Project
Experience

Roosevelt Children’s Academy (RCA), Long Island’s charter school, had outgrown its space. For years, students and teachers made do with portable trailers and improvised classrooms. “Our art teacher’s office was in a closet,” said Philip Leconte, CFO/COO of RCA. “The same with our athletics department, we renovated a couple of office closet space for them.”

Beyond space, the environment itself wasn’t setting students up for success. With 87% of students on free and reduced lunch, and many coming from families where English isn’t the first language, RCA needed to offer not only more room, but also a space that inspired pride, belonging, and possibility. “If you give the kids a nice place to come and educate themselves, that’s a plus,” said Leconte.

RCA partnered with Henricksen and HON to furnish a brand-new, 60,000-square-foot elementary school.
Bright colors were used strategically, both to create a vibrant, welcoming environment and to help younger students navigate the building. “The kids know what color they belong to instead of which floor.”

Furniture selections prioritized flexibility, durability, and inspiration. HON tables and chairs were specified in different sizes for different grade levels, with configurations that could shift easily from individual work to group pods. Private offices for administrators, a proper teacher lounge, and conference rooms gave staff the professional environment they had long lacked.

The project went smoothly due to communication and collaboration. “I could always pick up the phone and call Simone or Yasmine,” Leconte said of his Henricksen and HON team members. “Whenever I needed them to talk through the project.”

Beyond providing furniture and design services, Henricksen’s leadership was deeply moved by RCA’s mission to serve and empower children in one of the most under-resourced communities on Long Island. To show their support, Henricksen donated $10,000 to the school, a gift celebrated with students, staff, and the community.

The new building has transformed daily life for RCA’s students and staff. Teachers now have proper offices and meeting spaces. Students walk into classrooms filled with color and energy, instead of cramped trailers. Families touring the building for the first time immediately feel the difference.

“We get compliments all the time on the furniture and the color coordination,” said Leconte. “The whole community is happy. There was an old rundown factory here before. Now there’s a brand-new building that’s beautified the entire neighborhood.”

The investment is already paying dividends. Enrollment has grown, new after-school programs (from fencing to flag football) have been added, and RCA is now preparing to expand with a middle school and eventually a high school. As Leconte summed it up: “If you build, they’ll come.”