OUR HISTORY In 1972, a group of De La Salle Christian Brothers, along with a few educators and child advocates, came together in Astoria, Queens to help students who were excluded from school due to emotional and behavioral problems. Many of the students came from New York City with no other educational options open to them. Ultimately, this intrepid group founded a school for students with special needs who were excluded from the public school system. The first MDP school was established in Astoria, New York. The initial program grew from serving two students to the present day, where close to 500 students are served at three sites each year.
Our growth has always been a response to marginalized schoolchildren.
MDP TODAY
OUR STUDENTS
We celebrate more than 40 years of excellence. Our continued success is attributable to our mission to serve these students and a community of dedicated educators who have energized and creatively renewed this mission over these many years.
Ranging in age from seven to 21 years old, their homes are in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island — as well as Suffolk and Nassau County. Our student population is a true mosaic rich in its diversity. Resiliency defines them as they face the social, economic, and racial and gender based challenges of a complex urban environment. Most students suffer from multiple negative factors including mental illness, physical illness, and gang violence, and, live with families of substance abuse, domestic violence, and more.
WHAT WE DO Each and every day we provide an environment that is dynamic and teeming with opportunities to build competence. We have developed a refined understanding of child development over the years. With this awareness, we have become proficient at meeting the special needs of students entrusted to our care.
Students are referred by their local school districts because they need specialized classrooms to address multifaceted behavioral and emotional needs. MDP is classified as an “out of district “school placement and chartered by the New York State Education Department. In other words, we are tremendous resource filling a need that the public system cannot meet.