Believing that all children deserve a quality education, SEED opens college-preparatory, public boarding schools designed for students who need a 24-hour learning environment to achieve their full potential. The SEED model provides a rigorous academic program, life skills curriculum, and college transition and support services. SEED schools are more than simply schools—SEED is an integrated program that brings, under one roof, academic, residential, mental health, physical health, social, and enrichment programs.
The SEED Foundation and the SEED School of Washington, DC have demonstrated a successful educational model. The investment in SEED hopes to expand a unique approach that offers students an educational enrichment opportunity they would otherwise not have, thus breaking the cycle of poverty. At the time of the investment, there were no other successful urban boarding school models. The goals were to:
- Triple the number of students attending a college preparatory, urban public boarding school in the greater Washington, DC area
- Refine and enhance The SEED School’s model and outcomes
- Define a range of funding models for building capital-intensive urban boarding schools and other capital-intensive nonprofit services
- Expand into other states where legislation has been passed to support charter schools or other alternative forms of public education, where precedent exists for innovative educational solutions for children and adolescents, and where capital-funding opportunities may already exist
The SEED Foundation made considerable progress in fully integrating the academic and student life programs at SEED Public Charter School (SPCS). The boards for the Foundation and the school have continued to work to align strategic priorities, increasing focus on the use of data to improve outcomes.
