This Inner-City High School Is Run By The Students. The Result Is A Near-Perfect Graduation Rate

April 13, 2016

St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, is a high school unlike any other.

inner city kids run school
CBS News

The school, filled with inner-city youth, is run by those very students.

Benedictine Monk Edwin Leahy has been associated with the school for most of six decades as student, teacher and now the headmaster. At the core of the school's idea is empowering kids, many of whom had no control over their lives. They make decisions on activities and rules. And if they make bad decisions, "That's a better learning experience for them. The rule typically is if you're going to make a decision without adult advice you had better be right," says Leahy.

Empowering the students has led to a 98 percent graduation rate!

Watch the CBS news clip below:

You can watch the full 60 Minutes video here (not available on mobile).


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