Golden Charter Academy founder Robert Golden, left, stands with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer during the city's 2025 State of the City address. Golden Charter Academy will open its new campus near Fresno Chaffee Zoo ahead of the 2026-27 school year. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

Golden Charter Academy will celebrate the grand opening of its new campus with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 15 at 452 N. Pacific Ave. in Fresno. 

The state-of-the-art, sustainable campus sits next to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo, reflecting the charter school’s long-standing partnership with the zoo. The expanded campus is designed to provide enhanced learning opportunities for students while creating additional space for community engagement.

Founded by former NFL player Robert Golden, Golden Charter Academy is a free public charter school that partners with Fresno Chaffee Zoo to provide students with immersive, hands-on environmental learning experiences. The school is the nation’s first TK-8 Environmental Stewardship Zoo School, with an emphasis on real-world environmental learning, community engagement and cultural diversity in their curriculum.

Attendees of the event will include Super Bowl champion and Pro Bowler Joey Porter, former NFL and Fresno State football player Bernard Barrian, Fresno Unified Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati, Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, President and CEO of ExEd Anita Landecker and other prominent members of the community.

The campus will welcome students for the 2026-27 school year. School officials said enrollment remains open for prospective families through the academy’s website, goldencharteracademy.org.