CYPRESS ACADEMY EXEMPLIFIES THE BEST EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES OF A CHILD-CENTERED SCHOOL, INCLUSIVE OF A VARIETY OF LEARNING STYLES AND NEEDS. IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REPRESENTS THE FULL DIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS, CYPRESS CREATES A COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS THAT ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY, AND INTELLECTUAL RISK-TAKING, WITH A FOCUS ON SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. CYPRESS ACADEMY IS A MODEL FOR PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE NATION.