P. Diddy Donates $1M To Harlem Charter School Network

HARLEM, NY — Rapper Sean "P. Diddy" Combs is re-upping his commitment to a charter school network that he helped establish a foothold in Harlem.

Combs donated $1 million to the Capital Prep Schools in a move that will expand the partnership between the Harlem-born music mogul and Capital Prep School's founder Dr. Steve Perry, the charter school network announced this week. The financial contribution will help Capital Prep establish a new school in the Bronx that will eventually seat 650 students in grades 6 through 11, the charter network announced.

"I know from my own experience that receiving a great education makes a huge impact on a child's future. I want these kids have access to everything they need to succeed, in school and life," Combs said in a statement. "We don’t just teach kids to read, write and code, we teach them to be leaders and what it takes to make a difference in their community, and on the world."

Combs founded a Capital Prep campus in East Harlem in 2016. Capital Prep Harlem, located on East 104th Street and 5th Avenue, was modeled after the network's original location in Hartford, Connecticut. Only 1 percent of Capital Prep Harlem's students scored at grade-level in math exams in the school's first year compared to 27 percent for the most recent school year, the charter network announced.

The Capital Prep education model teaches students to follow five core beliefs: to engage in collaborative activities, to work as problem solvers, to act as empathetic citizens to improve their expertise in research and to exhibit characteristics that exemplify pillars of knowledge within the community.

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