Da Vinci RISE Above: A New Chapter
Building on the Legacy. A Place to RISE.
We’re excited to relaunch Da Vinci RISE as RISE Above, a new Da Vinci program that builds on nearly a decade of experience serving at-promise youth whose educational journeys have been disrupted by circumstances such as housing instability, homelessness, foster care, involvement with the justice system, or other significant challenges.
RISE Above provides a flexible, personalized learning environment where students can reconnect with school, discover their strengths and interests, and build pathways toward graduation, college, career, and life.
A Learning Environment Designed to Help At-Promise Students Thrive
RISE Above combines Da Vinci’s signature practices with the specialized supports and flexibility needed to help students thrive.
- Highly trained staff — Staff are trained in research-based practices including transcendent thinking, trauma-informed care, nonviolent crisis intervention, and restorative justice.
- Wraparound support — Our community school model connects students and families to comprehensive wraparound services designed to remove barriers and create stability.
- Flexible, personalized learning — Students receive individualized support and learning options responsive to their circumstances, needs, interests, and goals.
- Transportation services — Transportation helps remove barriers to consistent participation.
- Career-connected pathways — Interest-based opportunities in areas such as digital media and health sciences help students connect their learning to high-demand careers.
At its core, RISE Above is an intentionally designed alternative learning environment—one that combines rigorous, personalized education with the relationships, flexibility, and support students need to succeed.
Building on a Legacy
Founded in 2016, Da Vinci RISE was created to serve Los Angeles County students experiencing significant barriers to educational success. Over nearly a decade, RISE developed an innovative model centered on relationships, flexibility, personalized learning, and whole-student support. California recognizes the need for alternative pathways for students who need a different route to graduation, including continuation education programs required under California Education Code § 48400. RISE built upon this foundation by creating a more comprehensive and holistic model combining flexible scheduling, personalized learning, competency-based education, and wraparound supports.
The model gained national recognition, including a $10 million XQ Super School grant, Yass Prize semifinalist recognition, and selection by Teach For America as a “School to Learn From.” In 2018, the Los Angeles County Board of Education unanimously approved RISE as a countywide charter, enabling students to maintain educational continuity even when moving across district boundaries.
By 2026, Da Vinci RISE no longer met LACOE's requirements for continued operation as a countywide benefit charter because the school's countywide expansion model did not materialize as originally envisioned. As a result, Da Vinci RISE closed as an independent charter school at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year.
Importantly, the transition does not mean starting over. While RISE has shifted from a charter school to a Da Vinci program, RISE Above continues RISE’s role as an alternative pathway for students who need additional flexibility, support, and personalized opportunities to thrive. The program now serves students and families within the Wiseburn attendance boundaries, as well as other students who may benefit from this approach.
For students and families, the heart of RISE remains the same. Most RISE students are continuing their education at Da Vinci schools, with many participating in RISE Above and continuing to receive personalized support from many of the RISE educators, counselors, and staff who supported them last year. The program continues to adapt to students’ individual needs, interests, and goals while providing the flexibility and care that have always defined the RISE experience.
RISE Above carries that legacy forward while reimagining what is possible for students who need a different path.
The RISE Above Vision | 2026-27
We believe every young person deserves an educational experience that recognizes their strengths, responds to their circumstances, and helps them see what is possible.
This year, RISE Above is focused on creating a learning experience that is joyful, flexible, connected, and responsive to students.
We will:
- Bring meaningful project-based learning
- Build a strong sense of community and belonging
- Expand Leave to Learn opportunities
- Help students become stronger, more independent learners and information processors
- Explore how we cultivate and measure transcendent thinking
- Deepen interdisciplinary PBL and authentic, real-world learning
The RISE spirit lives on. And we’re excited to continue learning, adapting, and exploring how we can best support students for long-term success and sustainability.
At the heart of RISE Above is a simple belief:
School should adapt to young people—not the other way around.
If you have any questions about this transition, please contact Erin Whalen, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, at ewhalen@davincischools.org.