Strategic Plan (2025-2030)

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Our Vision

A new generation of students prepared to lead, innovate, and thrive in the modern world.

Our Mission

Da Vinci Schools seeks to improve the quality of life for our students by cultivating a caring culture, building future-ready skills, developing meaningful partnerships, and creating impact in our work to solve complex educational problems.

Culture We cultivate a caring and compassionate culture that is rooted in trust, collaboration, and growth.
Future-Ready Skills We build future-ready skills through learn-by-doing and real-world, workforce skills.
Partnerships We collaborate with thought partners and share best practices beyond the Da Vinci community in our work to connect education and the workforce.
Impact We seek to close the opportunity and skills gaps, particularly for historically disadvantaged students.
Our Aspirational Values

At Da Vinci Schools, we aspire to the following values:

Aspirational Values Definition Examples
People First We put people first in everything we do.
  1. Celebrations at staff and leadership meetings
  2. Overnighter for freshmen
  3. We honor students for who they are and give them opportunities to grow and succeed at all levels
  4. Teacher evaluation process provides several opportunities for self-reflection and voice (personal meetings with admin at the beginning, middle, and end of the year)
  5. Peer observations focus on positive feedback and encouragement
Collaboration Partnership is paramount.
  1. Grade-level team meetings/collaboration
  2. Number of Professional Development days/year
  3. Student group projects
  4. Interdisciplinary projects across subjects
  5. Collaboration with industry partners to identify skills needed for modern workplace, CTE advisory groups, etc.
  6. Collaboration with industry partners on project consults, Project Pitch Panels, etc.
  7. Leadership meetings and inquiry groups
Belonging We believe everyone deserves to feel safe, welcome, and understood. We are committed to creating community-rooted programs that support all students and staff.
  1. Create spaces where every individual—especially students—feels a true sense of belonging by ensuring their voices are heard, valued, and reflected in our community
  2. Build responsive programs that meet the needs of all learners
  3. Prioritize integration for SPED students
  4. Design project-based and mastery-based learning to reach every student
  5. Offer ongoing professional development shaped by our full community
Possibility We strive to build a better tomorrow.
  1. Alternative solutions to closing opportunity and skills gaps, including solutions for college cost, debt and completion, along with workforce development
  2. Research & development arm of education, then share through Institute
  3. Instructional models to match student and family needs
  4. Both students and staff get to do work that matters to them (future-oriented = voice & choice to build a better tomorrow)
  5. We instinctively look to solve problems, develop new responsive school models when we see an unmet need (creation of DV Connect, LifeLaunch, etc.)
  6. We are creative, flexible, and comfortable with change -- key components in implementing new ideas that lead to a better tomorrow
Core Values (Our Operating Principles)
  1. We exist as an organization to serve students to the very best of our individual and collective abilities.
  2. We believe schools can make a profound difference in the lives of children, communities, and the future workforce.
  3. We work towards a shared mission, vision and purpose around project-based learning, real-world connections, and professional growth.
  4. We approach our work with humility, honesty and a growth mindset, and we encourage and celebrate success, progress, and risk-taking.
  5. We have good intentions and assume that of our colleagues. We speak directly and respectfully to each other when issues or disagreements arise between us and seek mutual understanding.
  6. We create and cultivate a cohesive, caring and trusting environment that is best for both students and adults in our community.
  7. We have a collaborative, open-source mentality.
  8. Integrity, both collectively and individually, are at the core of how we conduct ourselves.
  9. We are humble stewards of our organization’s resources.
  10. We embrace equity and diversity in all of its forms and consider it to be one of our greatest strengths.
Da Vinci Family Norms
  1. We work together towards a shared vision and purpose, focusing on the needs and best interests of students.
  2. We approach our work with humility and a growth mindset.
  3. We encourage new ideas and recognize failure, reflection, and revision as necessary components of growth.
  4. We have a collaborative, open-source mentality.
  5. We take initiative: we produce solutions and share them.
  6. We encourage feedback and listen to all voices in a caring and trusting environment. 7. We have and assume good intentions.
  7. We speak directly and respectfully to each other when issues or disagreements arise between us and we seek mutual understanding and win-win solutions.
  8. We honor our professional development time together with our presence and participation, keeping this time free of distractions and outside commitments and inviting students and guests only with prior approval.
  9. We practice gratitude and generosity.
Cradle-to-Grave Learning Organization
  • To graduate students who are college-ready, career-prepared, and community-minded
  • To pursue excellence by cultivating passionate and talented people, innovative programs and practices, and strategic public-private partnerships to prepare students for the world they will soon inherit
  • To create a seamless pathway of lifelong learning from cradle-to-grave, serving as a resource for children and families from infancy, through K-12, and beyond as students transition into and through college completion and gainful employment
  • To shepherd students into happy, independent adults
  • To close the opportunity gap and provide all students with equal access to opportunities that allow them to achieve at the highest levels
  • To provide economic mobility for all students
Signature Programs & Practices
  • Project-Based Learning
  • Professional partnerships & Real-World Connections
  • Career Pathways
  • Personalization/Habits of Success
  • Exhibition
  • Presentations of Learning
  • Advisory
  • Seminars
  • Student-Led Conferences
  • Mastery and Competency-Based Learning
  • 13th and 14th year College Pathways
  • School and Family Collaborative Education (TK-8)
  • Compassionate Communication (TK-8)