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Entering three grades below grade level in a region where only thirty-three percent of high school students graduate, it is almost a miracle that 100% of the SEED School’s Washington, D.C. senior class graduated this year.

The public school system in areas like D.C. continues to receive an immense amount of cutbacks for their programs. For young people who have found themselves abandoned by their parents or with peer pressure to give into the allure of criminal activities, education is not the most enticing route. SEED Schools, founded by 1998 Echoing Green Fellows Rajiv Vinnakota and Eric Adler, re-imagined the public school model and created a curriculum that uplifts students in underserved communities.

The SEED School of Washington, D.C.’s Class of 2010 is SEED’s largest graduating class to date. Students attend the boarding school Monday through Friday, where they take part in a college preparatory curriculum that was previously unknown to urban public schools. Attendees obtain this high-quality education for free, and subsequently the school has reached capacity serving 320 sixth- through twelfth-grade students in Southeast Washington, D.C.

It is truly remarkable to see so many young people thrive despite being faced with such obstacles. If you’re looking for a dose of inspiration, check out the 2010 graduating class of the SEED School of Washington, D.C. on NBC’s Today Show. You can also join the school's Facebook page where you can stay up to date with all the great things SEED and their students are up to.