Who We Are

Known for her unwavering dedication and love for children, Cassandra spent four decades educating and advocating for underprivileged students. Starting her career in education as a preschool teacher, she too often came face-to-face with the grim reality that children did not always receive the services they needed in order to succeed. In 2003, she partnered with Dr. Joe Smith to start Eagle Academy, the first early-childhood public charter school in DC, with the goal of providing early interventions to give children a better chance at success. Cassandra’s legacy will live on through the school she left behind. Her passion for providing high-quality programs to low-income students is reflected in Eagle Academy, and it is our hope to continue her life’s work for years to come. Through the creation of the Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation, we will expand on Cassandra’s vision to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed. With a focus on “exposure,” we intend to introduce our students to the possibilities of their futures. In 2023, the documentary Destiny Concealed: The Eagle Academy Public Charter School story was completed to tell the story of her impact and passion for education. 

Our Mission

Our mission is to help expand the horizons of Eagle students by giving them access to opportunities normally outside of their reach.

Our Community

Eagle Academy children come from underprivileged backgrounds, often experiencing extreme poverty, high crime, and limited access to high-quality education. The Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation was created to help change that. The structural challenges facing these students are real, but Eagle Academy and the Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation believes that through effective program design, with proper comprehensive services in place, there is no reason these students cannot achieve at high academic and socioemotional levels.

How We Help

The Cassandra S. Pinkney Foundation exists to support Eagle Academy and make possible its commitment to providing a high-quality education to every child. We do this by investing in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math through the Arts), technology integration, and SPED (special education); supporting efforts to care for the “whole child”; giving back to the community; and exposing Eagle Academy students to the possibilities of their future.

For more information, please visit https://www.pinkneyfoundation.org/