Our youngest students begin building social skills and a love of learning in programs ranging from Wee Wonder for infants and Small Wonder for toddlers, to Preschool and Pre-K for children.
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Welcome to
Dwight New York
Dwight, a New York City landmark private school, is a leader in global education recognized worldwide for igniting the spark of genius in every child. We are proud of our rich history, which dates back to 1872, and numerous advances that have distinguished Dwight as a pioneering International Baccalaureate World School. While innovation drives us ever forward, our commitment to personalizing the educational journey for every student remains at the heart of everything we do.
Early Childhood
Lower School
Students in Kindergarten through grade 5 hit the ground running with inquiry-based learning. We ensure a holistic, personalized approach to teaching the "head and heart" of every child.
Middle School
Students in grades 6-8 grow in leaps and bounds, as they assume greater independence and responsibility on their academic journey.
Upper School
Students in grades 9-12 advance exponentially both academically and personally, as they prepare to thrive beyond Dwight in college — and anywhere in the world.
Dwight Facts & Figures
Dwight stands apart from other independent schools as a leader with a long list of firsts in New York City and around the world. Discover more about our milestones and global community.
News & Events
![Dr. Emil E. Camerer]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1684855254/dwightnewyork/uml4taaxrqcjrgp5owff/camerer.png","width":1620}])
One of Dwight’s longest-standing traditions, which has been extended across our global network of Schools in recent years, is the Camerer Essay Competition. It is named for Dr. Emil E. Camerer, who was a prominent educator in his day and Dwight’s Headmaster from 1895-1926.
Dr. Camerer’s impressive tenure began not long after Dwight became part of The New York Preparatory School in 1889, which operated a division in Manhattan and another in Brooklyn. Upon joining forces with Dwight, the Manhattan division relocated to Dwight’s then-home, 15 West 43rd Street, and Dwight retained its name as a new third division. Together, they comprised the largest private preparatory school in the U.S. at that time. Over time, Dwight criss-crossed Manhattan a few more times, landing in our current and permanent home at 18 West 89th Street in 1993.
How Does the Competition Work?
Early in the academic year, each one of our participating campuses initiates its own School-wide competition for students in grades 9-11, who write personal essays sharing their experiences, reflections, and creative talents. They submit these narratives to their English teachers, who select the best in each grade to share with all faculty in their English Department for another round of review and judging.
The winning entries are then entered into our global competition, which is just one of many Dwight cross-campus programs and collaborations that connect our students around the world. This year, students from New York, London, Shanghai, Dubai, and Global Online participated.
Administrators from across our network have the difficult task of judging the well-crafted essays, which are always as diverse, unique, and impressive as the students who write them. Vice Chancellor Blake Spahn then has the honor of announcing our winners. Please click below to find out which students have been named our 2024 global winners.
Congratulations to all of our finalists and winners!
![Two Dwight Global Online Alumni Roared Through the NCAA Singles Tournament]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1716911138/dwightnewyork/hsmi3n7eiddfvcmjo7gt/MZ_4.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1716911138/dwightnewyork/hsmi3n7eiddfvcmjo7gt/MZ_4.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1716911138/dwightnewyork/hsmi3n7eiddfvcmjo7gt/MZ_4.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1716911138/dwightnewyork/hsmi3n7eiddfvcmjo7gt/MZ_4.jpg","width":1080}])
Dwight Global Online alums and top-ranked International Tennis Federation Juniors, Michael Zheng ’22 and Cooper Williams ’23, both competed in the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Tennis Singles Tournament.
We’re proud to announce that Cooper made it to the Quarterfinals, and Michael made it all the way to the final match, though ended up taking the second spot, after battling up the ranks at the tournament last week.
Michael is a sophomore at Columbia and All American for the second year in a row. Cooper is a freshman at Harvard and also made All American this year. Congratulations to these top athletes on such a great achievement. We were wowed by their determination, perseverance, and incredible performance out on the court!
![Students Come Together to Make a Difference During the Second Annual Sparkathon]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1716313691/dwightnewyork/fmo76voa22vy0iypi0e2/SPARKATHON24-2.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1716313691/dwightnewyork/fmo76voa22vy0iypi0e2/SPARKATHON24-2.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1716313691/dwightnewyork/fmo76voa22vy0iypi0e2/SPARKATHON24-2.jpg","width":720}])
During the second annual Dwight Schools Global Sparkathon, 108 keen design students across the Dwight network of schools competed in 36 different teams.
This year, Sparkathon was inspired by the Conrad Challenge — with participants designing an innovation that solves an important problem in the categories of Aerospace and Aviation, Energy and Environment, Cyber Technology and Security, and Health and Nutrition.
We're delighted to announce our winning teams!
First Place – Franklin School
CardiSense by Zdelse | Category: Health and Nutrition
Second Place – Shanghai Qibao Dwight High School
Micro-Power | Category: Energy and Environment
Third Place – Dwight School Seoul
Sparkologists | Category: Health and Nutrition
Middle School First Place Winners – Dwight School Seoul
Magical Potatoes | Category: Health and Nutrition
More than just competing to win, however, Sparkathon participants came together to support and inspire each other.
As Director of Global Spark Programs and Head of Design Lesa Wang said, “Having kids connect on the same four challenges and getting a global perspective on their ideas is truly a unique Dwight experience. Students from our campuses around the globe shared their progress, needs, and goals with each other. Students supported peers at other campuses and helped problem-solve each other's projects — they love doing research and sharing facts with each other.”
The expansion to four challenge categories in Sparkathon’s second year also garnered more interest. “It was fascinating to see what students chose to tackle,” said Ms. Wang, “complex problems like space debris, wearable tech, and engineering solutions. I also found it amazing that not one student team asked for information on the prize.”
Here is a complete list of our Dwight New York teams’ projects and participants:
Category 1 | Aerospace and Aviation
- Space Sweepers: Albane Baniol ’25, Dominic Seward ’25, Avalon Zucker ’25, Isadora Zucker ’25
- Space Debris Collector: Ainsley Camporine ’30, Aaryav Sinha ’30, Owen Wallis ’30
Category 2 | Cyber Technology and Security
- pPQHTTP: Adrian Fang ’25
Category 3 | Energy and Environment
- Conscious Consumer: Daniel Barnes ’26, Zachary Lehr ’26
- Nothing to Waste: August Pallad ’26, Ofer Rubin ’26, Jackson Shell ’26
- Dwight Growing: Abby Hostvedt ’29, Sienna Koball ’29, Anya Mathew ’29
Category 4 | Health and Nutrition
- FlexPulse - Wearable Biotech: Aryan Kapoor ’26, Vicente Ribeiro ’26
- Nutragram: Erik Boneta ’27, Sophia Wallis ’27
- Don’t Let Dye be the Reason You Die: Lara Arnold ’29, Madeline Zolotkovsky ’29
- MedWeb: Chloe d’Aboville ’30, Blanche Fallevoz ’30
The incredible hard work, creativity, and collaboration of our students make the world a better place, and for that, we applaud them!
Please join us in congratulating ALL of the participants and winners!
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Why the IB?
Dwight’s inspiring faculty encourage students to believe in their own talents, pursue their passions, and take intellectual risks through the IB. No other curriculum fits better with our mission of igniting the spark of genius in every child — and vision of educating critical thinkers and innovative global leaders. The academic breadth and depth of the IB are simply unparalleled, which is why it is recognized worldwide as the “gold standard” in college preparation.