Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation

What Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation does

Maya Angelou Schools, operated by the See Forever Foundation, is a nonprofit charter school network headquartered in Washington, DC that delivers alternative education programs to opportunity youth and justice-involved youth who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Founded in 1997 by David Domenici and James Forman Jr., the network operates five campuses across Washington, DC and Laurel, Maryland: the flagship Maya Angelou Public Charter High School (MAPCS) serving students primarily from Wards 7 and 8; the Young Adult Learning Center (YALC) offering GED and CTE credentials to disconnected young adults aged 17-30+; and three Maya Angelou Academy sites embedded inside secure juvenile justice facilities (DC Jail, Youth Services Center, and the New Beginnings Youth Development Center). The network serves over 500 students annually and has produced 800+ high school and GED graduates since founding, with a cumulative 5,000+ students served. Its pedagogical platform is anchored by "The Maya Way" socio-emotional learning curriculum, restorative justice conduct policies, and tiered wraparound supports including clinical counseling, the College and Career Services Center, a RESI residential program, and community programs such as Community Eats food distribution.

The organization is funded through DC public charter per-pupil allocations and contractual arrangements with the DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services for the correctional academies; it charges no tuition. Governance is provided by an independent board chaired (chair-elect) by American University School of Education Dean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., with executive leadership under CEO Clarisse Mendoza Davis, Ed.D. The network holds continuing accreditation from the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools across all three school types and is recognized nationally as a top-ranked model for juvenile justice education. Distribution and enrollment occur through the MySchoolDC common lottery for MAPCS, dedicated admissions processes for YALC and the secure-setting academies, and direct community outreach in underserved DC neighborhoods. The organization also operates community-facing channels including an annual Miles for Maya 5K and active social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Name

Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation

Legal name

See Forever Foundation

Website

https://seeforever.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Maya Angelou Schools (See Forever Foundation) is a Washington, DC nonprofit charter network operating five campuses that deliver alternative education, GED, CTE, and wraparound services to opportunity youth and justice-involved youth through high schools and secure-setting academies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Alternative & At-Risk Schools (Continuation, Credit Recovery, Juvenile) (EDAJACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Alternative Schools (Behavioral/Disciplinary & Nontraditional Settings) (EDAJAEAC), Public Alternative, Continuation & Credit-Recovery Schools (EDAJAAAG), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

Keywords

• Alternative education
• Charter school network
• Juvenile justice education
• GED preparation programs
• Career technical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, DC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Government Funding: Public charter school funded through DC government per-pupil allocation and DCPS-style funding. The organization has advocated for equitable funding compared to DCPS.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation operates a network of alternative education Community Schools across five campuses in Washington, DC and Laurel, MD, providing high school diplomas, GED programs, and career technical education to opportunity youth and justice-involved youth. The organization delivers personalized academics, socio-emotional learning support, clinical counseling, restorative justice practices, and wraparound services including college and career preparation.

Product overview

Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation operates as a network of alternative education Community Schools in Washington, DC, comprising a unified system of educational programs: Maya Angelou Public Charter High School (the flagship campus serving traditional and non-traditional students), the Young Adult Learning Center (YALC) for GED and CTE workforce credentials serving adults 17-30+, and four Maya Angelou Academy campuses embedded in secure juvenile justice settings (New Beginnings Youth Development Center in Laurel MD, DC Jail, and Youth Services Center). The network is unified by its restorative, personalized approach emphasizing socio-emotional learning, tiered interventions, and wraparound services including Clinical Services, the College and Career Services Center, CTE Programs, and the RESI residential program. The organization serves over 5,000 students with a 25-year track record in alternative education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings: Academy providing educational services to youth at the New Beginnings Youth Development Center in Laurel, MD
• Maya Angelou Academy at DC Jail
• Maya Angelou Academy at Youth Services Center
• Young Adult Learning Center (YALC)
• Community Eats
• Miles for Maya
• Maya College and Career Services Center

Products and services

• Maya Angelou Public Charter High School A public charter high school providing personalized academic support, well-being services, and post-secondary pathway preparation for students who have not succeeded in traditional educational settings.
• Young Adult Learning Center (YALC) GED and CTE program serving disconnected young adults aged 17-30+ across Washington, DC, helping them earn GEDs and workforce credentials with transition support.
• Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings Youth Development Center Educational program providing instruction to detained youth using restorative, relevant school experience with personalized academic support and socio-emotional learning.
• Maya Angelou Academy at DC Jail Educational program at DC Jail serving detained youth and young adults, offering 9-12 curriculum and CTE-centered GED programming with 90% of students gaining credits toward high school diploma.
• Maya Angelou Academy at Youth Services Center Educational program at Youth Services Center providing educational services to youth ordered detained by the DC Superior Court Family Court Division, in partnership with the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs Career and Technical Education programs providing workforce credentials and career preparation alongside academic programs across the Maya Angelou Schools network.
• Maya College and Career Services Center College and career preparation services providing business mentorships, trade apprenticeships, job placement assistance, and post-secondary pathway planning for Maya Scholars.
• Clinical Services Support Socio-emotional learning support and mental health clinical counseling services for students, including individual, group, and classroom counseling through the Clinical Counseling Team.
• Residential (RESI) Program Residential program providing wraparound services for students requiring housing support as part of the holistic student-centered approach.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of students at MAA@DCJ gained credits toward high school diploma while receiving special education services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Partnership with DC Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services to provide educational services to youth ordered detained by DC Superior Court Family Court Division at Youth Services Center. Ensures scholars can fully take advantage of services provided.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for STEAM Fair educational programming, providing exposure to science, technology, engineering and math for Maya scholars.
• American University School of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDean Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D. serves as Chair-Elect of the Maya Angelou Public Charter School Board and opened the 'From Silos to Solutions' convening in September 2024.
• Georgetown University School of Law - Juvenile Justice ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKristen Henning, J.D. (Blume Professor of Law & Director of Juvenile Justice Clinic & Initiative) served as keynote speaker at 2024 convening on 'De-Criminalizing Normal Adolescence'

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BreakFree Education: BreakFree Education is led by David Domenici, co-founder of Maya Angelou Schools, and focuses on improving education in juvenile and adult carceral settings nationally. Directly comparable as the leading nonprofit dedicated to juvenile justice education reform with shared leadership lineage.
• DC Prep: DC Prep is a DC-based charter school network serving students from PreK through 8th grade with a college-prep focus in underserved wards. Comparable as a fellow DC public charter school operator competing for the same per-pupil funding and MySchoolDC lottery enrollment.
• KIPP DC: KIPP DC is a nonprofit charter school network operating multiple campuses across Washington, DC serving underserved student populations. Directly comparable as a DC-based public charter operator with similar per-pupil funding model and college-prep mission for high-need communities.
• Friendship Public Charter School: Friendship PCS is one of the largest charter school networks in Washington DC operating multiple campuses across Wards 5, 7, and 8. Directly comparable as a multi-campus DC charter serving similar underserved student populations in the same wards as Maya Angelou.
• Capital City Public Charter School: Capital City PCS is an expeditionary learning charter school in DC serving students from PreK through 12th grade. Comparable as a DC-based independent public charter network with a project-based learning model and similar socioeconomic student mix.
• Bard Prison Initiative: Bard Prison Initiative provides postsecondary education to incarcerated individuals in New York State prisons and is nationally recognized for outcomes. Comparable as a high-profile alternative education model specifically designed for incarcerated populations, similar in mission to Maya Angelou's carceral academies.

Emerging players

• Center for Educational Excellence in Alternative Settings: CEEAS is a nonprofit focused on improving education in juvenile detention and other alternative settings through research, advocacy, and practitioner training. Comparable as a peer organization operating in the same juvenile justice education niche with shared focus on carceral education quality.

Broad incumbents

• District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS): DCPS is the traditional public school district of Washington DC and the largest recipient of per-pupil funding in the city. Comparable as the broader incumbent operating schools across all wards and serving the same overall student population, though Maya Angelou specifically advocates for funding parity with DCPS.

Others

• National Technical Assistance Center for the Education of Children and Youth who are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk (NDTAC): NDTAC is a federally funded technical assistance center supporting Title I, Part D programs serving neglected, delinquent, and at-risk youth across the U.S. Comparable as a federal peer organization supporting the same juvenile justice education mission and serving the same student population that Maya Angelou's academies target.
• Communities In Schools of the Nation's Capital: Communities In Schools of the Nation's Capital places social service coordinators inside DC public and charter schools to provide wraparound supports to at-risk students. Comparable as a complementary wraparound-service provider serving similar opportunity youth populations across DC schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/MayaSchools
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB-fnHM_ZGZoPsJ2PCThJ5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/seeforeverfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mayaschools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maya-angelou-public-charter-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Maya Angelou Schools/See Forever Foundation