Desiderata Program

Desiderata Program (Also known as Desiderata Alternative Program,^[4] Desiderata High School,^[5] and Desi by its own students^[4]) is an alternative high school that forms part of the Phoenix Union High School District in Phoenix, Arizona.

Desiderata Program
Address
2920 North 34th Drive Phoenix , Arizona 85017 United States
Coordinates	33°28′54″N 112°07′57″W
Information
Type	Public alternative high school
Established	1977
NCES District ID	0406330[1]
Principal	Manuel Calderon[2]
Faculty	17[3]
Grades	9-12
Color(s)	Purple and Gray[3]
Mascot	Shark[3]
Website	Official Website

History

The program began in 1977, and its name, which means "desired things" in Latin, comes from an eponymous prose poem by Max Ehrmann.^[6]

Students

Students are referred to the Desiderata Program by their home school campuses.^[7] The program caters to students with behavioral and emotional disabilities, including those with anxiety, depression, and phobias who learn better in smaller environments.^[4]

Enrollment figures are not available, but a 2015 article by Arizona Republic noted the program had about 140 students at the time.^[4]

Campus

The program began operations at its new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) facility, located near 35th Avenue and Thomas Road, in 2006.^[7] An architecture studio was selected in 2004 to design the new space.^[8] Prior to 2006, the program operated out of a historic building that was built in the 1920s.^[8]