Early Steps

Early Steps helps young children of color enroll in NYC independent schools as kindergarteners or first graders. This gives them access to an educational experience and a lifetime of opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach, allows students from all different backgrounds to learn together and from one another right from the start, and prepares youth to lead in a diverse world by creating school environments that more accurately reflect our communities. Families who meet the criteria to work with Early Steps receive a full year of hands-on guidance, including workshops, school referrals, application assistance, selection support, and much more. The schools we partner with are “members” of Early Steps and believe wholeheartedly in the importance and benefits of diverse, equitable and inclusive learning environments. We are very proud of these relationships. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Early Steps was established in 1986 by the Independent School Admission Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) and has since facilitated the school enrollment of more than 4,000 children of color. Our alumni keep in touch and provide regular proof and testimony that their education, accessed through Early Steps, made all the difference.