The school’s mission is, “to provide an exceptional educational solution, focused on preparing every student for New York City’s most competitive high schools and leadership in their chosen careers through an integrated educational design with high expectations, extensive academic and social-emotional support, and a high level of family and community engagement.”

Heketi's name embraces two main elements of our mission focus. ‘Heketi’ is the Taino word for ONE. Tainos are the indigenous people of the Caribbean. Heketi was born out of a desire to honor this heritage and embrace the power of multilingual literacy and reading skills for success and leadership. The meaning of Heketi, ONE, is also a recognition of what it takes to create an educational environment that ensures each child’s success. Heketi’s educational design integrates families, school staff, and community members — all invested and united in building a community focused on achievement.

The key design elements of the Heketi Community academic program are:

• clear and transparent accountability;

• relentless commitment to high expectations for all;

• data-driven instruction;

• investment in social-emotional support; and

• use of an integrated Spanish Language Model.

Heketi’s educational program is based on the experience and expertise of New Leaders for New Schools and from best practices gleaned from visits to charter schools that serve similar populations as that proposed to be served by this school, such as the SUNY authorized Girls Preparatory Charter School of the Bronx, Family Life Academy Charter School, and Bronx Charter School for Excellence. The school will apply research validated practices for English Language Learners such as Guided Language Acquisition Design (“GLAD”), E.L. Achieve, and project-based learning. In addition, the school will adopt an integrated Spanish Language Model to enhance students’ facility with oral language and to strengthen the likelihood of students becoming biliterate and bicultural.