College. Career. Life.
Equipping every student to lead a fulfilled life.
We Believe
that every child is capable of college and career success. Summit Public Schools is a leading network of public schools that prepares a diverse student population for success in a four-year college and to be thoughtful, contributing members of society.
We founded our inaugural school, Summit Prep, in 2003. Today, we are proud to operate some of the best public schools in the country, serving diverse communities throughout California and Washington states.
Our Schools
Our Results
of all graduates are 4-year college ready
of graduates are accepted to 4-year college
Summit alumni complete college at nearly twice the national average
1:1
Mentoring
Mentoring helps students develop the trust and confidence that allows them to take risks, ask for help, and persevere. Students meet one-on-one with a dedicated mentor who knows them deeply and supports them in setting — and achieving — their goals, all the way through college acceptance. Students also join a mentor group, which provides a safe and close-knit setting for building community and developing Habits of Success.
Real-World Projects
Students apply their acquired knowledge, skills, and habits to exercises that broaden and deepen their passions and prepare them for what they’ll encounter after graduation. Students participate in hands-on projects in class and eight weeks of expeditionary learning each year. Experiential learning exposes students to new career and volunteer pathways, while nurturing their sense of purpose.
Self-direction
With teacher support, students are guided through a Self-Directed Learning Cycle to develop a skill set that will help them well beyond their years in school. Students learn how to set goals, make plans, demonstrate their skills and knowledge, and reflect on their progress.
A Parent
Summit Denali
“I am continually thankful and so happy that my kid, who used to always dread school now LOVES his school and his teachers. He came home yesterday and said, “I had the best day!” The whole staff is amazing, and we are so thankful to have found Summit!”
Laura Ochoa
Summit Tahoma Teacher
“I love Summit. I love it because it is such a community. It is small. I know my students and they know me.”
A 12th Grader
Summit Tahoma
“I never saw myself applying to more than one school, and I never saw myself being accepted to more than one school. Summit encourages you and gives you the opportunity to grow.”
Payal Patel
Parent of Summit Tamalpais
“I like being able to work collaboratively with my son’s mentor… to know that there’s somebody outside of his family that is there for him makes me confident that [Summit] is the best place for him to be.”
Ernie Batrez
Summit Tahoma Teacher
“[At Summit], they embrace all of our views and I feel part of a team — a whole team. I’m not just assigned an area or a person. I feel valued. As a whole community, we have a school and staff that are very mission oriented and motivated.”
A 11th Grader
Summit Tahoma
“Even though I will be the first in my family to go to college, I am confident that I will succeed because of all that I learned at Summit, and through everything my teachers at Summit did to prepare me for this next step.”
Summit Blog
Summit Everest Senior Honored with Sequoia Award for Exceptional Community Service
Daniel Torres Aguilar The importance of giving back to the community was instilled in Summit Everest senior Daniel Torres Aguilar, recipient of the 2022 Sequoia Award, by his immigrant parents at a young age. “My dream is to make the world safer and help others,” says Daniel. As captain of the youth cadet program for…
Summit Olympus Celebrates Act Six Scholarship Recipient
Kokneeka Houston Summit Olympus is thrilled to celebrate senior Kokneeka Houston, recipient of the Act Six Scholarship. Tacoma-Seattle’s only full-tuition, full-need scholarship, Act Six brings together diverse, multicultural cadres of young people who want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities. Next year, Kokneeka will attend Whitworth…
Student voices: Atlas Ninth Grader Nominates Teacher for the Association of Washington Student Leaders’ Spotlight Award
Sofia Mitalas, (l) and her teacher, Kristen Smith Summit Atlas freshman, Sofia Mitalas, wanted to do something to recognize the impact her teachers have had on her. She was particularly inspired by her Algebra teacher, Kristen Smith’s dedication and commitment to her students. Ms. Smith is also an advisor for the Atlas Action Alliance, a…
Voices of Summit Atlas: Founding Senior Ashly Lopez Escober
Ashly Lopez Escober moved to the United States from Honduras just six years ago. Becoming a founding student at a high school and creating a culture of collaboration for future students wasn’t part of her plan. As she prepares to study biochemistry at the University of Washington, that’s exactly what she’s accomplished. With a fierce…
Teach With Us
We put students in the driver’s seat, empowering students with the skills and habits they need to be successful in college and life. In order to achieve our mission, we need a diverse, driven, and dynamic group of teachers and leaders.
Learn More About Teaching at SummitSummit Learning Program
We are pleased to share that the Summit Learning Program has moved to a new home. A new nonprofit organization, called Gradient Learning, now independently leads and operates the Summit Learning Program.
