Ilse Castillo

Da Vinci Schools is a public charter school network in Los Angeles, California, serving nearly 2,800 students from 122 zip codes across five schools and one college-and-career program. Students at Da Vinci prepare for college, career, and life simultaneously through a project-based, real-world curriculum shaped by partnerships with industry and higher education. These partnerships ensure every student graduates with the skills, experiences, and opportunities they need for their next chapter. At Da Vinci, students can’t take the “wrong” class. Ninety-four percent of graduates meet the UC/Cal State A–G requirements—a rate 50% higher than the 2023 California average—and 69% complete a Career Technical Education (CTE) pathway, 49% above the State average. Graduates have been accepted to every University of California and Cal State campus, as well as selective institutions such as Yale, Stanford, Dartmouth, Howard University, West Point, Loyola Marymount University, and many more. Dr. David Brown, former Executive Director of the WASC Accrediting Commission, has called Da Vinci Schools “among the very finest I’ve seen.” The Yass Foundation, in partnership with the Center for Education Reform and Forbes, recognized Da Vinci as one of America’s Most Innovative Educational Organizations. In 2025, Da Vinci launched LifeLaunch, a college and career program offering free college courses and job training for graduating seniors up to age 22. Da Vinci Schools is committed to strengthening the region’s talent pipeline by blurring the lines between high school, college, and career—and ensuring young people are fully prepared for a future of opportunity and economic mobility.