“A Promise Delivered” 

Leckie Education Campus celebrates new addition 

(Washington, DC) — “This building is very special to me,” said eighth grader Damari Mitchell, sitting at a desk inside Leckie Education Campus’ brand-new science lab. “I’ve been in this school almost my whole life.”  

For the Leckie community, the spring semester brought a massive update, with substantial renovations and a two-story addition now complete at the Ward 8 campus. The 18,000 square-foot addition includes a science lab with prep room, six classrooms, teacher collaboration space, as well as a dining room with a food service area.  

What made the school’s new chapter extra special — from the beginning, students and staff had a hand in the design.  

“Leckie specializes in including students. We were able to customize what we wanted the building to be,” the Damari explained. “It definitely makes you feel included, and like you helped make this building.”

Left to right: Kaiden Scott, Damari Mitchell, Asia Cook. 

During the planning, design, and construction phases, Leckie students and faculty were able to consult with the architecture group behind the modernization. The collaboration allowed this renovation to truly feel like a community project.  

Fellow eighth grader Asia Cook explained how, as student government members, she and Damari had the opportunity to go on an early tour of the building. “We were able to let our fellow classmates know how to treat the space,” she said, adding that design crews offered questionnaires to students regarding finishing touches. “When the building was in its first concepts, we were able to answer surveys put up around the school with questions like ‘How do you want the legs of the table to be?’, or ‘What color do you want the chairs to be?’.” 

For seventh grader Kaiden Scott, being involved during the early stages made the renovations exciting and accessible to students. “We got to see the blueprints of the building, how the scale will factor into the build, how big the walls were going to be,” he said. “That was a really cool part.” 

(Photo courtesy of the Department of General Services) 

In addition to the interior work, Leckie also now features three new playgrounds for students ages 2-5 and 5-12, a new basketball court and asphalt surface play area, and a new parking lot. 

“I find the [new] building more spacious, and I’m able to focus better,” said Asia. “And we don’t have to worry about accidentally bumping into a fourth grader,” she said with a smile.  

Among the addition’s spaces, the new science lab is already quite popular. “This feels like a real science lab,” Kaiden explained. “When I look at videos of high schools, this looks like those real science labs. I hope we get to do experiments in the future; it motivates me to want to learn more.” 

The lab speaks to DC Public Schools’ (DCPS) continued efforts to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) spaces for students across all eight wards. “DCPS is serious about STEM, and I am proud to celebrate the new addition at Leckie Education Campus, which will provide a dedicated science room and inspire thousands of students for years to come,” said DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. “These state-of-the-art learning facilities are going to help prepare the Leckie Lions to succeed.” 

For Principal Niyeka Wilson, midway through her 10th year at Leckie, it has been uplifting to see how the renovation has inspired her students. “The modernization really has allowed us to have more space to collaborate,” she said. “It’s nice to have a space that reflects the hard work of our students and teachers here at our campus.” 

As a principal, nothing has made her prouder than knowing her students feel reflected in their school and community, as they’ve told her since the new halls opened in January. “They felt valued, they felt seen. My heart is very full.” 

Principal Wilson is looking forward to what the coming months — and years — will bring to a new version of Leckie. “Excitement is an understatement,” she said. “This modernization, to me, feels like…a promise delivered.”