Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Opening Charter School In Harlem

Sean “Diddy” Combs is opening a charter school in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, where the hip-hop mogul grew up.

Diddy Opening Charter School

Capital Preparatory Schools announced Monday that Combs would be opening a new charter school in Harlem for this coming fall – the Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School.

“I want to impact the lives of young people in my community, and build future leaders. The first step is offering access to a quality education,” Combs said in a statement, according to The Huffington Post. “Every young person should have the tools they need to succeed. All our children should be able to pursue their dreams. That is something I can impact with this school.”

Combs has been working on the charter school project with Capital Preparatory Schools founder Dr. Steve Perry as well as other education experts and local leaders over the course of the last five years.

“I’m inspired by Sean Combs’ belief that educating our young people is the key to opening up a world of opportunity for them,” Perry said in a press release. “Sean and I have spent many long hours over the last five years talking about education and how best to meet the needs of the young people of Harlem, and I couldn’t be more pleased to continue this journey through the opening of the school.”

The Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School is set to open for the 2016-17 school year with a total of 160 students between the sixth and seventh grades. The school aims to eventually have 700 students enrolled in grades six through 12, expanding one grade per year.