The mission of Digital Pioneers Academy (DPA) is to develop the next generation of innovators. We prepare students to meet or exceed the highest academic standards, while cultivating the strength of character necessary to both graduate from four-year colleges and thrive in 21stcentury careers. DPA will ultimately be a college preparatory middle and high school (6th-12th grade) for students from Ward 7 and 8 in Washington, DC. Beginning with sixth grade and adding one grade per year, DPA will provide a unique, personalized educational experience that integrates best practices from school across the country, preparing students to be innovators and active citizens in our technology-driven world. DPA’s learning model will leverage a curriculum built around traditional subjects with the critical inclusion of Computer Science as a core content area. Through core classes and personalized, project-based work, students will develop computational thinking skills, a set of capabilities that can be flexibly applied to succeed in four-year college and in a variety of fields. In addition to rigorous academics and project-based learning, our innovative approach focuses on character building, diverse out-of-school experiences (“expeditions”), and developing the social and emotional capacities of our students