Samueli Academy

Our mission at Samueli Academy is to ignite the passion within all students to reach their greatest potential through a nurturing and innovative learning environment.

The Samueli Academy, home of the Firewolves, was created by the Board of Directors of the Orangewood Foundation, a provider of innovative services for young people who face challenges across Orange County, in response to the low high school graduation rates among area youth from underserved communities, especially youth in foster care. In 2011, Orangewood decided to build and open its own tuition-free public charter school, believing education is the best way to help foster and low-income youth escape poverty.

The Orangewood Foundation, together with visionary philanthropists Susan Samueli and Sandi Jackson, set to work designing an innovative and unique educational experience with the goal of increasing high school graduation and college attendance rates for all students, especially youth in the foster care system. As mothers and grandmothers, Susan and Sandi understood the kind of care, attention, and education students need to succeed in life. With their support and insight, Samueli Academy came to life as an innovative, student-centered choice for education in Orange County which includes on-campus dorms for foster youth.

Samueli Academy welcomed its first class of 120 freshmen in August 2013. Today, over 800 students in grades 7-12 attend daily, and more than 1,000 alumni continue to receive support from the school. Along the way, a number of best practices were incorporated into Samueli Academy, including: a learning environment that maximizes individual student attention; staff who care about the “whole” student; work- and project-based learning; college readiness; state-of-the-art technology for all students; exciting and fulfilling after-school programs; increased social-emotional support; and an alumni success program.
Since its inception, 99% of Samueli Academy’s students have graduated, 92% attend college, and 85% persist through college, more than twice the national average for this student demographic. Samueli Academy is recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as being within the “top 5% of public schools in the nation.”
 

Samueli Academy empowers a diverse, under-resourced community of students through a personalized, innovative education model that integrates academic rigor, social-emotional support, and real-world learning, resulting in exceptional outcomes, including a 99% graduation rate and college persistence rates more than double the national average.

A student’s zip code remains one of the strongest predictors of their educational and life outcomes in the United States. The majority of students served by Samueli Academy live in low-income communities where systemic inequities limit access to high-quality education and future opportunity. Teens in poverty are 25% less likely to graduate from high school, and while many students in these communities do graduate, they enroll in and complete college at significantly lower rates than their peers.

These challenges are even more pronounced for foster youth, who face profound instability and trauma. In California, only about half of foster youth graduate high school, just 20% enroll in college, and as few as 2% ultimately earn a degree. Chronic absenteeism, lack of academic preparation, and limited access to consistent support systems further hinder their long-term success.

At the same time, students in low-income communities often lack access to the academic and career pathways that lead to economic mobility. Schools in these areas frequently have fewer resources, limited access to advanced coursework, and fewer opportunities in STEM and career technical education. This contributes to persistent inequities in workforce participation, with Black and Hispanic individuals significantly underrepresented in STEM careers. Meanwhile, both STEM fields and skilled trades face growing labor shortages, yet many students are never exposed to these viable and lucrative career pathways.
Beyond academics, students need access to comprehensive supports that foster personal growth and resilience. Research shows that after-school programs, arts education, athletics, and peer support systems improve academic outcomes, build confidence, and reduce risky behaviors. However, students in underserved communities are significantly less likely to have access to these opportunities.

These challenges have been further intensified by the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated learning loss, decreased academic motivation, and significantly affected students’ social-emotional well-being. Today, many students—particularly those who have experienced poverty, trauma, or foster care—require additional support to re-engage academically and thrive.

Together, these factors highlight a critical need for innovative, student-centered educational models that not only address academic gaps but also provide comprehensive social-emotional support, real-world learning opportunities, and clear pathways to college and career success.