# Envision Schools

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**Envision Education** is a Bay Area network of charter schools, founded in June 2002 by Daniel McLaughlin and Bob Lenz,[2] that currently runs five [public middle and high **Envision Schools**](/source/Public_high_school) in the [San Francisco Bay Area](/source/San_Francisco_Bay_Area).[3]

Envision also operates **Envision Learning Partners**, a coaching and training division working with schools across the country to adapt and adopt the Portfolio Defense model. ELP works with more than 1,000 educators in 30+ school networks and reaching more than 200,000 students.

## Investment

The [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation](/source/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation) helped launch the school network with a $3 million investment in 2003 to form an initial group of five charter schools.[4] In 2006, the foundation invested another $6.9 million aimed at helping the program duplicate its arts and technology programs.

## Schools

### Current

- [City Arts & Leadership Academy](/source/City_Arts_%26_Leadership_Academy) in [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco), opened in 2004 with an inaugural class of 100 freshmen.[5] The school now has students in all four high school grades starting with the 2007-08 school year. CAT graduated its first class of seniors in 2008.
- [Envision Academy of Arts & Technology](/source/Envision_Academy_of_Arts_%26_Technology) in [Oakland, California](/source/Oakland,_California), opened in 2003[6]. In the 2024-25 school year, it served about 200 students in grades 6-12.[7]
- [Impact Academy of Arts & Technology](/source/Impact_Academy_of_Arts_%26_Technology) in [Hayward, California](/source/Hayward,_California), opened for 2007-08 with 125 students in grade 9.[8] Today, it serves over 700 students in grades 6-12.

### Combined with other Envision Schools

- [Marin School of Arts and Technology](/source/Marin_School_of_Arts_and_Technology) (MSAT), [Novato, California](/source/Novato,_California)
- [Metropolitan Arts and Technology Highschool](/source/Metropolitan_Arts_and_Technology_Highschool), [San Francisco, California](/source/San_Francisco,_California)

## References

1. Connie Matthiessen (July 17, 2014). ["Charter School Integrates ‘Deeper Learning’"](https://edsource.org/2014/charter-school-integrates-deeper-learning/65448). EdSource. Retrieved March 29, 2018.

1. ["Rebooting the American High School With Neuroscience and Purpose Learning"](https://ssir.org/webinars/entry/rebooting_the_american_high_school_with_neuroscience_and_purpose_learning). Sanford Social Innovation Review. Retrieved March 29, 2018.

1. Lenz, Bob. ["A Model for Charter Schools: The Marin School of Arts and Technology"](https://www.edutopia.org/incredible-journey), The George Lucas Educational Foundation. Accessed December 15, 2007.

1. ["New Investment in Envision’s Network of Charter High Schools Boosts Efforts to Expand"](http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/Schools/Announcements/Announce-051129.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20071010062816/http://www.gatesfoundation.org/UnitedStates/Education/TransformingHighSchools/Schools/Announcements/Announce-051129.htm) 2007-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, [Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation](/source/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation) press release dated November 29, 2005.

1. Knight, Heather. ["Mayor's visit energizes Ingleside charter school's inaugural class"](https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Mayor-s-visit-energizes-Ingleside-charter-2662029.php), *[San Francisco Chronicle](/source/San_Francisco_Chronicle)*, December 24, 2004. Accessed December 16, 2007.

1. ["About us"](https://www.envisionacademy.org/about-us). *www.envisionacademy.org*. Retrieved 2025-12-20.

1. ["Official Enrollment Based on CDE Data"](https://dashboards.ousd.org/views/Enrollment/Snapshot). 2025.

1. ["Charter schools safer, quieter, report finds"](http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_7690467) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110606132351/http://www.insidebayarea.com/dailyreview/localnews/ci_7690467) June 6, 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Neil Gonzales and Kristofer Noceda, Inside Bay Area, 12 November 2007

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