Nature Forward connects Washington area residents to nature, inspiring them to appreciate, understand, and protect their forests, wetlands, water resources, and open spaces through education, advocacy, and conservation. And that connection with nature can start early. Each year, more than 7,000 children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade visit ...

For 80 years, Barker has served those connected to adoption, providing ethical, child-centered services and support that fully respect everyone's needs. It makes adoption-competent, trauma-informed counseling and support available to anyone—not just Barker clients, who are diverse in age, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic ...

"We want to start a business." These words first inspired BUILD's founder, who agreed to help four young entrepreneurs – on the condition that they finish high school. Now in five locations across the country, including DC where more than 300 students participate annually, BUILD runs a comprehensive, four-year business and academic program that ...

The Center was founded as a partnership between the City of Alexandria and the local community foundation to create responsive systems of care for child victims of abuse. Today, it remains the only organization in Alexandria providing comprehensive services to children. Using a trauma-informed, cross-agency approach, it provides a safe space for ...

City Blossoms cultivates the well-being of local communities through creative programming in kid-driven gardens. It collaborates with schools, early childhood centers, neighborhood groups, and community-based organizations to connect underserved communities to safe green space and garden-based programming, taking unused or underused land and creating ...

At the intersection of incarceration, poverty, homelessness, and trauma, there is much work to be done. CFLS addresses the needs of recently released individuals and their families. Short-term crisis assistance like food and clothing provides an emergency safety net, while long-term support like housing assistance, employment services, parenting ...

For the nearly 500 children living in foster care in Prince George’s County, it often takes four years (twice the national average) to find a stable home. In those years, their Court Appointed Special Advocate may well be the only source of comfort and safety they have. Since 2001, CASA/Prince George’s has provided "best-interest advocacy" to youth in ...

CE trains historically marginalized DC youth of color to harness the power of photography and their own voices. It develops their capacity to shape narratives about themselves and their communities and to drive concrete changes in school environments by mounting youth-led campaigns that work toward education equity and that close the opportunity gap. ...

In the Congress Heights neighborhood of Ward 8, where nearly all students know someone who has been assaulted or murdered, DCCWW provides a place where trauma is channeled and energy is guided into creating works of power and clarity. Most start the year substantially below the national average in literacy, but as students read poetry, discuss what ...

Providing 3,000+ kids at Title 1 schools with access to high-quality enrichment activities, DC SCORES' whole-child approach is unique in the DC youth development space — combining soccer, poetry, and service-learning to help "poet-athletes" build physical fitness, find their voices, improve their literacy, increase school engagement, and strengthen ...

Climate change, air and water pollution, and habitat degradation are urgent issues that require action, not only at the global but also at the local level. At EcoAction Arlington, local residents participate in stream cleanups, invasive plant removals, and storm drain markings; well over 2,000 students gain hands-on training in sustainable ...

Pursuing your dream college is challenging for anyone. Now, imagine being the first in your family to do so, grappling with financial and language barriers at the same time. Working with under-resourced Latino and immigrant families throughout Northern Virginia, Edu-Futuro offers free, Spanish-English bilingual programs to inspire a new generation of ...

In partnership with over 40 schools and community organizations, ETC brings theatre and artists directly into local classrooms. Students don't watch from the audience: they write dialogue, paint sets, analyze and create characters. Young children work closely with resident teaching artists to write, produce, or perform an original musical, while older ...

Offering admission and financial aid is not enough to prepare students from low-income-earning families to succeed in the rigorous environment of an independent school. ES was founded to give these hardworking students the resources they need to thrive. Each year, it identifies bright fourth-graders who meet competitive academic standards and enrolls ...

Every year, TFP serves over 1,500 low-income families, many of whom are immigrants facing significant barriers like limited social networks, unfamiliarity with local resources, and language challenges. Those with young children are triply isolated, so TFP begins by focusing on the littlest ones, providing early childhood development to empower ...

Too often, youth in our nation's capital lack access to the education they need to become engaged citizens. Global Kids bridges this gap by equipping students with the essential tools to succeed. Through after-school programs, a citywide initiative, and partnerships with the Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute, as well as the Department of Parks ...

IN Series collaborates with diverse local artists and nonprofit organizations, performing in small, intimate, sometimes unusual venues – from GALA Hispanic Theatre to the abandoned Boiler Plant – commissioning fresh English adaptations, and breathing new life into rarely heard pieces. Think Verdi's Othello in repertory with Toni Morrison's Desdemona, ...

Committed to closing the achievement gap for underperforming students – a gap that grows to more than 30 points for children categorized as economically disadvantaged – CYA’s weekly tutoring, high-quality instruction, hands-on learning, and problem-solving build strong academic skills for Prince George’s County students. The curriculum reinforces what ...

Open City Advocates works with youth whom the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services has removed from their families. 100% are youth of color, most have been in the child welfare system, and all are at too high a risk for being jailed, harmed, or killed by street violence. Trapped and often lost in the system, they rarely receive the ...

Understanding that stories from diverse perspectives enrich everyone’s lives, PEN/Faulkner cultivates a vibrant landscape for fiction readers and writers in DC and across the country. Working with local schools and educators, it brings writers from different backgrounds into classrooms for discussions, writing workshops, and semester- and year-long ...

The guidelines are simple: work hard, serve your community, earn a bike. Whether at Phoenix Bikes’ community bike shop in South Arlington, or area public schools and community centers, youth ages 12-17 learn the basics of bike repair, practice their skills refurbishing a bike for someone in need, and earn a bike for themselves. Next, teens can stay on ...

For teenagers with developmental and intellectual differences, services begin with the school system – and end when students “age out” at 21. That’s when PCR steps in, providing therapeutic programs in arts, fitness, and communications that enable the full inclusion of those with developmental differences. Basketball welcomes 50 sports enthusiasts; a ...

For centuries, the Potomac has been an anchor for our region’s identity—and the source of 90% of its drinking water. The wildest river running through an urban area, it’s home to more than 200 rare species and natural communities. But rapid population growth and associated urban sprawl have led to more river and stream pollution. Potomac Conservancy ...

For thirty years, Project Create has empowered young people in DC and amplified their voices through accessible, multidisciplinary arts education. Outside of school, students participate in free art classes, art therapy groups, workshops, open studio time, and exhibitions and performances. At the Project Create Arts Center in Anacostia and dozens of ...

By third grade, more than half of DC students have fallen behind in reading. This shortfall has serious, long-term implications because reading ability is a strong predictor of high school completion, college success, and stable employment. So Reach takes a novel approach. It recruits as tutors teens who have experienced significant academic challenges ...

For over 26 years, Safe Shores' child-friendly approach has ensured that children traumatized by abuse have a safe and welcoming place, their voices are heard, their needs are placed first. It provides a compassionate, comprehensive approach to child victims: sensitive forensic interviews and evaluations, a supervised playroom for kids awaiting ...

As the only organization in the country working at the intersection of poetry and social justice, Split This Rock believes in the transformative power of language to envision a better world. Poets who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQ+, working class, and disabled are historically underrepresented in the literary landscape. Split This Rock ...

Returning citizens, women in recovery, unhoused children and families, wounded veterans, teens working toward a GED, seniors in assisted living: everyone has a story to tell, a voice that needs to be heard, a life that is ready for transformation. At TTL they get to tell those stories, transforming their personal narratives into film or theater. And ...

TTP uniquely engages public school parents in ten school communities in Wards 1, 7, and 8 to maximize their involvement in their children's learning. TTP provides thoughtfully selected books to grow students' home libraries. Then, during "mobile meetings," parents and caregivers connect with experienced educators in one-on-one consultations to ...

A family of four at 200% of the federal poverty income guidelines lives on $64,300 or less, and this is the situation for 89% of WFCM clients. They may be experiencing a one-time crisis, have a job-preventing disability, or work part-time jobs with no benefits. As the anchor human services nonprofit in western Fairfax County, WFCM provides both food ...

For students in WILL, the natural and cultural worlds of Greater Washington are their holistic, transformative, positive youth development classrooms. On Saturdays, school holidays, and summer breaks, youth from underserved DC area neighborhoods learn and explore: day trips on the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers; a scavenger hunt on the National Mall; a ...

YPT uses theater education to engage students in joyful, creative play, empowering young people ages 5-24 who have been denied opportunities to access arts education because of their race or socio-economic background. Across the school year, some 1000 students write their own plays from idea to final draft, which local actors then bring to life through ...

Helping kids succeed academically is essential to their economic future – but helping them build character enhances every aspect of their lives. YLF does it all, training college-age youth and young professionals to mentor children ages 7-17 both in person and virtually. Year-round, students in the Tenley Achievement Program for boys and the Program ...

As a free pathway for students to become published authors, 826DC nurtures young people’s English language and writing skills by engaging them in the craft of storytelling. Reading and writing proficiency has declined significantly since the pandemic, with 66% of local students unable to write at or above a proficient level. 826DC grounds its ...

AOB engages the creativity of young people in under-resourced communities across our region to design the future. In-school programming for students ages 4-14 introduces them to the arts by integrating it with science and nature. High school students become artists through The Apprentice Program (TAP) – the longest-running local youth creative ...

Arlington's only free, daily, and accessible afterschool and summer program for 3rd-8th grade students, Aspire narrows the educational opportunity gap for its historically underserved families. Serving students of color (99%), families with low incomes (94%), and families speaking another language at home (84%), it underscores the critical nature of ...

One in four families in Northern Virginia lives paycheck-to-paycheck; delaying medical treatment, going hungry, or sacrificing other basic needs just to make ends meet. Britepaths provides free and immediate services (in Spanish, English, and other languages when necessary) while working with families to achieve long-term self-sufficiency. Families in ...

Now in its 37th year of operation, CREATE Arts Center has provided quality visual arts and art therapy programs that reflect the diversity of its community. Residents from ages five to eighty-five engage in its visual arts workshops, led by professional teaching artists and offered on a sliding scale or for free so that everyone can participate. ...

In its fourth decade as a cultural anchor for dancers at all stages of the creative process, Dance Place uses dance to empower artists who have been historically and systemically excluded from the field. Eight yearly residencies offer artists space, connections, and resources, with an emphasis on supporting Indigenous and local artists, nationally ...

DCYOP is the only pre-K-12th grade program in the region that makes high-quality music education available to all interested students regardless of their circumstances or ability. Students with no experience learn the basics in beginner group lessons before advancing to one of its ten ensembles, performing in at least one concert each semester. ...

Consider the complexities of applying to college — grappling with finances, negotiating the SATs, preparing for interviews. For youth who are first in their families to attend college, support systems that ease the way and promise success just aren't there. So FGCB provides the crucial support and guidance that low- and middle-income students need to ...

By the end of fifth grade, children from low-income households are nearly three grades behind their more affluent peers. FLOC intentionally supports DC’s most under-resourced students to overcome these challenges, offering guidance from second grade through college and beyond. Each student matches with a tutor for up to four hours of weekly reading or ...

A unique fusion of professional bilingual theater, youth development, and community development in Columbia Heights, GALA mounts a wide range of works by artists from Spain, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the US. These accessible performances engage some 20,000 audience members a year, including local pre-K to 12th-grade students. Through its ...

GOTR pairs running instruction with mentorship and social-emotional learning, giving girls in grades 3-8 the strength and support they need to thrive in life. Twice a week for ten weeks, girls meet with their mentors after school in small groups, challenging themselves physically while engaging in goal setting and team-building activities that build ...

The CDC reports that, since the pandemic, almost 60% of girls nationwide experience persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness. GOTR combines running with social-emotional learning, giving girls in grades 3-8 the space to share their experiences, connect with peers and adult mentors, and see themselves as powerful forces for good. Meeting twice a ...

Chronic absenteeism in DC outpaces the national average. Exacerbated during the pandemic, It disproportionately impacts families who are already furthest farthest from opportunity. Horizons reverses this trajectory for over 400 students annually, providing a safe learning environment for those who cannot otherwise access out-of-school-time programming ...

After three decades of partnership, the people of Wellington Park trust Horton's Kids. The families here (average annual income under $10,000) were among the most adversely affected by a public health crisis. School closings meant the loss of nourishing food and left children at risk of falling further behind in their studies. An emergency food pantry ...

Birth to age five is a crucial period in children’s development, but many of our city’s most underserved children lack access to quality early childhood education. Inspired Child has been filling that gap for over three decades, integrating the arts to nurture children’s growth more effectively. Across multi-week residencies taught by expert teaching ...

interPLAY changes the perception of people with disabilities by giving adults with intellectual, developmental, or other challenges the opportunity to perform alongside professional musicians. Each season, it presents up to three (often sold-out) concerts at the Music Center at Strathmore, featuring everything from Bartok concertos to Brazilian jazz. ...

For the last 37 years, Miriam’s Kitchen has served a nutritious breakfast to men and women in the District who are chronically homeless, feeding more than 4,000 people each year. Today, it offers "more than a meal": Miriam's is a leading advocate for a more effective and efficient homeless services system. In the dining room, where dinner is now ...

Therapeutic horsemanship, or riding and working with horses, is a proven way to facilitate physical, social, and emotional benefits. So, Cloverleaf uses these methods to help people with disabilities, youth from marginalized communities, and recovering military personnel become their healthiest, most independent selves. In small groups, summer camps, ...

For two decades, P4L has helped under-resourced students develop the knowledge they need to thrive in our global, technology-rich economy. Students from low-income households and students of color are vastly underrepresented in STEM fields, including within higher education. So starting in the critical middle school years, P4L offers them free, ...

Nationwide, 85% of adults with intellectual and developmental differences (I/DD) are not employed. For almost three decades on its organic farm, Red Wiggler has provided this historically under-valued and under-served population meaningful work as growers. Each is paired with a mentor and experiences every aspect of farming and distribution, earning ...

A tuition-free, academically demanding, private middle school (grades 4-8), WJA is all about improving the odds for low-income, underserved boys. Of nearly 300 alumni, 99% are enrolled in or have graduated from high school. And while only 17% of low-income minority students in DC go on to enroll in college, over 70% of WJA alumni do. How does it ...

As the National Arboretum’s primary nonprofit partner, FONA ensures that the arboretum’s green space (one of the few on DC’s east side) is accessible to all residents, as are family festivals, concerts, and other events. Its flagship Washington Youth Garden program welcomes thousands of learners annually while growing and distributing more than 8,000 ...

In the hands-on, outdoor settings at Hard Bargain Farm and at national and state parks throughout the region, 8,000 students a year learn about science, sustainability, and the human impact on an environment we all share. When school closings made visits to the farm impossible, AFF took its programs online to provide live environmental education that ...

Virginia is ranked 39th in the nation when it comes to services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities – an appalling statistic for families in our region whose loved ones (some 39,000) have autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, rare chromosomal disorders, and other disabilities. The Arc of Northern Virginia provides ...

The Art League has a simple philosophy: nurture the artist and you enrich the entire community. For seasoned artists and curious newcomers alike, it provides accessible exhibit space and classes (online and in-studio) in virtually all visual arts disciplines – from ceramics to jewelry to mixed media. In collaboration with the court system, it also ...

In Ward 5’s Edgewood Commons affordable housing community where the average annual income is just $12,000, Beacon House shines a powerful light. In a typical year, weekdays bring some 150 children and youth, ages 5-18, to this after-school education and youth development organization for homework help, one-on-one and group tutoring, STEM lessons, and ...

As the first African-American Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, The Right Rev John Thomas Walker took to heart his parents’ belief that education is the door to opportunity. That belief now informs the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and artistic development of boys in K through 5th grade at the school that bears his name. A ...

Rooted in the belief that artmaking and community-building work best together, CHAW has been building community through the arts for 50 years. Weekly classes for children and adults nurture arts literacy and include everything from visual arts to dance, music, theater, ceramics, and photography. Small-sized arts camps encourage learning and connection ...

CFNC was born when a group of mothers in public housing watched 17 of their children fail kindergarten and decided to do something about it. Annually, it serves 139 children and their families, most of whom live just slightly above the poverty line (average income for a family of four is $27,000). With an eighth grade education (at most) and English as ...

Each year, 130 youth from DC communities experience life-changing adventures, build resiliency, broaden their horizons, and learn skills that will ensure success. They begin in 6th grade and progress as a cohort through seven years of activities and challenges – day and weekend excursions that acquaint them with our region’s natural wonders, from the ...

Montgomery County boasts one of the finest public school systems in the nation, yet some students never go to college, and many who do never graduate. Standardized tests, application essays, and financial aid forms can prove daunting for low-income households and first-generation-to-college students and families. Serving everyone in its partner schools ...

Common Good combats food insecurity and nurtures the health and well-being of its community, addressing both immediate needs and long-term systemic injustices. The Pay-What-You-Can Farm Stand ensures that all visitors (some 300 families a year) walk away with fresh fruits and vegetables regardless of their ability to pay. Part of a larger effort to ...

Thousands of Washingtonians living in Wards 5, 7, and 8 have acutely limited access to the resources necessary for daily life – including affordable, healthy food. DC Greens places racial justice and health equity at the center of its mission to create a city in which healthy food is a human right and all residents can shape policies and programs for ...

In DC, 15% of all students are children with disabilities – and about half attend public charter schools. The DC Special Education Cooperative equips these schools with tools and support to give students with disabilities a high-quality education. Its flagship ELEVATE program helps charters to design, implement, and improve special education services ...

EWDC serves children ages 5-12 from under-resourced communities, creating judgment-free reading opportunities that boost foundational reading skills, support personal growth, and foster a love of books. Its three programs fill critical gaps so that kids get a fair and equitable shot at success. Power Readers brings volunteer mentors together with ...

More than half of the children who start at the Center haven't had the chance to build block towers with friends, draw pictures, or have stories read aloud – ordinary experiences that stimulate children's curiosity, love of books, and social skills essential for success in school. Fortunately, preschool-age children from low-income, working families ...

The ’08 recession and later the pandemic brought a huge increase in the number of people seeking emergency food. The high cost of living in Northern Virginia, along with inflation and supply chain issues, only exacerbate the problem: some neighbors simply can't meet their families' basic needs. FFO is the first stop for those in crisis (including ...

FDIA is the only public indoor skating facility east of the Anacostia River in the heart of Ward 7. A diverse place for children to learn life lessons while having fun and creating relationships, it offers free or subsidized programming to more than 3,500 youth a year. Learn To Skate group classes for ages five and up teach respect and responsibility. ...

In 2009, after learning that DC had the highest HIV rate in the country, a Georgetown varsity athlete decided to recruit and train his NCAA student-athlete peers to deliver sexual health education at area schools – and Grassroots Health was born. Since then, more than 1,500 athletes have provided more than 50,000 hours of free sexual health education ...

Nestled in the heart of Adams Morgan, Jubilee JumpStart offers affordable, high-quality early childhood education to young children (ages 0 – 5) primarily from low-income households. Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., this dual-language program works to ensure that all of its students, regardless of socio-economic background, are ...

It was clear from the beginning: children, teenagers, and young adults with profound disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other severe health problems, needed support. Existing organizations focused on medical, vocational, and occupational needs, but none offered exercise and recreation programs designed especially for ...

In a world that devalues and threatens Black boys and young men, LPTM provides a refuge. Its flagship afterschool program engages Ward 7 and 8 elementary, middle, and high school youth in arts, education, and character development. Apprentices work on unique acrylic on sewn canvas paintings, write poetry and prose, learn movement, music, and ...

Students at DCPS Title I schools rarely experience the enriching, out-of-classroom learning enjoyed by their more affluent peers. LILI believes this injustice contributes greatly to the disparate outcomes experienced by students of different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. So LILI ignites student potential through field trips to DC’s historical, ...

The goal? Eliminate hunger in Montgomery County through food distribution, education, and advocacy. Recovering food from local grocery stores, farmers, and farmers markets, Manna is the largest food rescue program in the County. It serves more than 3,500 families from multiple sites, provides food county-wide to partners such as emergency shelters, ...

PAL’s vision is to make the world a better place for humans and other animals by connecting them in helpful, healing ways. Dog-and-handler teams visit with people at more than 100 host sites: hospitals, treatment centers, senior communities, memory-care facilities, homeless shelters, libraries, jails, offices, airports, public schools, universities. ...

Posse identifies local public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who might otherwise be overlooked in the college admissions process and places them in multicultural teams (“posses”) of ten that act as support systems on campus and beyond. It expands the pool from which top institutions recruit students, helps ...

Six million residents live along the Potomac and Shenandoah River watershed, which flows into the Chesapeake Bay. But instead of a clean and healthy river, they find swimming prohibitions and fish consumption advisories lining the banks. PRKN is a grassroots, on-the-water organization dedicated to fighting pollution and creating healthy rivers and ...

PGCRC's Family Support Center is the hub for culturally-competent, family-friendly programs: child development and family literacy, parenting and health education, job readiness and employment skills. All services are free, including on-site childcare and door-to-door transportation. Staff members speak Spanish, French, Haitian Creole, Dari, and Farsi ...

Whether its tutoring struggling ninth graders to achieve grade-level reading or prepping juniors for their Advanced Placement exams, RISE provides high-quality tutoring and educational resources to low-income DC students, helping them to graduate from high school and prepare for a successful future. Its programs fill the gaps where DC’s most ...

Part of the global Special Olympics movement, SODC uses the transformative power of sport to unleash the human spirit. Health, education, and community building are also on the agenda, and together they change the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, addressing the injustice, isolation, intolerance, and inactivity they face. Twelve sports ...

Last year WABA taught 886 adults (average age 39) how to ride a bike, doubled the percentage of women bike commuters (a ten-year endeavor), and maintained 20 miles of urban trails. Its vision is a just and sustainable transportation system where biking, walking, and transit are the best ways to get around – advocating for better biking conditions inch ...

For 45 years, this premier Baroque choral and orchestral group has delighted audiences with historically-informed performances of 18th century music, promoting an appreciation of Bach’s music at every major venue in Greater Washington and through subscription series concerts. But just as important as performing Bach is “Giving Bach,” so a range of free ...

In a serious town that is often tightly scripted, WIT engages audiences with unscripted performances and ignites the spirit of play through intensive training programs. It has given birth to an improv scene across the city, offering free weekly performances and filling classrooms with adults hungry for the creative boost and social outlet improv ...

On a cold winter night in Alexandria, a local pastor (with ten cots and two volunteers) opened his church doors. Today, Carpenter’s Shelter has two 64-bed emergency shelters that engage over 1,200 volunteers annually. At the Residential Shelter, families and individuals find a temporary home and the help they need to secure a permanent one: life-skills ...

For over 40 years, Doorways has been empowering women and families fleeing domestic violence and homelessness. What started with one shelter and one response has grown into a series of pathways individually tailored for children, youth, adults, and families out of homelessness and domestic violence. Now, it is Arlington's only provider of emergency ...

FAIR Girls' Vida Home is the first-ever safe, empowering, transitional home in DC exclusively for 18-28 year old female-identifying survivors of human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation. Every survivor actively collaborates with staff to meet their individual goals while accessing food, clothing, medical support, life-skills and ...

FRESHFARM connects communities to healthy, local food—while sustaining the livelihoods of more than 240 small and mid-sized farmers and food producers in the Mid-Atlantic. Their farmers markets make fresh produce available to all across the DC metro area, and can double the value of SNAP, WIC, and Senior Nutrition benefits so families in need can bring ...

"Arts for All" is the rallying cry at Joe's, a hub of cultural and community activity that has served Prince George's County for over 25 years. Open 350 days a year for arts education, performances, rehearsals, and cultural programs, Joe’s is a safe, out-of-school time haven for youth, offering arts activities that nurture confidence, creativity, and ...

For 50 years, Main Street has offered high quality, early childhood education to Fairfax families, most of whom have low incomes. Experienced teachers and expert staff work with over 100 two- to five-year olds annually, using a range of assessments, tools, and developmentally appropriate curricula. With a licensed clinical social worker, mental and ...

One of the nation’s leading youth orchestra organizations, AYPO provides training and performance experience to more than 600 musicians ages 7 to 21. With seven orchestras and 15 programs, there is a major focus on expanding outreach to children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to develop their musical skills. Auditions are competitive and ...

High-quality preschool education transforms every child's life – but children from low-income families are the least likely to receive it. AppleTree is dedicated to closing this achievement gap before children enter kindergarten so that they can thrive in kindergarten and beyond. Its instructional model, Every Child Ready, includes a fully developed ...

AWN offers affordable, high-quality arts education (in-person and virtually) to people of all ages and in all stages of life — last year, to over 11,000 individuals. At its ADA-accessible arts center in Hyattsville, social justice, accessibility, and equity are at the core. Toddler Time and preschool programs provide art classes for young creators ...

A once-abandoned movie theater complex in Northeast DC reopened in 2006 as the Atlas Performing Arts Center, a creative space and equitable home for artists and audiences to explore the ideas and issues of our time. Welcoming over 60,000 individuals annually, its affordable and innovative programming recognizes not only artistic excellence, but also ...

Here in DC, the vast majority of the nearly 1,000 kids in foster care entered the system because of abuse or neglect. So BEST Kids offers them something they desperately need: consistent encouragement and support from a caring adult. It provides one-on-one mentoring, monthly peer group activities, and college/career readiness skills to nearly 100 ...

For over thirty years, Bright Beginnings has provided education, care, and support to thousands of children and their families experiencing housing instability. Through its family-centered approach, children from birth to five establish a solid foundation for school while parents are connected with post-secondary education and employment pathways to ...

Established in 1997 to fundraise, design, build, and manage the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus, familiarly known as THEARC, Building Bridges' importance to the revitalization of Southeast DC cannot be overstated. Today, the campus houses over a dozen nonprofits in the arts, education, health, recreation, and workforce development fields, ...

CHV is a network of neighbors helping neighbors, where volunteers unite to help older adults age comfortably in their own homes. When a villager is in need, some 250 volunteers are ready to provide a ride to the doctor or grocery store, help with housekeeping or meal preparation, gardening advice, and even sidewalk shoveling. For major repairs, home ...

As budget cuts force schools to eliminate programs in the arts, children’s music programs are becoming increasingly rare. But at CCW, children from kindergarten through high school can experience a world-class music education regardless of their economic status or prior experience. Each year, 300 students perform in dozens of events — some as guest ...

Since 2011, City Dogs & City Kitties Rescue has provided a lifeline to more than 5,100 dogs and 5,000 cats — animals that were just days or hours away from being euthanized for no reason other than lack of space. Working closely with high-kill shelters in rural communities with few resources, CDCKR rescues at-risk adoptable dogs and cats and finds them ...

College Bound targets underserved 8th–12th grade public school students who have the capacity yet lack the necessary supports to attend college. Students meet weekly with mentors to work on math, SAT prep, and the college admissions process. CB also sponsors career and college fairs, takes students on college tours, and annually offers over $250,000 in ...

The results are impressive: 100% of participants in Community Bridges’ Girls Program graduate from high school, and 100% achieve college acceptance and enrollment. But the program is about more than numbers — it’s about equipping girls to think critically, make healthy choices, and become life-long leaders. Working with girls in 4th through 12th grades ...

Ensuring that youth from all backgrounds experience the benefits of the performing arts, DIW offers high-quality dance instruction to more than 1,000 students each year. And its commitment to racial and economic equity infuses everything it does. At the School of Dance and at partner locations, students ages 2 to 22 receive pre-professional training in ...

Tens of thousands of children from across the globe visit DC’s museums and theaters each year, yet budget constraints often prevent local students from enjoying their hometown’s resources. DC Collaborative partners with more than 100 cultural institutions and artists to help schools gain access to our city's vibrant resources. Offering arts and ...

Through the Academy of Construction and Design, the DC Students Construction Trades Foundation creates pathways to a brighter future for students in local schools. Preparing them for college and/or career, ACAD's hands-on curriculum builds technical skills in math, carpentry, mechanical drawing, blueprint reading, and more. Each year, students gain ...

Abused and neglected children in the court system deserve an advocate: a highly trained, dedicated, passionate adult who has the child's best interests at heart. Over the past 34 years, that's just what Fairfax CASA has done for more than 8,000 children. An intensive recruiting and training process, complemented by ongoing support from professional ...

As girls reach adolescence, many encounter social structures that don't accept them for who they are. In the world GOTR NOVA envisions, every girl is free to boldly pursue her dreams wholly as herself — in body, brain, heart, and spirit. Each year, more than 3,600 participants in grades 3–8 develop the confidence they need to activate their potential. ...

Dedicated to closing the opportunity gap, Higher Achievement serves some 400 academically motivated middle-schoolers from under-resourced communities, providing them with rigorous academic enrichment, caring role models, and a culture of high expectations. At the Afterschool Academy, students build social-emotional skills, experience hands-on ...

Every week, at shelters and community spaces, staff and volunteers give children experiencing housing insecurity a much-needed opportunity: the chance to play. As one of the only organizations nationwide focused on creating spaces for trauma-informed play, Playtime Project nurtures healthy child development by meeting kids where they are and letting ...

Kid Power nurtures the development of tomorrow's leaders, inspiring hundreds of students in under-served schools each year to become well-rounded agents of positive change in their own communities. Every day after school, students participate in a variety of enrichment activities — from art to STEM, service learning to student government. In youth-led ...

Hispanic students represent only 16% of undergraduate students nationwide — a trend that the LSF is working to reverse through its multigenerational education program. Children as young as four join its academic support initiative, engaging in one-on-one Saturday morning tutoring sessions, complete with breakfast, free books, and individualized support ...

Hailing from 90 different countries and speaking 50 different languages, 1,500 adult learners come to EEC (formerly Literacy Council of Northern Virginia) each year to learn the basics of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English. A dedicated team of 500 volunteers delivers beginning-level English classes while concurrently introducing ...

In the Potomac Gardens, Hopkins, and Benning Terrace public housing complexes of Southeast DC, families of four struggle to survive on annual incomes that average $14–$16,000. Most children live in one-parent households, attend under-resourced schools, and are at least one grade level behind in reading and math. So Little Lights intervenes: through ...

Every minute of every day, three acres of farmland disappear in the US. Deeply engaged in safeguarding Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve, MCA advocates for land and transportation policies that encourage farmland preservation, forest protection, and improved water quality — for the benefit of the entire region. MCA works to support current ...

When a military parent is deployed, childhood can feel anything but “normal.” National Guard and Reserve families face additional challenges: without a military base community, unexpected deployments disrupt family life — not to mention finances. For almost 20 years, Our Military Kids' award-winning, research-informed approach has provided nearly $32 ...

Imagine our nation's children growing into lifelong readers, regardless of their academic and economic backgrounds. Reading Partners focuses its core transformational literacy program to achieve just that: mobilizing a cohort of dedicated, community tutors, alongside trained AmeriCorps members, to provide in-person and virtual one-on-one literacy ...

Serious childhood illness takes a tremendous toll on the entire family, both emotionally and financially — but RMHCDC steps in to ease the burden. Its two Houses (in DC and Virginia) serve families of critically ill or injured children in treatment at area hospitals, providing a "home-away-from-home" where families can be together. While a small daily ...

A vital, creative community is vital to the fabric of DC, but the high cost of tuition and materials puts the arts out of reach for far too many children, teens, and young adults. Sitar offers more than a world-class, multidisciplinary arts education. It is also a home where DC youth, many of whom grow up at Sitar, begin a lifelong journey of artistic- ...

The premier physical movement-focused theater in the Mid-Atlantic, Synetic Theater has grown from street performances to awards and acclaim, performing 5 major productions each season in its Arlington theater. Treasured for wild and expansive stagings of classical literary works and folktales (from Shakespeare to Dante to Kafka), its highly athletic ...

Tracy’s Kids helps young cancer patients cope with the emotional stress imposed by cancer and its treatment. Since its beginnings at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in 1991, the program has expanded to seven hospitals and medical centers, including a program for the children of military service members at Walter Reed. Masters-trained art ...

For more than 25 years, WSG has challenged, supported, and inspired Black and Brown girls from Wards 7 and 8, where many young people still face barriers to accessing quality education. It designs and delivers a culturally responsive learning environment in which students regularly engage with adults who look like them while experiencing a variety of ...

Washington Revels fosters multicultural and multi-generational bonds by engaging people in a diverse range of artistic expression. Offering over 400 free programs year-round, it celebrates different historical and cultural traditions with music, dance, storytelling, and drama. From outdoor parks to large theaters, audiences participate in virtual ...

History meets a diverse present and vibrant future at Glen Echo Park, with its antique carousel, social dances, public festivals and music events, live theater and puppetry, summer camps, classes, and more. The Partnership is both a presenter and a collaborator, working with a wide variety of arts organizations and artists to offer programs for 170,000 ...

TFS is a 35-year-old non-profit providing elementary school children from under-resourced communities in DC with free and comprehensive STEM and arts programming. After school and during the summer, over 300 students participate in hands-on STEM and creative arts projects that develop their social and emotional skills while equipping them with the ...