Our Story & Impact
Who We Are
Two Rivers was founded in 2004 by more than three dozen parents from the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. Today, we proudly serve a diverse community of more than 1,000 students and their families.
Our mission: To nurture a diverse group of students to become lifelong, active participants in their own education, develop a sense of self and community, and become responsible and compassionate members of society.
Our goal: When students graduate from Two Rivers, they will have the cognitive and social skills to succeed in high school and college so that they are positioned to have rich and varied options for their future.
Our Core Values: Our culture is anchored in five Core Values that show up everyday in our community and guide our decision-making.
Our Student Impact
Character Development
Students reflect on and evaluate themselves on 5 scholarly habits:
- I am independent and resilient
- I can connect and collaborate
- I know myself
- I act with integrity
- I show compassion and embrace diversity
In fourth through eighth grades, students present their learning at their student-led-conferences twice a year. During these conferences, each student shares both the work they’ve done and who they are as learners with the adults in their lives that can help them reach their goals.
High-Quality Student Work
Throughout the course of their tenure at Two Rivers, students will have completed 22 real-world expeditions by the time they graduate. See some examples of exemplary student work from across Two Rivers Schools.
In 2021, 7th graders were recognized in the Congressional Record for their collection of racial justice poems, “The Power of Student Voices in Poetry”.
Mastery of Knowledge and Skills
Two Rivers achieved DC Public Charter School Board’s highest rating 9 years in a row.
Our Staff Impact
The mental health team facilitated professional learning sessions for staff. Professional learning topics included: Self-Care for Educators, Social-Emotional Learning Action, Mental Health Management 101, Fidelity and How to Assess Progress, Teacher Responses to Behaviors of Students with Diverse Needs, and Using Crew to Promote Social-Emotional Learning.
Two Rivers named among top 100 education innovators by the Finland-based organization, HundrED.
Two Rivers Staff share expertise at EL National Conference.
We earned a Great Place to Work certification in May 2020 and May 2021.
Our Community Impact
Two Rivers has high demand and high re-enrollment: more than 85 percent of students re-enroll annually and we receive more than 2,000 applications each year.
TRConnect is our high school placement and 9th grade support program, helping to match 8th graders with some of the best high schools in DC.
Two Rivers Public Charter School
Our History
2003-2004
TWO RIVERS AWARDED ITS CHARTER AND FIRST OPENS ITS DOORS
Two Rivers awarded its first charter as the second EL Education school in Washington, DC. The school opened with 150 preschool-third graders in 2004 and was originally housed in a wing of Eliot-Hine Junior High School in Ward 6.
January 2007
RELOCATION TO 1227 4TH STREET NE
Two Rivers moved from its co-location at Eliot-Hine to its permanent location at 1227 4th Street NE.
AUGUST 1, 2009
MIDDLE SCHOOL OPENS AT 1234 4TH STREET NE
Our middle school students moved into their own building, located right across the street from the elementary school at 1234 4th Street NE. In June of the 2008-09 school year, Two Rivers also graduates its first class of 8th graders.
NOVEMBER 2014
TWO RIVERS BECOMES A CREDENTIALED EL EDUCATION SCHOOL
The EL Education Credential recognizes schools that have attained remarkable achievement impacts with all students in mastery of skills and knowledge, character, and high-quality work.
AUGUST 18, 2015
YOUNG CAMPUS RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY AND SPEECH BY MAYOR BOWSER
Two Rivers opened a new preschool and elementary school at the historic Charles E. Young building for the 2015-16 academic year with an enrollment of approximately 170 students – making Two Rivers the first EL Education school in the nation to replicate.
DECEMBER 2015
TWO RIVERS LAUNCHES ONLINE PLATFORM SHARING INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH
We launched Learn with Two Rivers, a platform to expose other educators to Two Rivers’ freshest thinking on deeper learning outcomes and instructional practices.
MARCH 24, 2016
TWO RIVERS NAMED EL EDUCATION MENTOR SCHOOL
Being named an EL Education Mentor School is an honor given to high-performing EL Education schools that have not only reached the organization’s high standards for quality, but also have demonstrated a readiness and willingness to share their expertise with new network schools.
January 28, 2018
TWO RIVERS EARNED 15-YEAR CHARTER RENEWAL
The DC Public Charter School Board unanimously voted for the charter renewal without conditions, an indication of the school’s many successes.
August 1, 2020
TWO RIVERS LAUNCHES THE TWO RIVERS LEARNING INSTITUTE
Two Rivers launched the Two Rivers Learning Institute, the professional development arm of Two Rivers Public Charter School, which supports implementation of Two Rivers’ best practices and works with local, national, and international educators to implement similar models.
October 2020
TWO RIVERS RENEWS CREDENTIAL WITH EL EDUCATION
4th Street Elementary School and the middle school were recredentialed by EL Education for an additional five years! Check out the portfolio of our work here.
2022
EL MENTOR SCHOOL DISTINCTION
Two Rivers was named an EL Mentor School, an exemplary EL Education school that not only reached EL Education’s high standards for quality, but also demonstrated a readiness and willingness to share its expertise with the newest schools in EL Education’s network.
2023
BELICIA REAVES APPOINTED AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Following a nationwide search, Two Rivers announced the appointment of Executive Director Belicia Reaves to follow Dr. Kristina Kyles-Smith.
2024
20th ANNIVERSARY
Two Rivers celebrates 20 years as a public charter school.
2025
ACCREDITATION RENEWED WITH THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF LIBERAL EDUCATION (AALE)
Two Rivers received another five-year accreditation from AALE. This accreditation is part of the conditions of the charter and the DC Public Charter School Board.
