Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy
We are a public, tuition-free, college preparatory charter school serving a diverse population in Watts, California. Our mission is to help transform public education so ALL students graduate prepared for college, leadership, and life.


A Message from the Principal
Welcome to Animo Watts College Preparatory Academy! Our Warrior staff and faculty are honored to serve the Willowbrook, Watts, Compton, and South Los Angeles Community. For over 10 years, we’ve transformed worked hard to improve our graduation and college acceptance rates. This year, our theme is “Warriors Climb Higher” and we are focusing on Academic Excellence, a College-Going Culture, and Effective Interventions. We know that by climbing higher, we will further transform the educational opportunities for our students.
At AWCPA, we firmly believe that all stakeholders are critical in the education process. Please call, email, or visit our main office if you have questions about our school, or would like to discuss your current or prospective student.
Sincerely,
Dr. Esther Deth
Principal
This is Dr. Esther Deth’s 10th year at Animo Watts College Preparatory Academy. She joined the team as an English teacher in 2009 and became an Assistant Principal in 2014. For her, Animo Watts is home. Dr. Deth believes that all students deserve a quality education, regardless of where they were raised. This belief is very personal, inspired by her own years as a student in LA County public schools. For Dr. Deth, one of her greatest joys has been seeing former students graduate from college and pursue their professional dreams. She is honored to serve as Principal and continue seeing more Warriors receive their college degree.
Dr. Deth was born in Guatemala and grew up in Inglewood and Long Beach. She attended Long Beach City College before transferring to the University of California, Los Angeles to complete her degree in American Literature & Culture. At UCLA, she realized she wanted to help students who came from neighborhoods like her own recognize that college is not only attainable, but also crucial. She enrolled in graduate school and received her teaching credential and Masters in Education from UCLA. In 2018, she received her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern California. She is married, so you might remember her as Ms. Hamm if you’ve been around AWCPA for a few years.
Principal
Dr. Esther Deth
esther.deth@animo.org
323-756-3930
Join us on campus for Coffee with the Principal meetings.
Area Superintendent
Gordon Gibbings
ggibbings@animo.org
(323) 565-1600
President & CEO, Green Dot Public Schools California
Dr. Cristina de Jesus
News & Announcements
Latest Updates from Ánimo Watts
- USC News: Parents’ Sacrifices Drive First-Generation USC Student to SucceedUSC freshman Jacqueline Martinez can still smell the stale popcorn and sticky soda-stained floors, a lingering reminder of her tough childhood. When she was only 11, she began accompanying her parents to their job cleaning a movie theater. They would leave their South Los Angeles home at 1 a.m. for the graveyard shift. As Martinez got older, she pitched in, sweeping screening rooms and ... read more
- Parent Leaders Foster Change For Their CommunitiesThis fall, United Parents and Students (UPAS) hosted thousands of local parents, students, and community members at the the fifth annual United Parents and Students assembly, Forward SoCal, at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium. The assembly engaged participants on key issues such as: affordable housing, higher-quality supermarkets, job opportunities, and immigration protections, and rights. The Results ... read more
- An Alumna’s Perspective on Green Dot’s Summer Institute for Business & Leadership for Women of ColorBy: Jacqueline Xiomara Murillo, alumna of Ánimo Ralph Bunche Charter High School Being a part of Green Dot’s Summer Institute for Business and Leadership (SIBL) was a life changing experience. When I learned about the opportunity to work with Green Dot over the summer, I thought it would be a great opportunity, but ... read more
- Ánimo Watts Students Let Their Voices Be Heard
- Panels and Community Building at Annual Launch to College Event Prepares Students for Life on Campus“One of the most best resources I received my senior year was Launch to College,” said Alyssa Nettles, an alumna of Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy. Launch to College is an annual culminating event where college-bound seniors from all Green Dot high schools in California come together to connect with other seniors attending the same universities, and to learn more ... read more
2018 Graduation Photos
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Ánimo Watts College Preparatory Academy
12628 Avalon Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90061
Phone: (323) 756-3930
Principal: Dr. Esther Deth
