Figure 1.5.2: The overall site plan shows the surrounding context in relation to student resources near the SEED campus. outlined in red. Outlined in yellow is the recreation park often used by SEED students,.
Figure 1.5.1: Above photos are of the Children’s Museum. This building previously housed SEED students and was the building block for today’s SEED Charter School.
School Overview
The School for Educational Evolution and Development (SEED) Charter School is located in Washington, D.C. and is best known as the nation’s first inner-city public charter boarding school, admitting only students from the D.C area. SEED was formed out of a need to provide inner-city kids a secure and nurturing living environment, away from the social unrest these kids were used to.
Original Site
The SEED Charter School was established by Rajiv Vinnakota and Eric Adler in 1998. During its first year of operation, SEED held its classes in the unused attic of the Capital Children’s Museum, located in downtown Washington, D.C. At the time, the school only had room to take in 40 students, who were all housed in an unoccupied building next door on the site.
Current Site
The SEED Charter School is currently located at 4300 C. Street, SE, near the Marshall Heights neighborhood. The four-acre campus comprises four buildings, including the Lewy Academic Center, Marshall Hall dormitory, Brown Hall dormitory, and the Adler-Vinnakota Student Center. All together, the school is able to house over 300 students and almost 40 boarding faculty members. The four acre campus is surrounded by the wooded parkland of Fort Chaplin and Fort Dupont Parks, the new townhouse community of Dupont Commons and the 15 acre Benning Stoddart Recreation Center, which includes tennis courts, basketball courts, a baseball diamond, and a playing field, which SEED uses frequently for its extracurricular activities.
Construction Cost
The SEED foundation was able to obtain $12 million in donations and $14 million through bonds. This $26 million was used to transform the abandoned Weatherless Elementary into the SEED Charter School of Washington D.C. The campus is made up of four buildings surrounding a central courtyard. The site is small and the buildings had to be placed fairly close to one another. The total built area on campus is 190,000 sf divided up amongst the four buildings and again amongst 350 students. Total cost per square foot:
Marshall Hall, 1999 (Phase I): Size:
45,000 SF 4 stories Use:
77 student doubles, male
16 faculty and supervisor apartments 4 large common rooms
8 special use rooms Construction:
Masonry construction on interior Brick and stucco on exterior 40 foot caissons due to unstable soils Lewy Academic Center, 2000 (Phase I/renovation):
Size: 50,000 SF 4 stories Use: 30 classrooms, 20’ x 30’ or 30’ x 30’ Main Library 4 staff apartments 2 guest rooms Laundry facilities Construction:
Renovated elementary school Steel Frame
Partial concrete block
40 foot caissons due to unstable soils Brown Hall, 2002 (Phase II):
Size: 46,000 SF 4 stories Use:
77 student doubles
17 faculty and supervisor apartments 15 house living rooms
8 special use rooms Construction: Wood frame building Drywall interior Metal panel exterior Geo-pier foundation
Adler-Vinnakota Student Center, 2003 (Phase III): Size: 26,000 SF 3 stories Use: Athletic space Dining facilities Admissions/Security Construction:
Two large floors and mezzanine Steel frame
Second level gymnasium (pre-fab metal) Geo-pier foundation
Each floor has four houses, each named after a university. Students are housed near boarding instructors and are encouraged to promote dorm unity through dinners, performances, contests and group retreats. Younger students are on the bottom two floors and the older kids are on floors three and four. Each floor has a large study area and a kitchen.
Classrooms are arranged according to topic of study. Collaboration in the classroom is a key aspect of education at SEED. The walls of the classrooms and halls are covered with student work.
Weatherless Elementary, built in 1970, was destroyed by several fires in the 90’s. The core of the structure remained and was renovated into the Lewy Academic Center.
Each room is equipped with beds, desks, chairs, bureaus, framed art and a closet.
Special use rooms include: -Music
-Reading -Writing -Study lounge -Test preparation
Smallest building on campus, 26,000 sf out of 190,000 total sf.
This space is occupied from early morning to late evening with basketball and volleyball team practice, intramurals and athletic study breaks. Less expensive alternative. Also allows for the dining hall to be adjacent to Lewy Academic Courtyard.
Marshall Hall, 1999 (Phase I):
Lewy Academic Center, 2000 (Phase I/renovation):
Brown Hall, 2002 (Phase II):
Marshall Hall
Lewy Academic Center Brown Hall
Adler-Vinnakota Student Center Benning Stoddart Recr. Center Fort Chaplin Park
SEED Campus, 4 acres 1 2 3 1 2 3
Figure 1.5.3: The aerial view of SEED campus shows the layout of the campus and how each building relates to one another as well as the immediate context. The nearby recreation center and park are key resources for the students at SEED.
Total square footage per student/teacher: 350 sf
The square footage per student is considerably higher than a standard middle/high school. This is due to the fact that the students are housed on campus much like a university setting. This number was calculated by dividing the total SF (housing and study) by the number of students and faculty.
The SEED Process
The SEED Charter School only accepts students at the start of the 7th grade. Application submission opens in January for the following school year.
Eligiblity requirements: •
Must be a D.C. resident •
Must be entering grade 7 •
Must be no older than 13 years and 7 months •
at enrollment
Must submit a preliminary application •
As a public school, the SEED School of Washington, D.C. does not choose its students based of academic performance. Each year, the school receives more applications than there is space available, so students are selected through an annual lottery which is held in late spring. Charter Date: 1998
Purpose: Offers intensive and boarding education; college prep boarding school Students: 320 urban children
Grades Served: 7th-12th
Academic Focus: Small classrooms, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, after school faculty-taught tutorial, study halls every evening, AP course, test preparation courses, and leadership courses. Student Life: Separate curriculum, community service projects, halls (Habits for Achieving Life-Long Success)~focuses on healthy lifestyles, leadership skills, value of relationships, moral decision-making, and respect of the environment.
Athletics: Learn to cooperate with teammates, understand fair and healthy competition, and practice good sportsmanship.
Community Involvement: Daily, social activities, field trips, community activities.
College Prep: Provides students and their families with the skills and support necessary to apply for college admissions. College visits, parent meetings, college counseling are incorporated in curriculum. Also has SEED alumni program to help ease transition from high school to college.
Essential Components
The following components of a SEED School define a consistent, core program while encouraging innovation at the local school level.
Educate undeserved inner-city children who •
have a wide range of academic and social abilities, and who are willing to make a long-term commitment to SEED school goals. Provide a boarding program that offers a •
structured life skills development program. Utilize a college preparatory curriculum •
starting no later than the 7th grade (and possibly earlier) that incorporates a strong remedial program.
Take a year-round educational perspective, •
enforce established standards for promotion and maintain ability to dismiss students who repeatedly fail to embrace core values. Encourage parent and family participation in •
the SEED school program.
Maintain reasonable proximity to the student •
Figure 1.5.4: Deputy Secretary Ray Simon and a student artist at SEED Charter Public School, Washington, D.C., cut the ribbon of the international student art and writing exhibit at the opening ceremony of International Education Week at ED.
Figure 1.5.5: A group of students from SEED in Washington, D.C.. Students seem excited to be part of the only public boarding school in the country. This atmosphere provides college prep as well as a new sense of independence for the student body.
Ensure accountability to The SEED •
Foundation for quality, consistency and results.
Access a sustainable source of funding to •
cover the operation of the base boarding and academic program.
Family & Community
Families are crucial to student success and therefore play a critical role in the SEED program. SEED families are committed to securing the best possible education for their children. Many families regularly visit campus to participate in events, volunteer, meet with teachers and life skills counselors and spend time with their children. SEED applauds the commitment that families make by enrolling their children at SEED and by supporting their children’s education throughout the program. SEED partners with families to foster student growth and excellence. Exciting opportunities for involvement abound and include school-wide events such as community dinners, tutoring during study hall, assisting with afternoon enrichment activities and joining campus-wide book clubs, to name only a few. Teachers also regularly communicate with families regarding student progress, grades and performance. For families who do not live within the immediate community and are unable to visit campus frequently, SEED provides a range of opportunities to ensure that parents stay connected with their child’s experiences on campus.
Community members, including community-based organizations, local businesses and volunteers, frequently visit SEED to share their experiences with students. Such visits enhance students’ learning experiences by enabling them to explore possible areas of interest and learn directly from leaders in diverse fields.
Sources
Policy Initiation Institute: Schools for Educational Evolution and Development; http://piinstitute.org
SEED Foundation Public Charter Schools; http://www.seedfoundation.com
