Our Mission:
Make Space.
The Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation believes that early intervention is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, and empowering children for a lifetime of success. Early intervention is about making space for opportunity.
Our Mission
The Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation exists to support Eagle Academy Public Charter School and make possible its commitment to providing a high-quality education to every child. We do this by investing in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM), and special education; supporting efforts to care for the “whole child”; giving back to the community; and exposing Eagle students to the possibilities of their future. Our goal is to help expand the horizons of Eagle students by giving them access to opportunities normally outside of their reach.
The Challenge.
Neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River, where most of Eagle Academy's students reside, struggle with a poverty rate three times higher than the rest of Washington, D.C. In Ward 8, nearly sixty percent of pre-school children live below the poverty line.
59%
Pre-school Children living below the poverty level in Ward 8
75%
Eagle Academy students have been IDENTIFIED as needing some form of mental or behavioral health services
1800+
students and families served By our Programs
Our Work.
The Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation is committed to making space for children by focusing on the "whole child". This means we care about the academic success of Eagle Academy students, AND their social competence, emotional well-being, and physical growth. That's why we support Eagle's special programs for our students.
STEAM
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM), is the foundation for creating opportunity for Eagle Academy students. By starting early on developing a STEAM identity, our students are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow.
Extra curricular Programs
Often times, single moms go to work early and stay late. In our after school program, we offer students enriching experiences and educational support. Whether it is through dance classes, singing lessons, or additional academic interventions, each program is designed to help students grow and soar high.
Technology
As technology continues to transform and improve our world, we believe low-income students should not be left behind. The Pinkney Foundation supports Eagle Academy by providing our students with numerous opportunities to develop the technology proficiency needed to succeed at the next level.
Socio-emotional Supports
Directed by a full-time Occupational Therapist, Eagle Academy provides educationally stimulating visual, auditory, and tactile experiences, which help students learn in an environment that is tailored to their specific educational needs. The Pinkney Foundation invests in services like these that give students the resources necessary to achieve.
Get Involved
Launched in 2017, the Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation is a new, growing organization that needs your support. Sign up for our e-newsletter, volunteer to serve on our board, and make a donation to help us make space for opportunity.
Sign Up to learn more
Stay up to date on what the Foundation is doing and how you can get involved. Sign up for our e-mail newsletter.
Join our Board
Consider joining the Foundation Board of Directors. It takes a community to deliver on our mission and goals.
Make a Donation
We've set a goal of raising $2 million over the next 5 years to make space for opportunity. Invest in children today.
Destiny Concealed:
The Eagle Academy Public Charter School Story
For twenty years, the heart and soul of Eagle Academy Public Charter School has been one of its fearless founders, Cassandra S. Pinkney. As a single, teenage mom raising a child with special needs in urban America, Cassandra overcame innumerable obstacles to become one of Washington, D.C.’s most acclaimed educators. Indeed, one of her lasting legacies is the way in which she pioneered high-quality, early childhood education by prioritizing both academic and emotional empowerment of her pupils.
On June 4, 2001, Cassandra Pinkney, Joe Smith, PhD, and a diverse group of education, business and medical leaders submitted a proposal to the D.C. Public Charter School Board to create the first charter school for grades PK3 – K in the nation’s capital. That application was approved in March 2003 and five months later, Eagle Academy opened its doors in the sixth Ward of Washington, D.C..
Destiny Concealed recounts the experiences of those who helped turn Cassandra’s vision into a reality. Throughout the documentary, viewers bear witness to the first-hand accounts of triumphs and tragedies that made Eagle Academy into the incredible institution it is today.
As the age-old adage goes, “it takes a village.” This film seeks to pay tribute to the village of dedicated students, staff, parents, and community members who have helped mold a generation of scholars in the 20th year of Eagle Academy.
This is our story. This is Destiny Concealed.