Brooklyn Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ Marcy Avenue Complex
832 Marcy Avenue
Room 501A
Brooklyn, NY 11216
(718)636-5770
District 79 Office of Student Support Services
4360 Broadway
Room 402
New York, NY 10033
(917)521-3639
youthhelp@schools.nyc.gov
Schools, Programs, & Services

Located in every borough, Referral Centers for High School Alternatives are one-stop guidance centers where high school aged students can be connected to academic options and wrap-around supports.
ALTERNATIVE ACADEMIC OPTIONS
GED Plus and ACCESS GED
GED Plus is a citywide program that provides full time and part time GED services as well as support in transitioning to a college and/or career at no cost to students in New York City who are aged 18-21. Students who are 17 may enroll if there are extenuating circumstances and with parent/guardian permission.
ACCESS offers full time GED preparation with a work internship component called Learning to Work (LTW) which helps students stay engaged, or re-engage, in school through work readiness. Age requirements are the same as GED Plus. More information coming soon!
Phoenix Academy
Phoenix Academy is a residential substance abuse intervention program for NYC high school students. Although some students are court-referred, this is a voluntary program for high school students struggling with substance abuse. Phoenix Academy is a diploma granting program that also offers the GED option for eligible students. More information coming soon!
Co-Op Tech (School of Cooperative Technical Education)
Co-Op Tech offers half-day career and technical training courses for students who are enrolled in academic courses in another Department of Education school or program including GED Plus and ACCESS.
College Bridge
College Bridge prepares GED and high school graduates for college success.
Adult & Continuing Education
The Office of Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), the largest adult education provider in New York State, offers Basic Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), High School Equivalency, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes to adults age 21 and older.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS IN INVOLUNTARY AND/OR TEMPORARY SETTINGS
Re-Start
Re-Start provides educational services for students in drug treatment programs or other involuntary and/or temporary settings. More information coming soon!
Correctional Education
Schools and programs for students who are court-involved, incarcerated, or recently released. This includes Passages Academy in Department of Youth and Family Justice sites for students 15 years old and younger and East River Academy on Rikers Island primarily for 16 – 24 year old students. More information coming soon!
Long-Term Suspension Centers
Credit-bearing programs for middle and high school students who have been suspended from their home school for twelve (12) months for having committed a level 5 disciplinary offense. Students in these programs complete and receive credit for academic work aligned to the curricular requirements for their grade.
WRAP-AROUND SUPPORTS
Services for Student Parents
District 79 operates Referral Centers for High School Alternatives and LYFE centers both of which are equipped to support pregnant and parenting students through Academic Intervention Specialists (AIS).
LYFE
The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) program supports pregnant and parenting students enrolled in a NYC Department of Education school by providing childcare and referral services. Social Workers assigned to each of the 38 LYFE centers provide social and emotional support for young parents to enable their academic progress as well as their progress as parents.