NEW York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the city’s school chancellor, Dennis Walcott, announced on Friday that a new high school, the Nelson Mandela School for Social Justice, would be opened in Brooklyn.
"Every time they enter and exit its doors, our students at this new school will be reminded of the values he personified," Mr Walcott said.
"A school that bears his name will encourage our students to demonstrate courage, overcome obstacles, and embrace community. His legacy will forever live on in New York City schools, and I hope our students will reflect on, grow from and emulate this extraordinary man."
The school itself has been in the works for years and will open in September 2014. The panel for education policy will vote on the "Nelson Mandela" moniker at a meeting on Wednesday.
"Equal opportunity and access to education were among the many things Nelson Mandela spent his life fighting for," Mr Bloomberg said.
In depth: Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela 1918- 2013
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tributes and photographsThe school will be located on the Boys and Girls High School campus, which Mandela visited in 1990 after being officially released from prison.
The name will be another reminder of the longstanding connection between Mandela and New York City.
Mr Walcott said: "Nelson Mandela visited this building not long after he was released from prison, and we want to ensure that the special bond between the students and this legendary figure will live forever."
During Mandela’s visit in 1990, he was greeted by hundreds of thousands of people and students at the school and received a ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. After the 9/11 attacks, Mandela came back to New York to show his support and start the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Boys and Girls High School, located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighbourhood, is the oldest public high school in Brooklyn, having opened its doors in 1878.
"Renaming the campus he visited shortly after his release from prison will forever serve as a reminder that our mandate as public servants is to provide our children with the weapons they need for a successful future and help us build a city of inclusion and opportunity that Madiba could be proud of," Mr Bloomberg said.
In addition to the high school, Mr Bloomberg spent the weekend promoting the #ServeMandela campaign, which allowed people to connect and take on public-service projects around the city through the NYC Service volunteering initiative.
