Recognition

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our students, families, staff, key partners and supporters for helping us achieve these results and recognition.

  • The Wiseburn Unified School District renewed the charter petitions for Da Vinci Communications, Da Vinci Connect, Da Vinci Design, and Da Vinci Science each for 5-year terms through June 30, 2031.
  • Da Vinci Design was recognized as a Top 10 Charter School in California for Boosting College and Career Success by the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA).
  • Da Vinci Connect TK-8 is one of 356 elementary schools out of 5,824 statewide to be recognized by the California Department of Education as a 2023 California Distinguished School for its outstanding work in closing the achievement gap and achieving exceptional student performance.
  • Da Vinci Schools is recognized as One of America’s Most Innovative Educational Organizations by the Yass Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Education Reform and Forbes Media. Da Vinci RISE High was named a semi-finalist in competition for $1 million national prize.
  • Da Vinci Schools is included in Charter School Growth Fund's Portfolio of the nation's top public charter school networks. CSGF identifies the country's best public charter schools, funds their expansion, and helps to increase their impact.
  • Da Vinci Schools is named one of the "Top 75" school networks in the nation. Getting Smart's "Top 75" list is compiled each year by Tom Vander Ark, former Executive Director for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and one of the nation's leading educational voices; the list  includes schools and charter networks that achieve extraordinary results and scaled impact to improve education for millions of children.
  • RISE High, launched at Da Vinci Schools, was one of 10 schools in the nation to win a $10 million XQ 'Super School' grant to start a school for homeless, foster, probation, and other youth who have struggled in a traditional school setting.
  • For five consecutive years, Da Vinci Connect has been highlighted as among the Top Elementary and Middle Schools Worth Visiting by Tom Vander Ark, one of the nation's top education voices.
  • As leaders in education reform and excellence, our leadership team is regularly invited to speak at industry events, including SXSW Education, Deeper Learning, California Charter Schools Annual Conference, ASU+GSV, and EdShift, among others.
  • Da Vinci Schools was selected as a Project Lead The Way Core Training Partner, hosting more than 1,000 educators in Summer 2019 for hands-on, collaborative learning designed to help teachers build skills around project and problem-based learning.
  • Da Vinci Schools continues to attract local, national, and international attention for our innovative programs and practices. Over the past few years, we have hosted 3000+ educators from Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, India, Italy, Denmark, Serbia, Turkey, Greeley-Evans School District (Colorado), Menta schools (Illinois), L.A. Unified, Alpine Union School District (San Diego), Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, California Charter Schools Association, and many more.
  • As leaders in innovative education, our leadership team has been invited to speak at many industry events, including Deeper Learning, SXSW Education, EdShift, California Charter Schools Annual Conference, Schools That Can's Annual Forum, Linked Learning Convention, and K12 MindSHIFT Summit, among others.
  • For five consecutive years, Da Vinci Connect (formerly Da Vinci Innovation Academy) has been highlighted as among the Top Elementary and Middle Schools Worth Visiting by Tom Vander Ark, one of the nation's top education voices.
  • Da Vinci Schools was selected as a model demonstration site at the inaugural Linked Learning Convention. More than 40 educators visited Da Vinci Schools to see career-based education in action.
  • Da Vinci Schools was awarded a $52.7 million state grant through the Charter School Facilities Program. These funds are being used to complete the new world-class high school facility at 201 N. Douglas Street in El Segundo, in partnership with the Wiseburn Unified School District.
  • Da Vinci Schools enters into a groundbreaking collaboration with Northrop Grumman and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to prepare students for college and STEM careers.
  • Da Vinci Science is called a "global model for STEM education" in a Huffington Post article penned by Dr. Vince Bertram, the president and CEO of Project Lead The Way, a national nonprofit dedicated to developing high-quality STEM curriculum and teacher training.
  • Da Vinci Schools are invited by Los Angeles Unified School District to serve as a best practice demonstration site for establishing a regional real world learning model as part of a $15 million Career Pathways Grant from the state's Department of Education for programs linking learning and career and technical education.
  • Da Vinci Schools is chosen by The Philanthropy Roundtable as one of only two schools to host a visit of 70+ foundation leaders and private philanthropists in 2013.
  • Da Vinci Schools is awarded a coveted Next Generation Learning Challenges grant, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundations, to start a new high school-university "hybrid" in 2013-2014 that will reduce the time and cost of completing a bachelor's degree.
  • Dr. David Brown, the former Executive Director of the WASC Accrediting Commission for Schools, says "Da Vinci Schools are among the very finest I've seen."
  • The U.S. Department of State selected Da Vinci Schools as a visit site for 25 international STEM educators. Da Vinci Science was identified as a "best practice" example demonstrating how industry, government, academia and the K-12 community can effectively collaborate to engage students in STEM education.
  • Former California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said, "Da Vinci Schools should be a model for other public schools in the state."