Join us for a night of discussion and education on environmental justice in L.A.’s Black communities. The Environmental Justice Community Forum is open to all members of the community who are passionate about creating a more sustainable and equitable future. We will have guest speakers, interactive activities and opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn and make a difference!
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023
Time: 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (Pacific Daylight Time)
Location: 201 North Douglas Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (Da Vinci Schools Black Box Theatre)
Kollab Youth is excited to partner with ABC7 and author, speaker, CEO, and retired MMA fighter Daniel Puder for GPS for Success on Saturday, June 24th 9am-4pm.
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023
Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Location: ABC 7 Studio B
500 Circle 7 Dr, Glendale, CA 91201
GPS for Success is a day-long workshop for local Los Angeles teens ages 14–19. Youth come together to identify their strengths, plan for their futures, and create positive mindsets.
The event is FREE and breakfast/lunch will be provided. RSVP here today!
We hope you’re enjoying the start the summer! We will continue advertising opportunities for our youth. Please see the exciting events, classes, and internships below:
The Automobile Driving Museum is offering shop classes for high school youth. Please note that there is a participant fee for each class. For more information, click here.
It’s not too late to apply for a summer internship! We have some exciting experiences offered by the Hawthorne Police Department, the Pass It Forward Foundation, and the Rooted Friends Project. To view all opportunities, please click here.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Kollab Youth Los Angeles Environmental Learning Center Event
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
9:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Located at Hyperion
12000 Vista Del Mar, Playa Del Rey, CA 90293
Teens (ages 14 to 19 years old) are invited to learn about a new career path that helps Mother Earth! It will be a day filled with Eco Career exploration, Environmental education, and community service (beach clean-up).
Gain insight from guest speakers, learn about career opportunities, and experience environmental education. Guests can expect a facility tour and beach clean-up community service project.
Get a FREE Membership at the Y this Summer! (Click the image for more information)
June 15 – August 15 | Ages 12-18* years old
The LA Y “Get Summer” teen initiative is designed to keep teens active, engaged, and safe while school’s out for summer. Ys across Los Angeles County are offering free memberships to all teens, ages 12-18 years old. Individual branches will provide youth with academic support, college and employment readiness, volunteer opportunities, social gatherings, and exclusive programming with local partners.
*Anyone 18 years of age must be a graduating high school student to qualify for a free membership through the Get Summer program. Programs and activities vary by branch. For branch offerings, please contact your local teen director.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
From all of the faculty and staff at Da Vinci Design, we wish you a wonderful summer break! Monday, August 14th is the first day of school for students in the 2023-24 school year. We will see you in August!
Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2023! It was an honor and pleasure watching you walk the stage yesterday. Graduation photos from yesterday have been uploaded for families here – you may access and download them for FREE thanks to our incredible photographer Stacee: https://staceelianna.smugmug.com/DaVinciSchools/Da-Vinci-Design/2023-Graduation/
Happy LGBTQ Pride Month! Thank you to our DVD Pride Club for hosting an amazing CD on the last day of school that included lip sync performances, dancing, and fun games. Da Vinci Schools is proud to recognize and celebrate the LGBTQ community this month, and the many ways LGBTQ folx have contributed to our world. Pride was originally focused on securing basic rights and later confronting the AIDS epidemic. Pride continues to be about creating and affirming spaces where LGBTQIA+ people can exist freely, without persecution.
Report cards: have been put into the mail today and will be arriving next week. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to the Da Vinci Design Front Office and ask for Office Manager Maria Beltran, or send an email to mbeltran@davincischools.org for any questions regarding work permits, enrollment, summer dates, etc. The DVD Front Office is open Monday-Friday (except for holidays) from 8am to noon.
June 13th: Summer Session 1 begins (by referral from counselors) Summer school forms were distributed to students last week. If your student received a summer school form, you must register for summer school. Click here for the summer school registration form.
Please stay tuned over the summer! We will be making announcements for new families AND returning families here on the blog. See you in August!
Tomorrow is the big day! DVD Graduation Ceremony begins promptly at 9am.
We are pleased to announce that the Class of 2023 graduation will be live streamed on June 8th starting at 9 am for those of you who have family members who want to cheer you on from home!
Please share this link so they can join the Class of 2023 graduation celebration!
If you are attending in-person tomorrow, please remember:
ARRIVAL TIME AT 8AM: Graduates MUST arrive at 8am to line up in preparation of the ceremony.
TICKETS AND SEATING: Family and guests MUST have a ticket in order to be seated at the ceremony. Seating is assigned, and maps/direction will be provided upon check in. We appreciate all guests staying in their assigned seats for the entirety of the ceremony.
WHAT TO BRING: Please remember to bring the gown, tassel, and cap provided by DVD. Students may wear flower leis or stoles over their gown.
WHAT NOT TO BRING: There will NOT be a place to store purses or bags during graduation. Graduates should travel light and leave belongings with family.
Balloons and “air horns” are not allowed – thank you for helping us to create an enjoyable environment for everyone and for ensuring everyone can see and hear the ceremony.
For last minute requests or questions, please reach out to Kirk Takeyama, Asst. Principal, via email: ktakeyama@davincischools.org .
Da Vinci Summer Career Training Programs still accepting applicants:
L.A. Urban League’s Biz Camp Summer Program
Learn how to turn ideas into successful businesses through planning, analysis, and real-world application. All entrepreneurs are encouraged to sign up. Stipends are available for participating students. To register, click here and apply for ‘Biz Camp Summer Program Session 2: Monday, July 10 – Thursday, July 27.
Da Vinci Connect Summer Gaming Opportunity
During this program, students will have the opportunity to engage in gameplay, project design, and collaboration. Students will have the opportunity to interact with AI-based mini-games, allowing them to explore their visions of the future through their creative work. They will have four hours a day over the course of 2 weeks (July 18-July 27), to build transformative experiences using emerging technology. To learn more, click here.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Da Vinci’s graduating seniors are closing out the school year with final Presentations of Learning where they reflect on their learning and growth over the past four years.
At Da Vinci Design, seniors completed a six-week capstone project culminating in a Senior Showcase held at the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo on May 24th. The Senior Showcase was a special exhibition for families, friends and the entire DV community.
Da Vinci Design’s senior project is composed of four stages of the Design Process: Care, Conceptualize, Create, and Critique. Projects focused on honing students’ design skills and serving the local community, from engineering indoor gardens to supporting local animal shelters, to starting small businesses selling jewelry and crochet items, to coordinating the Senior Showcase itself!
What started as a conversation over their passion for role playing games, Anthony Roberson, Adrian Williams, Francisco Saldana, and Danica Mojonnier created a professional role playing game called MouseVale, a fantastical world beneath human’s feet where adventuring animals maneuver the dangers of modern life. The students used Natural Crit to create a 150-page MouseVale: A Player’s Guide that resembles the Dungeons and Dragons format. They also created 50 original art pieces (some shown below). In order to bring this idea to life, the students have raised over $1000 in funds through a Kickstarter campaign and cookie sales. With so much momentum growing around their game, the Design students intend to release a PDF version of the guide, then hard copies.
The Wooden Room, a community space at Da Vinci Design, was renovated into The Garden Room by seniors Eli Velasquez, Mia Gonzalez, and Renna Ady. Their goal was to create a space for learners and educators that would encourage “greater engagement and motivation toward academic pursuits”. Utilizing SketchUp software they learned in their architecture pathway course, the group first created an electronic layout of the floor plan. Once conceptualized, they created wooden wall-mount planters, raised planters, and shelves that would be placed around the room. In collaboration with Cal Terra Design, Angel Velasquez Systems, and West Coast Welding and Fabrication, the students received over 20 donated plants, lumber, tools, and consulting services to support their project. To help maintain the garden after they graduate, the seniors created a “how to” manual so others can learn how to care for the different plants in the Garden Room after they’re gone.
Without any prior experience of writing, editing, or directing short films, Ruby Yarlett, Jayla Jones, and Devin Gough created an analog horror film, Nocturnum. Sparked by Ruby’s interest in analog horror films, they reached out to Jayla and Devin and the niche analog horror community for help in bringing this idea to life. Jayla was responsible for the film’s creative animations, while Devin edited the film’s sounds and visuals.
We are so inspired and impressed by all the senior projects, and wish all Da Vinci graduates a fantastic commencement and transition into college, career and life!! We are so proud of you!!
We have added some exciting internships and programs to our running list of summer opportunities. You can access them by using this link.
We also wanted to share this amazing program with you all. The Arte Youth Program is a non-profit organization that helps students learn about science, technology, engineering, art and math. They are offering a virtual course where students ages 11-17 will engage with analog astronauts and participate in activities and presentations. There will be prizes, gifts, and scholarships for selected participants. Students must have a computer to participate.
The Virtual Dates are:
June 16-18
July 28-30
The time sessions will be from 10am-4pm PST with a 30 min lunch break in the middle of the session.
You may register by clicking here. To learn more about analog missions, please see this website.
If you have any questions please contact Ms. Crissel Rodriguez, Director of Real World Learning, at crodriguez@davincischools.org.
Join us for a night of discussion and education on environmental justice in L.A.’s Black communities. The Environmental Justice Community Forum is open to all members of the community who are passionate about creating a more sustainable and equitable future. We will have guest speakers, interactive activities and opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn and make a difference!
