Maya Angelou Public Charter School

TO CREATE LEARNING COMMUNITIES IN LOWER INCOME URBAN AREAS WHERE ALL STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS, CAN REACH THEIR POTENTIAL AND PREPARE FOR COLLEGE, CAREER AND A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS.

AT MAYA ANGELOU, STUDENTS DEVELOP THE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, AND EMPLOYMENT SKILLS THEY NEED TO BUILD REWARDING LIVES AND PROMOTE POSITIVE CHANGE. THE MAYA ANGELOU PUBLIC CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL AND THE YOUNG ADULT LEARNING CENTER PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION IN A NON-TRADITIONAL SETTING TO ALL STUDENTS INCLUDING THOSE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES. THIS IS ACHIEVED THROUGH A DEMANDING ACADEMIC PROGRAM, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING SUPPORT, AND TIERED INTERVENTIONS THAT FOCUS ON THE WHOLE CHILD. STUDENTS LEAVE WITH A FOUNDATION TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR PURSUIT OF EDUCATION AND CAREERS. FOUNDED IN 1997, THE SEE FOREVER FOUNDATION WAS CREATED TO OFFER A HOLISTIC PROGRAM TO TEENS INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. AT THAT TIME, COURT-INVOLVED TEENS TOLD THE ORGANIZATION'S CO-FOUNDERS THAT THEY WANTED TO EARN MONEY, LEARN MARKETABLE SKILLS, AND GAIN RESPONSIBILITY. WHEN THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL, THEY ALSO WANTED TO ATTEND SMALL CLASSES WITH TEACHERS WHO CARED ABOUT THEM, AND THEY WANTED HELP MAKING HARD DECISIONS. THE MAYA ANGELOU SCHOOL OPENED ITS DOORS IN 1997 AS A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM FOR 20 TEENS, ALL OF WHOM WERE COMMITTED TO THE DC DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH AND REHABILITATION SERVICES OR WERE ON PROBATION. THE CHARTER SCHOOL GREW EACH YEAR, AS STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY AND FROM ALL SORTS OF ACADEMIC BACKGROUNDS ACTIVELY SOUGHT ADMISSION. SOME OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WERE OUT OF SCHOOL, SOME WERE DOING POORLY IN TRADITIONAL SCHOOL SETTINGS AND HEARD ABOUT THE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT OFFERED TO STUDENTS, AND OTHERS WERE REFERRED BY GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES. NEARLY ALL OF THE STUDENTS ARE YEARS BEHIND GRADE LEVEL ACADEMICALLY, MANY HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, AND MOST HAVE EXPERIENCED SIGNIFICANT TRAUMA AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES. AT THE MAYA ANGELOU CHARTER SCHOOL, THE AIM IS TO PROVIDE THESE STUDENTS WITH THE BEST EDUCATION THEY HAVE EVER HAD. TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GROWING STUDENT POPULATION, PARTICULARLY IN THE WARD 7 AND WARD 8 AREAS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, IN SEPTEMBER 2004 THE SEE FOREVER FOUNDATION OPENED A SECOND CAMPUS OF THE MAYA ANGELOU PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THE SECOND CAMPUS, LOCATED IN THE FORMER DCPS EVANS MIDDLE SCHOOL, IS LOCATED IN THE 5600 BLOCK OF EAST CAPITOL STREET, NE. IN 2010, MAYA ANGELOU ESTABLISHED A YOUNG ADULT LEARNING CENTER (YALC), WHICH OPENED IN FALL 2012. THE PURPOSE OF THE ADULT PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE ACADEMIC AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO OLDER YOUTH/YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 17-24, WHO DO NOT HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL CREDENTIAL, AND PARTICULARLY THOSE TRANSITIONING FROM INCARCERATION. THESE ADULT STUDENTS WORK TOWARD ATTAINING THEIR GED AND CAN ALSO PURSUE VOCATIONAL CERTIFICATIONS AND PARTICIPATE IN WORK PROGRAMS. MAYA ANGELOU OFFERS A RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM TO SELECT STUDENTS. THE RESIDENTIAL PROGRAM PROVIDES SINGLE SEX HOMES (TWO MALES, THREE FEMALE) TO STUDENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM THE STABILITY OF A SAFE, SUPPORTIVE, AND STRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT. EACH HOME IS STAFFED BY A RESIDENTIAL COUNSELOR.