Duke Ellington School of the Arts

Performing ArtsDistrict of Columbia, United States51-200 Employees

Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DESA), a public high school in the District of Columbia, was founded in 1974 by trailblazing African-American artists and activists Peggy Cooper-Cafritz and Mike Malone. Their vision was to provide equitable access to a life-changing arts education for the District's talented youth, regardless of background or ability to pay.

To this day, DESA is the only public high school in DC to offer a dual curriculum integrating college-preparatory academics with pre-professional arts training in Dance, Instrumental Music, Cinematic Arts & Media Production, Museum Studies, Technical Design & Production, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Vocal Music.

The school has no academic entrance requirements yet graduates 99% of students, with almost all attending 4-year colleges. The school is ranked among the highest in the city, and is proud of all of its amazing alumni.

Nearly 50 years later, Ellington continues to nurture the next generation of scholar-artists and changemakers.

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