The Latest
Here you will find up-to-date information about Baltimore Design School. We will regularly post dates of interest, important deadlines and specific details parents and students should be aware of.
Important Links
Important Dates
- Lebow Building Ground Breaking Ceremony — May 7, 11:00am
- Q4 Progress Report Distributed — May 14
- Early Release Day — May 16, 12noon
- Parent Conferences Q4 — May 16, 1-3:00 PM
In The News
Announcements
We’re Looking for Great Teachers for The Baltimore Design School!
This coming fall, faculty positions are available for grades 7 and 8 in:
- English Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
- Science
- Special Education
- Guidance (.5 FTE)
- Art/Design
- Multimedia/Technology
- Foreign Language (Spanish)
Send a letter of interest and resume to: baltimoredesignschool@gmail.com
Our Philosophy
The convergence of art and technology is creating a new world.
Baltimore Design School is a new public middle-high school that will focus on three specific areas of design: Fashion Design, Architecture, and Graphic Design. In the fall of 2011, we will start with grades 6 and 7 so that by 2016 we will be a full 6-12 school.
The Baltimore Design School believes that all students, with good instruction and practice, can learn art and design skills, and achieve high standards in their academic program. We value student interests in drawing, making things, fashion ideas, creative problem-solving, three dimensional ability, planning and building, and communicating visually through graphics. We love students who see problems that need new solutions, who envision possibilities, and imagine a better world.
We believe our graduates will be leading designers and architects of the future who see design as a way of thinking, problem-solving, and living a productive and rewarding life.
As a new school, Baltimore Design School is purchasing as many supplies and textbooks, and as much equipment as our budget will allow. There are some items that we could use for which we’d greatly appreciate any donations of working, good condition items such as those listed below. Our teachers and our students will benefit from your generosity and willingness to help us with particular items that you no longer need or use.
Please use the button below to fill out the form, and as always, we thank you for all of your support for BDS.
“ The Baltimore Design School is a great step forward for the City's young people. We are thrilled to create this new  opportunity for the youth of Baltimore to discover, develop, and hone their talents in these exciting fields. ”
— Sen. Catherine Pugh | Founder, Baltimore Design School
Educational Program
Our educational program combines a rigorous curriculum, high academic standards, and an exceptional design program focused on Fashion Design, Architectural Design, and Basic Graphic Design.
High academic standards ensure students' completion of a Maryland high school diploma to complement their design education. Baltimore Design School students are prepared to apply successfully to institutions of higher learning or entry-level positions in the design fields, as well as compete effectively for admission and merit scholarships to the finest colleges and universities in the country in Fashion Design, Architectural Design and Basic Graphic Design.
Core curriculum courses provide pathways for students to enter Honors, Advanced Placement and Dual-Enrollment courses at the senior high level. The curriculum includes interdisciplinary instruction in selected content areas, academic and arts tutorial programs, workshop settings, field trips, and an Executive Internship Program during the senior year. The school's educational technology and equipment is industry standard.
Middle School Program: Building a Foundation in Art and Design
The middle school program is designed to build skills in three areas: two-dimensional skills including drawing, painting, and 2-D design; three-dimensional skills in constructing, building, and 3-D design; and multi-media technology learning how to use computer programs to create design. Students have the opportunity to apply these skills to projects in fashion design, architecture, and graphic design.
High School Program
Design majors at the high school level has a choice between Fashion Design, Architecture and Graphic Design programs.
Architecture Design
The Architecture Program includes Interior and Landscape Design. Students learn freehand drawing, model building, computer-aided design (CAD), and presentation techniques for juried competitions.
In presentations, students produce small scale conceptual models, plans, elevations, sections, axonometric and perspective drawings. Students will translate hand drawings to computer-aided drawing. Internships with architecture firms complete the process as students work in the professional world.
Fashion Design
The Fashion Design Program includes pattern making, draping, tailoring, textile investigation, fine detailing, makeup, new accessories for functional clothing, high-design and art-to-wear.
Fashion Design students study trends in the industry and are exposed to fashion professionals through workshops and seminars. Internships with fashion houses and designers are provided for industry experience. The culminating project is a runway show with each senior presenting an individual line.
Graphic Design
The Graphic Design Program includes web design and gaming design. Students work on iMac computers to produce graphic solutions to problems including logos, branding packages, posters, billboards, signage, packaging, web launches and gaming initiatives.
Students work in a designer-client atmosphere to develop the ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure. Internships in graphic design studios provide the opportunity to utilize the student skills in the workplace.
Admission Process
We seek students who envision possibilities and imagine a better world.
Admission to the middle school program is by application. If we have more applications than places, a lottery will be used to determine which students are accepted. Admission to the high school program is by portfolio. Middle school students in the school will be developing their portfolio as part of the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade curriculum.
Admissions Instructions 2012
Download Portfolio Requirements
GRADE 6
Applications are ONLY available directly through the Baltimore City Public School Middle School Choice Application process. Please visit http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/choice for details for completing an application. Be sure to list Baltimore Design School #382 as your first choice!
GRADE 7
Applications are available directly through Baltimore Design School ONLY. There will be limited spaces available for 7th grade students for the 2012-13 school year. All applications will be processed in the order that they are received.
Download Grade 7 Application
SUBMISSION: Applications may be completed online, or mailed directly to BDS.
They will be processed in the order that they are received.
ORIGINAL DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO BE RECEIVED: February 21, 2012
GRADE 8
Applications are available directly through Baltimore Design School ONLY. There will be limited spaces available for 8th grade students for the 2012-13 school year. All applications will be processed in the order that they are received.
Download Grade 8 Application
SUBMISSION: Applications may be completed online, or mailed directly to BDS.
They will be processed in the order that they are received.
ORIGINAL DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS TO BE RECEIVED: February 21, 2012
GRADE 9 STATUS
After a great deal of analysis and discussion, the Board of the Baltimore Design School has decided that it will defer adding a ninth grade until the fall of 2013 when the school will move to its new location at the Lebow Building. Thank you for all of your support.
“ New exciting career opportunities in design, fashion, and architecture are opening up every day thanks in part to technology. The Baltimore Design School is putting together all the resources to provide young people with the education to succeed and make a difference in these design professions. ”
— Fred Lazarus IV | President, MICA | Board Member
About Us
A caring community dedicated to everyone's success.
Our Principal
Joseph Freed is principal of the Baltimore Design School (BDS), a new Baltimore City transformation school and the first school in Maryland to focus on Design. A Baltimore native, Mr. Freed joins BDS from the Maryland State Department of Education where he contributed to the design and implementation of professional development for principals statewide. Notably, Mr. Freed served as a member of the founding team at the Carver Center for Arts and Technology. He was later appointed Principal of Carver Center, a position from which he retired in July 2006.
Mr. Freed’s educational philosophy is summed up in the Chinese proverb, “Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”
“ Our goal at Baltimore Design School is to provide students with a challenging education that is centered around design, grounded in high expectations, and focused on their future. ”
— Joseph Freed | Principal, BDS
Winston Middle, Main Office
Our Plan
Here’s what you can expect at the Baltimore Design School:
- A caring community dedicated to everyone’s success
- Great instruction in the visual arts, design and multi-media technology
- Rigorous academic classes into which art and design are integrated
- Four 90 minute classes a day on an extended school day schedule
- Mid-day opportunities for special interest clubs and activities
- Exposure to the wealth of art and design resources in Baltimore
- High school classes with specialized instruction in Fashion Design, Architecture, and Graphic Design taught by professionals from the design community
- Senior internships in design and architecture firms in the greater Baltimore area
- A dedicated Board of Directors, comprised of top industry professionals, offering guidance and experience while keeping the school current with industry standards
Our Campus
We are housed at Winston Middle - 1101 Winston Avenue, in Baltimore for the first two-three years. A specially designed facility — the Lebow building on Oliver and Barclay — will accommodate first-rate studio areas for all our career tracks as well as other facilities.
Board of Directors
Membership includes local education advocates, community representatives, industry professionals, university faculty, and local business owners in the areas of fashion, architecture and basic graphic design.
Download the complete list of Board Members
Winston Middle, Lunch Hall
In The News
$26M Overhaul of Lebow Bros. Building
New Public Middle School Focuses on Design
Drafting the Future of Education
at Baltimore Design School
Frequently Asked Questions
Click here to download a PDF of the F.A.Q.'s
Please click any question below to reveal the answer.
Incoming 6th Grade Students
The application deadline for the lottery choice process was December 21, 2010. Students still interested in attending BDS should contact the Office of Student Placement for details regarding options.
Office of Student Placement
200 E. North Avenue
Room 106
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Phone number: (410) 396-8600
Fax Number: (410) 396-5668
Incoming 7th Grade Students
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! Please email info@baltimoredesignschool.com for an application, download the application as a PDF or fill out the form on this website. Applications are also on file at the Office of Student Placement, and online with Baltimore City Public Schools.
What does my child’s day look like?
The school day begins at 7:45 am with homeroom. Each day there are four class periods of 90 minutes each, 2 before lunch and 2 after. Nearly every day, 2 of the 4 classes are in art and design. An extended lunch hour is planned so that students can join in clubs and special activities during that period. The school day ends at 3:10. To get all subjects into the schedule, an A/B rotating schedule is used.
We're located at Winston Middle School - 1101 Winston Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland. There is great space for art and multi-media and all our classes. We’ll be moving into a wonderful building that is being redesigned just for our school.
How many students can you accept?
We are looking for 75 student in the 6th grade and 75 students in the 7th grade. It is a small school learning environment.
Does the school require a uniform?
No, but the school has a dress code.
Download a PDF of the Code of Coduct book for Baltimore City Public Schools
Do you offer foreign languages?
Yes, but which one(s) are not determined yet.
What transportation is available?
Nearby Bus Lines: 36, 33, 3
Please visit the Office of Student Placement for information regarding the Non-City Tuition Policy.
What is the class size you manage?
Each class has 25 students.
What about the academic program?
If design students are going to be well prepared for college, they will need a rigorous academic program. All middle school students will have Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies.
How much of the regular school day is spent in art classes?
Almost every day, two of the four block classes of 90 minutes are art classes that develop fine arts skills and multi-media skills.
What about special activities?
The lunch period is 50 minutes long to allow time for student clubs and activities – which the students help us design.
Are after-school activities available?
Given that most students will travel by bus to school, many want to go home when classes are over. However, if there is interest in after-school activities, we will explore opportunities to make them available.
The Board includes representatives of local architectural and design firms as well as a representative from Under Armour. Morgan State University and the Maryland Institute College of Art will also partner with the school. MICA has taken a leadership role in starting the school.
My child likes art, but why should they attend this school instead of Baltimore School for the Arts?
The grounding in art and design that students will receive in the middle school years will prepare them for entry into either the Baltimore School for the Arts or the high school portion of the Baltimore Design School. Here they will have the opportunity to explore career options and experience working with projects related to design careers. Students who go to the Baltimore School for the Arts are prepared to pursue study to become artists. Our students will become designers. We are hoping to attract students who like inventing something new, have new ideas for fashion, who think three-dimensionally and like building things, who have an eye for making things more interesting.
If my child enrolls, are they automatically accepted into the high school program?
Acceptance into the high school portion of the program is based on a review of portfolios. We help students develop their portfolios during the middle school years so they can do well in the application process.
If my child chooses to go on to another high school, will they be prepared for success academically?
The academic education students get in our school are rigorous and prepare students to do well in the high school of their choice. As well, they will have experience in creative problem-solving and ways of thinking that should make them academically excellent students.
The school day starts at 7:45 and goes to 3:10.
Will children from the community where the school is located get priority?
The Baltimore School Department has a process for giving local children priority.
If my child has special learning needs, will you be able to address them?
We are required, as is any other school, to address any special needs that students may have. We have started working on plans for students with individualized needs.
Do parents have an active voice in the school?
The school has a Board of Directors that will oversee the school. We want parent involvement and make sure that parents have a voice in the school.
How big a faculty will you have?
For the 6th and 7th grades, we hand picked 8 of the best teachers we can find, one each for English, social studies, math, science, physical education, visual art, and multi-media.
Do you have physical education?
Yes, we have physical education classes. The schedule alternates so that children have P.E. twice one week and three times the next week.
Yes, we have electives in reading, math, foreign language, and other areas to be determined by student interest and faculty expertise.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments, or ideas please feel free to contact us via email or phone.
preliminary render of the permanent site for BDS
If you’re interested in designing your future with us, or would like to learn more about this unique program, please contact Dustin O’Hara at baltimoredesignschool@gmail.com or use the form below by clicking the GET INVOLVED button.
