Inspiration Visits

About Jackson Reed

Located in Ward 3, Jackson Reed is the largest public high school in the District of Columbia. The campus hosts 10 NAF Academies in the below areas, with over half of the school participating in an Academy. In partnership with DCPS and NAF, NAF academies are small learning communities where students build close relationships with supportive staff, connect with like-minded peers, explore electives and extracurriculars, and gain real-world experience through internships, field trips, and service projects. Learn more about each pathway in the links below!

• Global Service & Diplomacy

• Leadership: Cyber Security & JROTC

• Sports, Business, and Marketing

• Engineering

• Audio Visual Production

• Finance

• Health Sciences (Biomedical)

• Graphic Design

• Information Technology

• Hospitality and Tourism

Quick Facts about Jackson Reed

• Student Enrollment: ~1855 students

• Website: https://jacksonreedhs.org/

Located in Takoma Park, Maryland, Don Bosco Cristo Rey (DBCR) High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in partnership with the Archdiocese of Washington, the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Cristo Rey Network of Schools. Students come exclusively from families of limited economic means. Don Bosco partners with more than 300 local companies and organizations through their Corporate Work Study Program. Students work one day a week, earning nearly 60 percent of the cost of their education, and in turn gain valuable on-the-job experience in highly professional settings. Employers fill an entry-level position at a competitive cost with well-trained students while enhancing diversity and talent pipelines.

Quick Facts about DBCR

• Student Enrollment: ~370 students

• Website: https://www.dbcr.org/ 

Located in Ward 8, Ballou High School is part of a large-scale school transformation effort led by DCPS to better prepare students for real-world careers through its implementation of the 3DE curriculum. Developed in response to community feedback calling for more work-based learning and entrepreneurship opportunities, the program partners with organizations like The New Teacher Project and Junior Achievement to create an experiential, business-focused learning environment. Starting in 9th grade, students engage in case-based and project-based learning, applying concepts from corporate case studies to develop their own business ideas. They pitch these ideas to panels of local entrepreneurs and business leaders, with top projects receiving seed funding. 

Ballou hosts pathways in:

• Hospitality & Tourism

• Culinary Arts

• Autotech

• Computer Engineering

Quick Facts about Ballou

• Student Enrollment: ~600 students

• Website: https://www.balloudc.org/