A student named Isaac said he used to keep to himself. Then he signed up for a podcasting class at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS in Ward 5, and something shifted.
"Intersession is how I actually came to meet people. I've bonded with a few of my classmates and we've learned about each other through the experience," Isaac said in a DC Public Charter School Board video published Aug. 10. "This is my first time podcasting and now I talk to people more often."
The segment is the second episode of the charter board's "Why a Charter" spotlight series, which profiles programs across the city's charter schools. It landed two weeks before the new school year begins for most D.C. public school students.
How Intersession works
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS, located at 200 Douglas St. NE, has run weeklong Intersession blocks before winter and spring breaks, according to a 2019 profile in The 74. The charter board's 2026 video confirms the program remains active. Every adult in the building picks a topic and leads a small, mixed-grade group for four days. Students choose the session that interests them most. Past offerings have included martial arts, photography, creative writing, cooking and improv.
This year, podcasting made the list.
The school enrolls about 520 students in grades PK-3 through 8, draws families from all eight wards and holds a Tier 1 performance ranking from the charter board. Its charter was renewed at the board's June 26 meeting. Executive Director Sundai Riggins and Principal Muronji Inman-McCraw lead the school.
Charter enrollment in context
D.C.'s charter sector now serves 47,801 students, or 48.2% of all public school students in the District, according to the DC PCSB's 2026 annual report. The sector is marking its 30th anniversary this year.
In a July 29 statement marking that milestone, Executive Director Michelle Walker-Davis said the charter board "was created at the very beginning of this movement, rooted in a belief that public education in our city could look different, work differently, and better serve students if schools had the freedom to innovate and the responsibility to deliver."
The charter board said innovation like the podcasting class is happening at D.C. public charter schools every day.
Back-to-school dates
Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS opens its doors for the 2026-27 school year on Thursday, Aug. 20. Fifth-grade orientation is Tuesday, Aug. 18, with middle school orientation for new fifth- through eighth-graders and Meet Your Teacher Day both scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19. DCPS students in kindergarten through 12th grade start Monday, Aug. 24.
Charter schools set their own academic calendars. Families interested in having a school featured in the "Why a Charter" series can contact the charter board at [email protected].
