WJA is a tuition-free, independent school, founded on Jesuit education principles, that empowers young men from Washington, DC’s under-served communities with the top-rate educational opportunities and access that they deserve, offering them a safe, rigorous academic setting and advancing their spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical growth. These young men spend 11 hours a day, 11 months a year in our comprehensive program, which includes an academically rigorous curriculum, enrichment and athletic activities, three daily nutritious meals, emotional support from two social workers, and extensive support for 338 alumni that extends far past graduation as we follow them through high school, college, and beyond. WJA is committed to ensuring that our students have the same access and opportunities as their more affluent, privileged peers. Our diverse, high-caliber faculty and staff are effective in both educating our students and connecting to them as individuals, teenagers, and young men of color. With small classes, mental health programs (counseling, family support, etc.), and a relationship focused approach, our students cannot fall through the cracks. Our young men, powerful in their potential, thrive because of this multidimensional approach.
