DeKalb Brilliance Academy
Free public charter school in Decatur, Georgia, serving K-8 with rigorous academics, social-emotional learning and semester-long real-world projects.
DeKalb Brilliance Academy is a free, public charter school in Decatur, Georgia, serving students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Founded in 2022 and designed with input from nearly 1,000 South DeKalb community members, the school aims to prepare pupils to thrive in high school and college, pursue fulfilling careers and become community leaders. Its programme combines rigorous academics with social-emotional learning.
The school's signature approach is real-world project-based learning. Students work on hands-on, semester-long projects alongside teachers, peers and outside professionals such as scientists, lawyers, engineers and designers. One example is a third-grade project in which pupils develop restaurant business plans rooted in their family's culinary heritage, learning budgeting, menu creation and financing options.
Results to date have been strong. Students outperform nearby schools by 15 percentage points in reading and maths proficiency. In its first year, the school ranked 4th for reading growth and 3rd for maths growth among 80 innovative schools nationwide. Surveys show 98% of families and 95% of students would recommend the school.
DeKalb Brilliance Academy operates in Decatur and the wider South DeKalb County area of Georgia, United States, within the K-12 public charter school sector.