30 Years of Opening the Doors of Opportunity

 
The first 21 students attended SOH classes in the Summer of 1994.

The first 21 students attended SOH classes in the Summer of 1994.

The Beginning

John McIvor, while working as an admissions officer for Horace Mann, had the vision of a summer academic enrichment program for local public school students on the campus of the Horace Mann School. With the help of Gary Miller and Bruce Brickman, the founding benefactor, SOH ran its first summer courses in 1994 for 21 students.

Evolution

The program expanded to offer year-round enrichment, adding an innovative curriculum, a comprehensive admissions process, partnerships with local public schools, middle school, high school and college placement assistance. The program grew by leaps and bounds with the help of luminary educators like Julia Baez-Veliz, Rita Retzlaff, Olga Torres, Anne Gilheany, Claudia Mendez and others.

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Now, We're Here

To date we have helped more than 1,200 students from the Bronx and northern Manhattan access higher education and realize their potential.