DaVinci Academy is a public, charter school in Ogden, Utah. Davinci serves grades K-12 onsite as well as K-6 distance.
Background
DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts is located in downtown Ogden. It serves a variety of students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. DaVinci Academy enrolls students from all over Northern Utah, from Salt Lake City, to Box Elder County, and the Ogden Valley, which adds to its unique culture. It has the flavor of an inner-city, urban school—located in the heart of Ogden—but does not always precisely compare to other urban school demographics. DaVinci’s ethnicity make-up is mostly white (around 80%) and our disadvantaged student population is around 40%. We have approximately 25% to 30% of students with special needs, which a higher than average population of students with disabilities.
DaVinci Academy has several key programs that allows for diverse and flexible learning opportunities. We have two elementary feeder programs, a traditional onsite elementary and a distance elementary program. The distance elementary program allows parents to have more involvement in their child’s education. This elementary program allows students to come to school two times a week while working from home the rest of the week. Our secondary program includes seventh and eighth grade and has around 515 students. The unique thing about this program is that seventh and 8th graders get to work alongside high school students in many of the elective classes, which allows for deeper learning and in-depth skill development in both the arts and the sciences. These diverse programs give DaVinci Academy a unique and flexible school program that meets the needs of all learners. It’s a school where everyone fits in.
Serving the different communities that make-up DaVinci Academy is definitely our biggest challenge. We have a wide variety of learners, from gifted and talented to students barely able to read. The unique challenges associated with serving these different types of learners have pushed our staff to become better teachers. It has also forced us to develop better systems for teachers, parents, and students to help meet the needs of our students, including using more technology in different ways to meet the needs of these diverse learners.
Purpose
Provide the institution's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values and/or beliefs. Describe how the institution embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students.
MISSION:
DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts is dedicated to developing competent, inventive, ethical, and divergent thinkers who are able to apply their knowledge, skills, leadership and problem-solving abilities to become productive citizens of the dynamic world.
We offer programs that promote enthusiasm, exploration, and academic excellence in an interdisciplinary curriculum that involves real-world experience and application.
We serve as a laboratory school to examine and develop new methods and materials in curriculum innovation/reform, including, but not limited to, traditional, online, and distance educational programs. We serve as a model for private sector/public education partnership, including mentor and internship opportunities.
DaVinci Academy strives to create an academic institution where everyone can learn, develop their talents, hone their talents, acquire appropriate social and cognitive skills, and master all their academic goals--Uniquely Dedicated to Student Success
Core Values & Desired Results for Student Learning
COLLABORATION Learning is a social activity, involving students, families and educators working together as a team. Collaboration will help me develop the necessary skills to learn from others and reach my personal and academic goals
COMMUNICATION Communication skills are essential in reaching my full potential and in helping others reach their goals. All ideas are respected and valued at DaVinci..
CITIZENSHIP I pledge to practice good citizenship by respecting shared values, rules, and rights of DaVinci Academy, my community, my state, and my country. All DaVincians will act in ethical, responsible, and civic-minded ways for the betterment of the community.
CONTEMPLATION Daily reflection on my actions, learning, and community involvement will increase my ability to progress and meet my academic goals. Contemplating my own ideas and processes of thinking will allow me to form opinions based on and supported by my own analyses, evaluations, and reflections.
COMPETITIVENESS I strive to surpass yesterday’s accomplishments, and prepare diligently to excel in every arena. I have the confidence to compete when success is not assured. I persevere in the face of challenge, and view every failure as the basis for a future success.
CURIOSITY I hunger to know more, and remain committed to continuous learning. I embrace high standards of expertise. I am driven to learn, to teach, to uncover the secrets of the natural world, and to expand the body of knowledge.
CREATIVITY I encourage and reward innovation. I greet new ideas openly and optimistically.
COMPASSION I want all who attend DaVinci Academy to feel accepted and appreciated. I actively look for ways to uplift and inspire. Everything I say and do should uplift and inspire those around me. I assume the best of everyone.
Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement
PROGRAMS
Nationally recognized Theatre Arts Program
Academic Decathlon National Champions
Team America Rocketry Challenge National Placers
Cross Country State Champs
AVID Recognized
STEM School Gold-Status Recognition
ACT Scores
Heroes in the Community
Retention rates
School-wide MTSS system in elementary
STUDENTS
Utah High School Theatre Musical Best Actress
HOSA National Qualifiers
Young Playwrights for Social Change National Award Winner
American Alliance for Theatre and Education Broadway Bound Program 2019
American Theatre Wing & National Endowment of the Arts Musical Theatre Song Writing Composition; National 2nd Place Winner $10,000 Scholarship
Best high school photograph published in Best of High School and College 2016
Students selected to play side-by-side with the Utah Symphony
FACULTY
Reba R. Robertson Excellence in Theatre Education Award
FACILITIES
Finished the third floor by adding 4 more classrooms
Expanded high school science labs by completing state-of-the-art chemistry and physics labs
Purchased our third building and transferred our traditional onsite elementary
Expanded our distance elementary building in Ogden and Farmington
Additional Information
DaVinci Academy began 20 years ago, as one of the first high schools chartered by Utah. Our goal then was to become an integral part of downtown Ogden, teach our students the value of community service through a variety of service learning opportunities; enrich their lives with the integration of science and the arts in a project-based, real-world application.
We started with a goal to serve high school students and discovered that we could create interventions to help them succeed more in math and literacy if we could reach them earlier. DaVinci Academy listened and heard it’s community and expanded its program offerings to elementary students. Expanding to a K-12 model has increased DaVinci Academy’s influence in the Ogden Community by providing students at an earlier age to see their own growth and succeed in learning. Skills once taught in seventh grade are now being taught in kindergarten. Students in high school are receiving more opportunities to serve and mentor younger students. More students are graduating with certificates and skills which make them highly sought after in the current job market. These same students are also prepared and earning advanced degrees after high school. As you can see, our expectations are high and our students rise to meet those expectations consistently.
One interesting fact about DaVinci Academy is that we actively seek students who struggle both academically and behaviorally. We welcome all students to become well-rounded, innovative, and successful. Over the last 15 years, we have refined academic and extra-curricular programs to help students get excited about learning and enjoy the taste success. We really believe all kids can learn in spite of challenges like poverty, learning disabilities, or behavior deficiencies. We have accepted students who had lost all hope for learning and have created a place where all are accepted and can succeed. The science students participate in theatre and ceramics; the art students create amazing science fair projects; the robotics team not only helps build theatre sets, they also act in the productions. Cheer leaders cheer for one game and play in the next. Our students are multifaceted, collaborative, tolerant, compassionate and motivated learners.
Six years ago, we again listened to and heard our community and developed a distance elementary program where families can be more involved with their child’s education and still receive support from highly qualified teachers. We created a bridge between family involvement, choice in education, and involvement with the resources of a public school. Now even more kids are succeeding as we bend to meet the needs of all learners.
DaVinci still has challenges like funding ever increasing and expanding successful school programs like Academic Decathlon, CTE pathways, Foreign Languages, and STEM-Related afterschool clubs like TARC and Robotics. These programs are expensive but worth every penny. Our students are ready for them so being prepared to offer them can be tricky.
DaVinci Academy also requires its students to not only succeed academically and ready for college, but also to be career ready. This is one of our current goals or focuses that is constantly being refined and improved. We are striving to have all students graduate with either a college certificate, college credits, or job experience leading to higher pay or better access to higher learning after high school. This requires additional and important classes for career and college readiness. It also requires our students to perform service within the community and be prepared for job-specific internships. Both of these pillars are supported through our well-planned Advisory/Flextime classes and our well-trained professional staff. Students are taught at high levels and are frequently rewarded for their hard work and success. DaVinci Academy has partnered with several community partners and businesses to provide onsite and offsite internships for our graduating seniors. All of these factors along with many others demonstrate our commitment to our mission, vision, and goals.