The John V. Lindsay Wildcat Academy was established in 1992 to accommodate students identified by the New York Department of Education as having a high risk of failure due to poor attendance, poor academic achievement, behavioral problems, or criminality.  Since its conversion to charter school status in 2000, Wildcat Academy’s student population has been comprised almost entirely of high school students who have dropped out of, been suspended from, or been expelled from other schools or who have historically attended classes so infrequently that they were labeled “in-school truant.”

A critical design element of the School is its internship program, arranged by JVL with various host employers at work sites throughout the city, and where students learn about the world of work while also earning money and course credit.  Students attend classes at Wildcat and their internships in alternating weeks since the School has found that over-age under-credited students become more engaged in school when they are active in the world of work that the School has structured.  Each student at Wildcat is required to enroll in the full academic program and participate in an internship.