Wolfe Street Academy (WSA) has been a neighborhood conversion public charter school with the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) since 2007. BCP has been working with WSA since 1998 on the Direct Instruction curriculum, the research-based curriculum used by all BCP schools to customize each child’s reading plan and success.
WSA has been and still is a leader in the Community School initiative in Baltimore. WSA is recognized among the most highly acclaimed school innovators in Maryland and nationally. The school serves the Upper Fells Point neighborhood with high-quality academic programming and family-centered resources and wraparound services.
School Leadership
Education is the fundamental grass-roots revolution with the power to change the world. Wolfe Street Academy strives tirelessly to better serve every student so that they can lead happy, productive, and meaningful lives.
Wolfe Street Academy Distinctions
We are a safe, supportive, nurturing, and joyful environment where every child is known and loved. Relationships are at the heart of WSA. We’re proud to be small but mighty – and the only Prek-5th grade elementary school in Southeast Baltimore.
- 250 students, PreK through 5th grade
- ESOL for all grades
- Gifted and Advanced Learning Programs
- Elementary-only focus and expertise in how younger learners learn best
- Vibrant, diverse community serving the neighborhood
- Champion of the community school movement in Baltimore since 2006
- Recognized nationally and in Maryland as an innovative, exemplary community school
- 1st charter school in Baltimore City to receive the newly established eight-year charter contract in 2019
- Two full-time instructional coaches for teacher and classroom support
- Comprehensive, schoolwide focus on mental health for students and families with on-site therapist and services provided by Johns Hopkins Bayview
- Free after school program for all students
- Variety of elective clubs: string instruments, chess, baseball, soccer, disc golf, girls running club.
- Weekly physical education, fine arts, and technology enrichment classes for every child.
- Daily Morning Meeting for all members of the community, including students, staff, parents, and family members in Spanish and English
- Recruitment of diverse, dedicated, and talented faculty and staff
As one of six BCP schools in Baltimore City, Wolfe Street Academy students receive:
- Customized learning for each student through BCP’s research-based, individualized Direct Instruction program and Core Knowledge curriculum
- Restorative Practices for cultivating relationship-building and problem-solving skills
- High-quality professional development for teachers and staff
- Stability of leadership and multiple-year charter school renewal
Robust Enrichment and Afterschool Programs
Wolfe Street prides itself in offering students a variety of enriching and exciting afterschool and summer programs. Our program is funded, in part, by the Family League of Baltimore City and The Weinberg Foundation with The Baltimore Curriculum Project providing management of the grants.
AfterSchool Program
- Includes academic instruction and enrichment classes in writing, music, STEM, arts, health
- Free, K-5th, M-Th with snack and supper daily
Clubs include
- Chess Club with a 2023 championship season
- String Instrument – violin, viola, and cello
- Coed Soccer, Tennis, Disc Golf and Baseball Clubs
- Girls Running with Girls on the Run
Wolfe Street’s Community Partners
Wolfe Street works with numerous community organizations to provide resources, partnerships, and services to its students, families, and the larger community in Upper Fells Point. These programs and services are coordinated by Elev8 Baltimore, the Community School lead agency with WSA. Elev8 Baltimore works closely with WSA to ensure that every program and outreach is meeting the needs of the community.
Services and partnerships include:
Upper Fells Point Improvement Association: Neighbors supporting the school and families that live and work among them
Boardroom Chess: City-wide student chess league
Baltimore Family Alliance: Provides gifts to students for the holidays
Baltimore Hunger ProjectSOURCE Johns Hopkins Tutors: Volunteer Student Organization at Hopkins Medical
Patterson Park Audubon Society
Planned Parenthood of Maryland
Baltimore New American Access Coalition: Provides support to new immigrants seeking family benefits
Junior League Biztow: Financial Literacy
Raising a Reader: Early Childhood Family Literacy
