The Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts (UASPA) was founded in 2006 as part of the Urban Assembly Network. The Urban Assembly is a non-profit organization whose mission is to establish and support small public high schools with exciting curricular themes and a hands-on approach to instruction. The Urban Assembly network provides instructional and operational support to our school. To learn more visit: www.urbanassembly.org UASPA is the only unscreened, non-auditioned, title I performing arts high school in all of New York City. We believe that all students deserve access to a rigorous academic and artistic high school experience regardless of their level of talent. Therefore, we attract students from all five boroughs of New York City, who may not have had previous access to artistic study. We have partnerships with key organizations, such as Tony Bennett Foundation/Exploring the Arts, and EPIC Theatre Ensemble, that support our teachers with improving instruction by infusing the arts into their classrooms and providing students with exceptional art and career based learning experiences. We are also partner with College Bound Initiative (CBI), a vital partner, that enables us to maximize students' college awareness, access, placement, and financial aid awards. At UASPA, we believe that “education equals options,” meaning that students’ education and knowledge will provide them with the skills necessary to pursue the post-secondary path of their choice, whether that be in the arts or in another field. Our staff reflects these principles; for example, the Principal is a dancer who pursued a career in education, and teachers who have backgrounds in all areas of the arts who pursued a career in teaching.