"The Eagle Academy finally has its own nest and the opportunities that are here in this building for these young people are just simply extraordinary," said David Banks, the Eagle Foundation President.
The Academy was founded by the group, "100 Black Men", and began with the clear mission of helping to solve the problem that black and Hispanic young men are the least likely to graduate from high school.
"The mission is to make sure that our young men are self determined young men who are prepared for college, who will be leaders in their community, leaders in their family, and leaders in the world," said Jonathan Foy, the Principal of Eagle Academy.
The resources to support the school's mission include state-of-the art technology like smart boards in every classroom, and individual technology resources for every student.
There are also studios to support art and music.
In the six years since Eagle was founded, the entire facility is a major improvement.
"Over the last several years, we shared space in two different buildings. Literally, the students had to go up the block from one class to another. It was very challenging," Banks said.
Not only do they have an ultra-modern gymnasium, but they also have workout equipment to rival any health club.
Students feel they have a lot to be proud of.
"It feels like all the hard work, not just myself, but my peers, what we all put in has finally paid off," said Shawn Hudson, a student.
Eagle Academy has expanded to branches in Brooklyn and Queens.
The graduation rate at the flagship school is 87%.
"It's not 100% yet, and that's our goal," Foy said.
The only thing that the new Eagle Academy building cannot provide is the actual hard work it will take for students to gain their diplomas, but educators here are confident they have the resources to help each student build their future.
