Girls Academic Leadership Academy GALA, Dr. Michelle King School for STEM

Initial Designation: 2026

Girls Academic Leadership Academy GALA, Dr. Michelle King School for STEM Logo

School Details

  • Principal: Dr. Elizabeth Ackerman Hicks
  • District: Los Angeles Unified School District
  • County: Los Angeles
  • Community: Urban

Characteristics

  • Academic Excellence - Exemplars of high-quality work are shared with students
  • Developmental Responsiveness - Curriculum is socially significant and relevant to student interests
  • Organizational Structures and Processes - Adoption of a shared vision for our school's high performance
  • Social Equity - Fluid approach to addressing student needs with short and longer-term intervention support

Description

Girls Academic Leadership Academy Dr. Michelle King School for STEM creates a powerful STEM focused environment where excellence, leadership, wellness, and honor shape daily life. As a public all girls STEM school, GALA gives students a seven period program with advisory at the center of support, continuity, and connection. Sixth graders begin with an elective wheel that includes Mythology, Art of Storytelling, Aerospace, and Intro to Computer Science, while older students explore robotics, broadcast, game design, musical theatre, graphic arts, and yearbook. A seven year advisory program supports students from middle school into high school, and traditions such as science camp, orientation, Goddess Games, and student clubs strengthen belonging. Repeated College Board Diversity in Computer Science Award recognition reflects a campus where girls are encouraged to lead with confidence and purpose. GALA feels inspiring, focused, and warmly empowering.
Girls Academic Leadership Academy GALA, Dr. Michelle King School for STEM Photo

Location