Imagine Schools is a national family of public charter schools that empowers educators in partnership with parents to prepare students for lives of leadership, accomplishment, and character.
Imagine operates 73 public charter schools in 12 states and the District of Columbia. We serve over 40,000 students nationwide by providing them with a challenging, effective program of academic study and strong moral development in a safe, nurturing environment. All Imagine schools are tuition-free public schools of choice.
Our mission is to help parents and guardians educate their children by creating learning communities of achievement and hope. With Imagine, there is no standardized student. Our educators and staff focus on individualized learning to meet the needs of each student.
Our mission is to help parents and guardians educate their children by creating learning communities of achievement and hope. We create and operate public charter schools with the goal of restoring vision and purpose to schools and returning parents and guardians to full participation in the education of their children. We devote ourselves to creating joy-filled schools in which all are valued, all are responsible for their actions, and all are working toward the common goal of student success.
Imagine Schools was founded in 2004 by Dennis and Eileen Bakke. The Bakkes are passionate about making a difference in education by implementing a unique operational structure that creates a dynamic learning environment, putting teachers and school leaders squarely in charge of the decisions affecting the schools they serve. All our people take responsibility for the success of their students and their school community.
Dennis Bakke, co-founder and CEO Emeritus of the AES Corporation, a global power company, brings to Imagine Schools a distinguished business background, including a pioneering approach to creating a decentralized, highly effective organization. Eileen’s passion is mentoring teachers and creating a school culture that engages students in meaningful and effective learning.
In August 2005, Imagine Schools created a new nonprofit entity – Imagine Schools Non-Profit, Inc. – and initiated a process to replace the business entity Imagine Schools, Inc. with the new nonprofit as the operator of public charter schools nationwide.
“Imagine Schools will operate as a nonprofit organization to expand our mission to provide as many students as possible with a challenging, effective program of study and strong moral development in the safe, nurturing learning environment of public charter schools,” says co-founder and CEO, Dennis Bakke.
Dennis and Eileen Bakke are providing the new nonprofit tax-exempt entity with the capital to ensure its ability to operate Imagine’s existing schools and sufficient resources to develop and operate additional public charter schools in the future.
We welcome you to learn more and to contact us with your questions. We know that choosing the right school for your student is a big decision. We look forward to serving and partnering with you!
Choose Imagine and join us on this great journey of Growing Minds and Guiding Hearts
For more information about Imagine Schools across the nation click here, and in Arizona click here.