The High School for Enterprise, Business and Technology

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History

The High School for Enterprise, Business and Technology is a public high school located at 850 Grand Street and Bushwick Avenue in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn New York. The school was opened in the fall of 1996 following the closing of Eastern District High School in the spring of 1995.

When Eastern District closed as a result of low graduation rates and subsequent violence, four schools opened in the buildings place: The High School of Enterprise, Business and Technology, The School for Legal Studies, Progress High School for Professional Careers and a fourth school that was closed by the fall of 1999. The school opened up as The Grand Street Campus.

EBT, as it is known by the students and faculty, and the other schools were the first schools born into the SURR (Schools Under Registration Review) List. In the spring of 2000, a year after graduating its first senior class, the school was first in the campus to pass off the list.

The creator and principal of EBT is Juan S. Mendez. He was the deputy chair of the foreign language at Stuyvesant High School before opening EBT.

Areas of Study

The school thrives on its namesakes. When students apply to EBT, there are three programs to choose from: The Academy of Travel and Tourism, Computer Science/Networking (Computer Science & Technology), and Business & Finance.

EBT has a chapter in The Academy of Travel and Tourism. Students who "major" in the program are taught of the trends of traveling as well as the industry as a whole engaging in internships with different lodging companies and hotels. They also learn geography of popular destinations and the inner workings of airports, hotels, museums and other tourist destinations.

Computer Science, or Cisco students learn of the inner workings of computers and the construction and mechanisms behind computers, digital information, systems analysis and the Internet.

Business and Finance is a program with a curriculum based on preparations for careers with the joint effort of corporate partnerships.

Criteria for Graduation

Generally a student will attend EBT for four years or eight semesters (or terms). Some graduates anywhere from three years to four and a half years.

To graduate from the High School of Business of Enterprise, Business and Technology a student needs to receive forty or more credits and a rigorous course study of:

Eight terms (four years) of English

Seven terms (3 1/2 years) of Physical Education

Six terms (Three years) of Math

One term of Health

Two terms of American History

Two terms of Art

Two terms of foreign language

Six terms of Science

Two years (four terms) of Global History

One year (two terms) of art

One term of an elective

Electives

Band/Chorus - The band and chorus programs are composed of students from the 3 high schools at the campus and were established in 2002. There are several ensembles of varying skill level in both programs, ranging from beginner level to intermediate-advanced groups. Both groups perform at many festivals at events throughout New York State, such as NYSSMA and the Region 8 Arts Festival.

Dance - The dance program became very popular during the 2006-2007 year and has received recognition for their performances which consist of ballet, African dance, hip-hop dance, Jazz, and Indian dance.

Conflict Resolution - Teachers teach students to resolve conflicts with fellow students and students learn to mediate arguments.

Leadership

Journalism - Students write articles for the student newspaper "The EBT Eye" and the literary magazine

Foreign Languages Offered/Foreign Exchange Program

In the first couple of years, students had two choices for a foreign language, Spanish and German. The German language had a foreign exchange correspondence with its sister school in Frankfurt in Germany. Today, Spanish is the only language offered.

Advanced Placement and Honor Societies and Courses

Several Advanced level courses are taken such as AP English Literature & Composition, AP English Language & Composition, Calculus, Physics, American History Honors, AP World History, AP Spanish, and AP Biology.

The school has a chapter in the National Honor Society, National Technical Honor Society, and The Quill and Scroll Society.

Students that show proficiency in one or several subjects are given the option of taking these courses and other Honors courses.

Extra Curricular Activities and Sports

In addition to a rigorous curriculum, the student body is encouraged to participate in several clubs such as Drama, Future Business Leaders of America and Model United Nations.

The school has several sports teams shared with The School for Legal Studies and Progress High School including

Boys: Varsity and J/V Football, Handball, Wrestling, Varsity and J/V Basketball

Girls: Varsity and J/V Basketball, Varsity and J/V Volleyball, Handball, Softball

The school plays host to budding artists, actors and musicians by offering campus wide organizations such as a yearly campus play, a campus band and EBT uses it's 360 Complex as an art gallery to display student's artworks of varying kinds.

Woodhull Hospital Partnership

To update the medical care of Grand Street Campus' students, the Campus has a partnership with nearby Woodhull Hospital to have a clinic on campus.

Failed Uniforms

The school on several occasions has tried to establish a uniform dress code with the students' independence prevailing and students dress suitable to a school atmosphere that ensures comfort.

Where the Campus Sits: Then and Now

The Eastern District Campus that was erected in 1981 is very modern. Eastern District was a state of the art facility a swimming pool, an auto shop (now housing EBT's 199 Art Studio), a home economics room, a room to learn to type and one of the first computer labs. An adult education was once there to teach the then changing population to speak English, earn a GED and offer courses in typing.

Many of these facilities offer other services such as business ventures for the school, storage or converted classrooms.

An after-school program for the students in the neighboring elementary schools provides homework help and games. Students from the campus volunteer and are paid for their time.

Today EBT and the rest of Grand Street Campus continues to grow with more and more students applying every year and with the ever-changing growth of the schools, and the community.

Students have the option of taking the B43, B53, B57 bus or the L train to school, but many of the attending students are within walking distance. The neighborhood is also populated with a few restaurants, a near by travel agencies, a couple of churches and have the option of the Graham Avenue shopping district that stretches from Grand Street all the way to Flushing Avenue and Broadway's intersections.

Notable faculty

*Rebecca Pawel, novelist and winner of the 2004 Edgar Award for "Best First Novel", teaches English and occasionally Spanish here.
*Eulalie Spence, a Harlem Renaissance playwright, taught English and elocution at Eastern District High School from 1927-1938, decades before it was closed and replaced by EBT.

Notable alumni

*Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach, Hall of Fame NBA coach
*Vic Hershkowitz, American handball player

External links

* [http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/StudentEnroll/HSAdmissions/HSDirectory/Book/?sid=463 New York City High School Admissions]
* [http://psal.org/psalsports/school/psal_schoolprofile.asp?cschool=14550 Grand Street Campus profile] at Public Schools Athletic League
* [http://www.grandstreetcampuswolves.com/ Grand Street Campus Wolves Football Team]
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Times_College_Scholarship_Program#2007|2007 NY Times Scholarship Winner] [http://nytscholars.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=72&mode=profile&editid=444 Ernest Meadows III (2007)]
* [http://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=18623 Fidelity FutureStage playwrights, TWO OF AKIN] , EBT Alumni on Broadway