Brooklyn Technical High School, administratively referred to as PS 430 and affectionately referred to as Brooklyn Tech, is the largest high school in New York State. As the sun rises over its grand facade each morning, Brooklyn Tech’s hallowed halls come alive with the dreams and aspirations of nearly 6,000 students. This school offers students the promise of a world-class education and the chance to make their mark in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Join us as we unlock the gates to this educational citadel and discover more about the largest high school in New York and its notable alums.
As the morning sun rises over its grand facade, Brooklyn Tech’s halls come alive with 6,000 students.
©GK tramrunner229, CC BY-SA 3.0 – License
Brooklyn Tech, the Largest High School in New York: at a Glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the name of the largest high school in the state of New York? | Brooklyn Technical High School |
| Where is the school located? | Brooklyn, New York |
| When was the school established? | 1922 |
| What type of school is it? | 4-year public magnet school |
| How many students are enrolled? | 5,966 |
| What is the school’s team name? | Engineers |
| What are the school’s colors? | Navy and white |
| What is the student/teacher ratio? | 20:1 |
| What is the school’s graduation rate? | 96% |
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also the most populous with over 2.5 million residents. The East River separates Brooklyn from Manhattan. Several bridges, including the Brooklyn Bridge and the Williamsburg Bridge, connect the two. Brooklyn has diverse neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and cultural identity. Some well-known neighborhoods in Brooklyn include Williamsburg, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, Greenpoint, Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy), and Red Hook.
Brooklyn has a thriving arts and cultural scene. It is home to numerous art galleries, theaters, and music venues. Brooklyn is home to several colleges and universities, including Brooklyn College, Pratt Institute, and Long Island University. Brooklyn features several parks and green spaces, including Prospect Park, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The borough has an extensive transportation network, including subway lines, buses, and bike lanes. These make Brooklyn easily accessible to the other boroughs of New York City.
Brooklyn Tech
Aside from being the largest high school in the state, Brooklyn Technical High School is a prestigious and highly regarded specialized high school. Its academic programs focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. Brooklyn Tech requires students to take a competitive entrance exam called the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). The school is highly selective, and admission is based solely on the results of this exam. Brooklyn Tech currently offers 18 areas of study:
- Aerospace
- Advanced Health Professions
- Architecture
- BioScience
- Chemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Electrical Engineering
- Environmental
- Finance
- Industrial Design
- Law and Society
- LIU PharmD
- Mathematics
- Mechatronics and Robotics
- Media
- Physics
- Social Science
- Software Engineering
The school offers AP classes and opportunities to earn college credits in its College Now program.
Athletics
Brooklyn Tech offers an interesting variety of varsity sports. Along with good ole’ American gridiron football, the school boasts 30 varsity sports, including boys’ and girls’ soccer, bowling, golf, tennis, and badminton teams. Basketball, cross country, fencing, swimming, and volleyball ramp up in the spring. They call their teams the Engineers. The school colors are navy and white.
After winning four city championships: girls’ cross country, boys’ cross country, girls’ swimming, and Boys’ table tennis, Brooklyn was named the top sports program in New York State in the spring of 2022.
Along with good ole’ American gridiron football, the school boasts 30 varsity sports.
©Tdorante10, CC BY-SA 4.0 – License
Clubs and Extracurriculars
Exceptional high schools recognize that education extends beyond the classroom and the athletic field. They understand the importance of allowing students to explore and pursue their interests and talents with extracurricular activities and clubs. With over 250 club offerings, Brooklyn Tech literally has something for everyone. A small sampling includes:
- 4-H Club
- Anime Connections Club
- Astrology Club
- Badminton and ADVANCED Badminton Clubs
- Big Brain Club
- Breakdance Club
- Chess Team Club
- Dungeons & Dragons Club
- Filipino Culture Club
- Global Business Club
- Greenthumb Gardening Club
- Model United Nations
- Poetry Club
- Rubik’s Cube Club
- Science Bowl Club
- Sustainability Club
- Women in Finance Club
Campus
Covering over half a city block, Brooklyn Tech is located on the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Fort Greene Place. This imposing building houses 159 classrooms, a foundry, wood shop, sheet metal shop, computer labs, an aeronautical lab with a wind tunnel, and its own radio station, WNEY-FM. The school has a 3,000-seat auditorium, a recital all, and a library. Brooklyn Tech has two gymnasiums, a weight room, a bowling lane, a swimming pool, and an enclosed rooftop practice area for tennis and golf. Charles Wang Field was added in 2001.
Brooklyn Tech Notable Alums
Amid the towering skyscrapers and the city’s relentless energy, Brookly Tech is a dynamic environment that offers a glimpse of the world’s possibilities while instilling the grit and determination necessary to navigate the competitive landscape beyond high school. For many, it’s a steppingstone towards realizing their dreams and a testament to the boundless opportunities that await in the city that never sleeps. As one of the country’s largest high school, Brooklyn Tech has its fair share of notable alumni. From poets and novelists to aerospace engineers and Olympic gold medalists, Tech’s graduates span an array of fields. Some of Tech famous graduates include:
- Harry Chapin, Class of 1960: Chapin was a lauded singer/songwriter best known for his radio hits Cat’s in The Cardle, WOLD, and Taxi.
- Kim Coles, Class of 1980: Coles is a celebrated actress. She has appeared on a number of network television shows. She is probably best known for the role of Synclaire James-Jones (1993-1998) on Living Single. As of 2023 Coles is portraying Nurse Whitney King on the daytime drama Days of Our Lives.
- Diane Dixon, class of 1982: Dixon brought home an Olympic gold medal as part of the 4X400 meters relay team at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, California.
- Tavonia Evans is the creator and founder of Guapcoin, a cryptocurrency.
- Lou Ferrigno, class of 1969: Ferrigno is a bodybuilder and actor. He is well-known for his role as the Hulk in the television series The Incredible Hulk.
- Gerry Goffin, class of 1957: Goffin was a songwriter best known for his work with his first wife, Carole King. His hits include The Loco-Motion, and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.
More Brooklyn Tech Alumni
- Richard LaMotta, class of 1960: LaMotta was the creator of the Chipwich ice cream sandwich. A Chipwich is an ice cream sandwich made with chocolate chip cookies. He was also a cousin of professional boxer, Jake LaMotta.
- Omar Joseph “Turk” Lown, class of 1942: Lown was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs, the Cincinnati Reds, and the Chicago White Sox. He was given the nickname “Turk” because he ate a lot of turkey.
- Saverio “Sonny” Morea, class of 1950: Morea is an aerospace engineer who was instrumental in the development of the Luna Roving Vehicle (LRV.) The LRV was crucial to the success of the Apollo Program’s lunar missions.
- Arno Allan Penzias, class of 1951: Penzias is a physicist and astronomer who helped establish the Big Bang Theory. e received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1978.
- Vernon Reid, class of 1976: Reid is a founding member of the multiple Grammy award-winning band Living Colour.
- Werner Roth, class of 1966: Roth is a former professional soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco (Dallas), Texas.
- Erinn Smart, class of 1997: Smart won a silver medal in fencing as part of the foil team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
- Charles Wang, class of 1960: Wang is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © GK tramrunner229, CC BY-SA 3.0 – License / Original
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