“Imagine a place where second chances bloom.” That’s the essence of the Maya Angelou Academy. This alternative school is not just any school. It’s a beacon of hope for youth who have been adjudicated as delinquent. They are committed to the District of Columbia’s Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services DYRS.
The Maya Angelou Academy is managed by the See Forever Foundation. This non-profit organization won a three-year contract worth 12 million dollars in June 2007. The academy was previously known as Oak Hill Academy. It was renamed in May 2009 in honor of the celebrated poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.
The Maya Angelou Academy is located east of Laurel Maryland in Anne Arundel County. It resides within the New Beginnings Youth Development Center. This secure facility provides a structured environment for young people to turn their lives around.
David Domenici founded the Maya Angelou Academy. He is the son of former New Mexico senator Pete Domenici. He designed the school program. Domenici hired all the staff. Maya Angelou visited the school on April 30 2009. At that time 90 students were enrolled. Their ages ranged from 14 to 19 years old.
Chelsea Clinton profiled the Maya Angelou Academy in 2012. It was for a video segment on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams. A 2014 report by the Southern Education Foundation highlighted the academy. It was recognized as a successful model for teaching in locked facilities. Tests showed that students improved by an average of 1.3 to 1.4 years after nine months at the school.
In 2016 the Maya Angelou Academy demonstrated remarkable progress. Twice as many students who completed the program were either working or attending school. This was compared to records from 2007.
The See Forever Foundation was founded in 1997 by David Domenici and James Forman Jr. Their goal was to help teens involved in the juvenile justice system. In collaboration with Reid Weingarten and Eric Holder they incorporated the Maya Angelou Public Charter School MAPCS in 1998.
The Maya Angelou Academy is one of three Maya Angelou Academies in secured settings managed by See Forever. The others are MAA@YSC and MAA@DC Jail. The academy’s scholars earn credits at an impressive rate. It is more than three times the rate before attending the academy. A high percentage of academy scholars are positively engaged.
The Maya Angelou Academy is a testament to the power of education. It offers hope and opportunity. It empowers young people to build brighter futures. It is a place where lives are transformed. The Maya Angelou Academy offers a path toward success.