School Without Walls

Located in Washington, DC in Foggy Bottom on George Washington University's Campus.

Humanities, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, Music, Art, PE/Health

We are a humanities based college-prepatory school.

After school tutoring, Student Support Team

Wireless throughout building. Rolling netbook carts and promethean boards in all classrooms.

Ski Team, Softball Team, Debate Team, Mock Trial Team

Academic Enrichment:
20 Advanced Placement Courses
National Honor Society
Student Government Association
GWU Student Mentors/Tutors
International Exchange Programs
Robotics Club
Model UN
Debate Team
It's Academic
Ocean Science Quiz Bowl

Wellness and Fitness:
15 Varsity Sports Teams
Crew
Ultimate Frisbee
Cheerleading
Contemporary and Hip-hop Dance Teams
Cycling Club
Gay Straight Alliance
Community Service Club
Men of Strength Club
Sister Action Sister Strength

Arts and Culture:
Concert and Show Choirs
Orchestra, Jazz, and Stage Bands
Drama Club
Japanese Culture Club
Global Issues Network
Green Team
Creative Expressions
Current Events Club
Video Production
Street Law - Mock Trial

Public Parking

 Students must apply and be accepted for admission. Students must have a 3.0 GPA and be proficient or advanced in both math and reading on DC-CAS standardized testing. Students must also pass an admissions test and interview before they are accpeted into the school. 

School Without Walls will provide every student with a rigorous, college preparatory, Humanities program that incorporate global and local resources in an experiential and interdisciplinary methodology to teaching and learning.

To make School Without Walls a learning community to serve as an exemplary model of teaching and learning.

In 1971, School Without Walls Senior High School (SWW) was established to offer an alternative to conventional instructional programs, in which students could develop “methods of learning outside the traditional classroom.” Modeled after the successful Parkway Program in the School District of Philadelphia, SWW was created to provide a small school environment for students who had difficulty adjusting to the large traditional public high school.

The School Without Walls started with just fifty students, six teachers, and one administrator. Today the staff includes three administrators, 54 faculty and support staff positions. The student body consists of approximately 470 students.

In 1988, SWW adopted a Humanities program that provides an interdisciplinary core curriculum. The humanities approach launches students on a quest to find personal meaning from their studies; it provides the framework for academic rigor by requiring the study of primary sources and their contexts, and by exploring the interrelationships of ideas, events and persons across academic discipline.

While the school has changed somewhat from its original mission, it has maintained its core vision to remain an exemplary model of academic excellence in the District of Columbia Public School System.

The history of utilizing community and international resources to enrich and excel beyond textbook learning has remained a tradition at SWW. The instructional program encourages and emphasizes teaching approaches in which learning activities are carried on throughout the community and internationally.

The District of Columbia Public Schools describes the SWW as “…a demanding alternative college preparatory program that seeks to foster independence and creativity.”

The academic program includes Humanities, Science, Math, Social Studies, Advanced Placement and elective courses. Additionally, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to enroll in college level courses at The George Washington University and other local universities.

School Without Walls (SWW) is a public magnet high school accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.  SWW is a top performing school, ranked among the best 100 public high schools nationally, and was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School in 2010.  Students must apply and be accepted for admission. In order to graduate, all students must complete a minimum of 100 hours of community service, an internship, and a senior project that entails a hands-on research project incorporating an oral presentation and the creation of a tangible product. SWW is located on the George Washington University (GWU) campus, and through a partnership between the schools, SWW students can apply to take courses at GWU for free.  SWW provides a quality student-centered environment that maximizes integrative, interactive, experiential learning within the framework of a humanities approach.  This program is achieved by using the city and the world as a classroom. The school is a model of collaboration among students, staff, families, business partners, and the community.