe this helps students think more about their surroundings.”
Savannah Sprague, Alum
Currently in MFA program in Hawaii
Creative Writing, Bachelor of Arts, Wells College
“New Roots changed how I view the world, giving me the interdisciplinary lens a traditional education doesn’t have. I know I don’t have to choose one passion over another but I can find a way to make a connection and move forward from there.”
Kelsie Torello, Alum
Graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a double major in Art History and Religious Studies before completing her Masters in Art History with a focus on Medieval devotional art at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
“New Roots Charter School not only helped me prepare for college but also gave me hands-on experience for the real world. Not to mention being able to participate in the Ithaca community was a huge deal for me. I grew up in a very small prejudiced town that never offered me that warm community feeling, but thanks to New Roots and the Ithaca community I was able to get that wonderful warm feeling all the time.”
Niaome Hickman, Alum
Wells College, BS in Environmental Science and Forest Ecology
"New Roots gave me the opportunity to learn about public policy. I learned how to get my voice heard."
Hannah Watrobski, Alum
“My college level and advanced courses in my senior year, particularly David’s Chemistry course, have helped immensely to prepare me for the intensity and challenge of being a college student.”
Tia Bernagozzi, Alum
Mother and college student studying Biotechnology at Tompkins/Cortland Community College
“My New Roots experience gave me a real understanding of how to work in college through its many college-level courses and the willingness of the professors to assist my studies in ways that I enjoyed greatly. It also fueled my love of playing music!”
Rosalina Maasen, Alum
Wells College, Theatre/Dance Major, History and Sport Management Minor
"New Roots encouraged me to step up and ask questions, and to volunteer for opportunities that I might otherwise have felt unqualified for."
Korin Capenter, Alum