Highlander Charter School was founded in 2000 as the first independent charter public school in the state of RI. The lower school for grades pre-k through 6 is located in a former jewelry factory turned educational center. The upper school for grades 7-12 is located in a former Catholic School on 42 acres in Warren. Highlander enrolls 274 students in grades Pre-k through 6, and 360 in grades 7-12. Highlander seeks to generate and sustain the fundamental redesign of urban schooling in Rhode Island by demonstrating how the needs of all students can be met by making school engaging and rigorous – through both intentional classroom learning and transformative experiences in the outside world.