Named after American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou, the school is located east of Laurel, Maryland in Anne Arundel County.

[5] The See Forever Foundation began management of the academy in June 2007[5] upon winning a three-year $12 million contract.

[12] Chelsea Clinton profiled the academy in 2012 for a video segment on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.

[13] In 2014, a report by the Southern Education Foundation highlighted Maya Angelou Academy as a "successful model for teaching in locked facilities"; tests taken before and after students' 9-month incarceration at the school showed an average of 1.3–1.4 years of improvement.

[14] In 2016, twice as many students who completed the program at Maya Angelou Academy at New Beginnings were working or attending school compared to records from 2007.