Our founding story
We worked for three years with South DeKalb families and community members to design a school that empowers students to be leaders in any field they choose. When we asked over 1,000 community members “what should the purpose of school be?” we heard:
1) help my child understand their unique gifts, talents, and interests
2) help my child understand the paths for impact
Families pushed us beyond college and career readiness to focus on students' legacies. With the generous support of partners like the BES, Charter School Venture Fund, Center for Love & Justice’s New School Creation Fellowship, Georgia Charter School Association, New School Venture Fund, Reinvestment Fund, and more, we studied dozens of schools to create the school model that is right for *our* community.
Our approach
We are a tuition-free, public Kindergarten-8th grade South DeKalb charter school enrolling grades K-2 in 2022 and grades K-3 in 2023 (adding a grade each year).
Together with hundreds of families and community members, we have designed a school that empowers students to be leaders in any field they choose. Our school combines college-preparatory academics, social-emotional learning, and an innovative focus on real-world, career-connected projects. Please see more about our approach below.
What is Real-world Project-based Learning?
DeKalb Brilliance Academy teachers partner with community experts to create projects that give students relevant experience connected to high-demand careers. The same experts coach teams of students and are in the audience to celebrate students' work at the end of the semester.
For example:
When our Kindergartners learn about the importance of nature in communities around the world, they work in teams to design a neighborhood park. They visit a potential site, interview community members about what they want in a park, collaborate with their teammates to create an initial design, and get coached by urban planners to prepare to present their ideas.
When our 5th graders learn about inventions that changed people’s lives throughout history, they work in teams to identify a current social problem and use design thinking to create an invention to solve it. They are coached by engineers throughout the semester to improve their ideas as they prepare to pitch their concept as a team.
More about our approach:
Our students have rich, complex experiences in humanities, math, and science to empower them to be critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.
Our teachers partner with community experts to create real-world learning. The same experts coach teams of students and are in the audience to celebrate students' work at the end of each semester.
Through goal setting, reflection, and intentional skill development, teachers and students engage in the skills we need to collaborate and lead.
Our school honors students' identities and creates the predictable, safe learning environment students need to grow into their leadership.
We honor our teachers as professionals with high-quality teaching materials and significant time for collaborative planning and learning from each other.
We treat our families and community as the valuable experts they are, and strengthen our school through early, frequent, and thorough partnerships.
Portrait of a graduate
Each 8th grader graduates from DeKalb Brilliance Academy equipped with:
Real-world Project Portfolio: Our students will enter high school with a portfolio of eighteen different complex projects in design, law, engineering, social justice, the arts, and more.
Dream Team: Beginning in 5th grade, each student will have a Dream Team consisting of a school-based coach, family, and other meaningful mentors. Dream Team members offer mentorship to help the student stretch even further.
Legacy Maps: Our students will clearly define three long-term paths to the impact they want to have on their communities. In addition to the paths, legacy maps will include research of network of contacts in the field as well as required schooling/training, timelines, and financing required for each path.
Frequently-asked questions
How much is tuition? DeKalb Brilliance Academy is a 100% tuition-free public school. There is no cost to attend.
Where is the school located? 2575A Snapfinger Road, Ste A, Decatur, GA 30307
Who is eligible to attend DeKalb Brilliance Academy? Any child living in the DeKalb County or Atlanta Public School districts is eligible to attend. We are enrolling K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade students for the 2024-2025 school year (adding a grade each year until we are K-8). There are no admissions criteria to attend.
What is the cutoff age for Kindergarten and First Grade? Kindergarteners must be 5 years old on or before September 1 to be eligible to enroll in Kindergarten for the school year. First graders must be 6 years old on or before September 1 to be eligible to enroll in First Grade for the school year.
How do I apply? Our priority enrollment period for the 2023-2024 school year was from January 1, 2023 12AM EST to Friday, March 17, 2023 11:59PM EST., but you can apply to join our waiting list anytime at dekalbbrilliance.schoolmint.net. You can also email enrollment@dekalbbrilliance.org to schedule an appointment with our enrollment team.
Where do I find family forms and information? All forms for our families can be found at https://bit.ly/forms-for-families.
How will I know if we can attend the school? Results of the lottery were shared on Monday, March 20, 2023. Families have one week from notification to accept their seats.
What is the school calendar? For the 2024-25 school year the school year is July 29 (Kindergarten only)/July 30 (1st-4th) through May 22 (see 2024-25 calendar here).
What are school hours? Our instructional day is 8:00-3:00 (arrival is from 7:40-8:00 and dismissal is 3:00-3:35). On Fridays, the instructional day ends at 1:00 PM, but after care will be provided starting at 1:30 PM (see below).
Does the school provide before/aftercare? DeKalb Brilliance Academy provides onsite before/aftercare, as well as partners with community partners to provide before and after care both onsite and at other locations in the community so each family can select the option that is best for them. To learn more (including how to sign up) see this flier.
Does the school have uniforms? Uniforms at DeKalb Brilliance Academy will be required for every student. DeKalb Brilliance parents may purchase navy uniform bottoms from any store, but must purchase embroidered, uniform polo's, cardigan, etc. from our uniform vendor online (https://branded-us.com/collections/dekalb-brilliance-academy).
Does the school provide transportation? Bus transportation will not be provided for the 2024-25 school year. We surveyed our families and found that families needed onsite before care more than bus transportation. DeKalb Brilliance has onsite before care beginning at 6:30 AM. Community partnership with before/after care programs offer drop off beginning at 6:30am and transportation to/from school. See all our before/aftercare partnerships here.
How can I stay connected? Keep up with our email newsletters, follow us on Instagram and Facebook. Current families should check their Class Dojo app daily. If you are not receiving communications, call the front office (470-563-6690, then press 0) to make sure your information is correct in our system.
Where can I learn more about the school model? Visit our learn more page , review our frequently-asked questions, and/or view resources from a previous family information session.
How can I learn more about school oversight and policies? For Governing Board meeting information & materials click here
Where can I find answers to my other questions? Please see our frequently-asked questions document here, email info@dekalbbrilliance.org, or call our main office at 470-563-6690.
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.