DeKalb Brilliance Academy - Career-connected Project-based Learning:
Now enrolling and growing in South DeKalb
DeKalb Brilliance Academy is a free, public charter school serving students in Kindergarten through 4th grade — growing to serve a full K-8 program with 700 students. In the 25-26 school year, we opened our brand-new, 60,000-square-foot permanent campus, located in the heart of South DeKalb.
What sets DeKalb Brilliance Academy apart?
At DeKalb Brilliance Academy, learning is built for the real world. Our innovative Career-connected Project-based Learning approach connects students directly with professionals — scientists, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs — to explore different career paths through semester-long, hands-on projects.
Each project integrates academic rigor with real-world skills, building not only content mastery but also collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership. For example:
Kindergarteners design community parks that serve diverse needs of South DeKalb families.
First graders develop public health proposals to strengthen nutrition and wellness in their own communities.
Third graders build restaurant business plans rooted in their family’s culinary heritage — learning how to budget, create menus, and analyze financing options like crowdfunding versus bank loans — bringing financial literacy, math, writing, and cultural identity together.
Through this approach, students see how their learning connects to their futures — and how they can use their brilliance to lead change in their communities. By integrating rigorous academics with social-emotional learning, we empower our students to become leaders in any field they choose.
Join our community:
Donate:
Did you know that charter schools like DeKalb Brilliance Academy are funded at lower levels than neighboring district schools, even though DeKalb Brilliance Academy is a public school? This is why we rely on external fundraising from supporters like you!
Each donation helps us build a school that honors the unique brilliance inside every child and empowers them to be leaders of a better and more equitable future. Whether you give $25 or $2,500, your donation will support in providing technology, curriculum, facility upgrades, and more!
Our mission:
With unwavering commitment to exceptional academics, leadership development, and community collaboration, DeKalb Brilliance Academy prepares all Kindergarten-8th grade students to thrive in high school and college, have fulfilling careers, and become impactful leaders in our communities.
Our vision:
Each child will know and leverage their unique brilliance to critically analyze the world around them and to design a better and more equitable future.
Our results:
98% of families would recommend DeKalb Brilliance Academy.
95% of students would recommend DeKalb Brilliance Academy to their friends.
Students outperform nearby schools by 15 percentage points in proficiency across reading and math.
In our first year, DBA ranked 4th in reading growth and 3rd in math growth among 80 innovative schools nationwide.
