Dominus High School

The Advancing Youth Initiative (AYI) emerged in December 2019 with a mission to empower young entrepreneurs by providing them with essential resources and opportunities. Initially focusing on supporting entrepreneurial endeavors at the Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship, a pioneering K-8 public school in Pennsylvania dedicated to entrepreneurship education, AYI identified a lack of pathways for 8th-grade students transitioning into high school to continue their entrepreneurial learning

journey. In response, AYI conceived the idea of Dominus High School, incorporated as The Charter School for Entrepreneurs, and on August 16, 2023 the Woodland Hills School District approved the charter for Dominus.

In the fall of 2025, Dominus will proudly open its doors to Pennsylvania's first entrepreneurial-focused high school, welcoming its inaugural 9th-grade class. Our mission is to immerse students in an entrepreneurial learning journey, fostering a mindset primed for career ownership. Our vision entails instilling an entrepreneurial ethos in every student by exposing them to six industry-specific pathways: retail, culinary, healthcare, arts & media, law & education, and technology. In pursuit of our mission, we are seeking funding through the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program grant to (1) develop an innovative curriculum infused with entrepreneurial concepts, (2) acquire furniture for classrooms, offices, and communal spaces, and (3) facilitate robust staff and student recruitment efforts to assemble a diverse and talented community committed to the principles of entrepreneurship education. Highlighting Pittsburgh's emergence as a top-tier startup ecosystem alongside global hubs like Silicon Valley and Tokyo, recent reports underscore persistent disparities in the region's innovation economy, particularly concerning race and access. The data reveals stark underrepresentation of nonwhite business owners, with a steady decline in Black-owned enterprises. Linking these inequities to deficiencies in K-12 education, it is clear that addressing this gap is paramount. Dominus aspires to confront this imperative and contribute meaningfully to Pittsburgh's talent pipeline, retention efforts, and diversity initiatives, thereby fostering a more inclusive and vibrant new economy.