Mary McDowell Center for Learning

A Brief History of MMCL

About | Quakerism | Diversity

The founding of the Mary McDowell Center for Learning grew out of successful grassroots collaboration among parents of children with special needs, special education professionals, and concerned community members. The founding group shared a vision of an elementary school and resource center that would meet the need for innovative educational services for young children with learning disabilities.

The school was named for Mary McDowell (1876-1955), a member of Brooklyn Meeting and an outstanding Quaker educator, committed to the cause of peace and to teaching New York City's children.

The Mary McDowell Center for Learning opened in the Brooklyn Friends Meeting House in 1984, and five children enrolled in its first year. The program grew to three classes over the next four years. In 1990, the Center received its New York State provisional charter as a non-profit educational institution. The permanent New York State Charter was awarded in 1993.

The next few years launched an era of rapid growth. Enrollment grew from twenty-nine children in four classes to the current one hundred and four students in ten classes.

In September 1998, the Center purchased a building and engaged an architectural firm to renovate it. For the millennial school year, the Mary McDowell Center moved into its permanent home at 20 Bergen Street.

In the fall of 2005, the school expanded to include a middle school which is now housed in a state of the art addition to our Bergen Street school building. Our student enrollment continued to grow to over 150 students. In the fall of 2006, we expanded further and returned to our beginnings, the Brooklyn Friends Meeting House on Schermerhorn Street, to house our lower elementary division. With this latest expansion project, we increased our total student population to 186 students.