WAMU 88.5: Community Minute

Community Minute: Mobile tutoring and wraparound services for D.C. students from Ward 8

webservices@wamu.org — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:55:00 -0400

The mission of Horton's Kids is to educate and empower the children of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 by providing comprehensive, direct services which improve the quality of their daily lives and nurture each child’s desire and ability to succeed.

With its wraparound approach, Horton’s Kids provides resources to more than 300 children and youth, from early childhood through high school graduation and beyond. The organization has developed the “mobile tutoring approach,” in which buses take the children from their neighborhood to federal office buildings where they meet with one-on-one volunteer tutors. Monday and Tuesday evening tutoring sessions take place in the Rayburn House Office Building, and Wednesday after-school sessions are at the U.S. Department of Education. Horton’s Kids also provides a program for older youth, enrichment field trips, a literacy focused-summer camp, family activities, health and basic needs services, and educational advocacy.

For more information, contact:
Horton’s Kids
110 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 207
Washington, D.C. 20002
202.544.5033

88.3 Ocean City: Assistance for individuals with disabilities in Delaware

webservices@wamu.org — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:12:27 -0400

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 12 percent of Americans are living with a disability*. The Arc of Delaware is a nonprofit organization serving more than 25,000 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through advocacy and direct service.

The Arc of Delaware's case advocates work closely with individuals with disabilities and their families to connect them to services that apply to their circumstances. Through the Housing Information Center, the organization helps find safe affordable homes as well as job placement assistance. The Parent Mentoring Program helps parents secure appropriate educational services for their children. Case advocates provide crisis intervention, counseling, money management programs, and drop-in support groups. The organization’s Delaware People First program provides a forum for self-advocating adults with disabilities to learn about policies and developments pertaining to disability.

For more information, contact:
The Arc of Delaware
2 South Augustine Street, Suite B
Wilmington, DE 19804
302.996.9400

*United States Census Bureau, 2011

Community Minute: Mobile tutoring and wraparound services for D.C. students from Ward 8

webservices@wamu.org — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:35:15 -0400

Horton’s Kids’ mission is to educate and empower the children of Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 by providing comprehensive, direct services which improve the quality of their daily lives and nurture each child’s desire and ability to succeed.

With its wrap-around approach, Horton’s Kids resources to more than 300 children and youth, from early childhood through high school graduation and beyond. The organization has developed the “mobile tutoring approach,” in which buses take the children from their neighborhood to federal office buildings where they meet with one-on-one volunteer tutors. Monday and Tuesday evening tutoring sessions take place in the Rayburn House Office Building and Wednesday after-school sessions are at the U.S. Department of Education. Horton’s Kids also provides a program for older youth, enrichment field trips, a literacy focused-summer camp, family empowerment activities, health and basic needs services, and educational advocacy.

For more information, contact:
Horton’s Kids Inc.
110 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 207
Washington, D.C. 20002
Tel: 202.544.5033
Fax: 202.544.5811

Community Minute: Healing humans through horseback riding

webservices@wamu.org — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:46:52 -0400

Horses are extremely receptive to their human companion’s needs and emotions. The Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program uses this knowledge to give children and adults with disabilities a unique opportunity.

The Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program provides equine-assisted activities for children and adults with disabilities, youth-at-risk, veterans, and their families in an inclusive, community setting. Lessons are taught by Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH) Certified Riding Instructors and riders are assisted by up to three volunteers each, which enables riders to participate in a challenging, physically active sport. Lessons are offered seven days a week and most students ride in groups of two to four, for 45 minutes, once a week. The 45-minute lesson includes mounting and dismounting, the riding session, and sometimes grooming and tacking the horse. Riders improve balance, strength, coordination, confidence, concentration, and self-esteem. In addition, students benefit from social interaction with other students, instructors, and volunteers, cultivating decision-making, speech, and communication skills throughout each lesson.

For more information, contact:
Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program
P.O. Box 184
Clifton, VA 20124
703.764.0269
info@nvtrp.org

88.3 Ocean City: Emergency and transititional for homeless individuals in Sussex County

webservices@wamu.org — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 13:14:36 -0400

Sussex Community Crisis Housing Services, Inc. (SCCHS) is a nonprofit organization that provides temporary housing to the homeless and helps facilitate the transition from homelessness to financial and housing independence. SCCHS offers three types of crisis housing: an emergency shelter, transitional apartments, and a single family residence. The emergency shelter can house up to 20 adults and 5 children for 30 day periods. The emergency shelter also provides meals, counseling, and referral assistance. Transitional apartments offer 5 units for single parent families for a maximum length of stay of 2 years. The single-family residence aims to promote homeownership by offering a 2 year stay in return for participation in financial and credit counseling programs. In addition to housing and meals, the organization offers counseling and job assistance. All participants are required to maintain at least part time work and participate in an educational upgrade or training program.

For more information, contact:
Sussex Community Crisis Housing Services, Inc.
204 East North Street
Georgetown, DE 19947
302.856.2246
info@scchsinc.org

Community Minute: Using D.C. museums and monuments to complement classroom learning

webservices@wamu.org — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:58:30 -0400

Washington, D.C., is one of the best places in the nation for history to come alive. Live It Learn It is a nonprofit organization which uses the city's 17 Smithsonian museums and countless memorials as educational tools for D.C. students.

Live It Learn It is a curriculum-based program that boosts academic achievement and motivation for students in high-poverty DC Public Schools. By blending rigorous classroom instruction with carefully structured academic trips, Live It Learn It utilizes D.C.’s world-class museums and memorials as learning tools. Each Live It Learn It unit includes a pre-trip lesson that provides foundational knowledge about academic concepts and core skills, an academic trip that demonstrates the connection between school and the broader world, and a post-lesson that reinforces and extends student learning. Live It Learn It’s Pathways to Professions initiative introduces students to career paths made possible by a good education. Live It Learn It collaborates with area professionals, who host classes of DC Public School students at their places of business. There, students speak with people in a range of jobs to learn about various professions to which they can aspire.

For more information, contact:
Live It Learn It
735 8th Street SE, #300
Washington, DC 20003
Tel: 202.546.6223
lili@liveitlearnit.org

Community Minute: Teaching children about environmental issues through community gardens

webservices@wamu.org — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:36:59 -0400

City Blossoms is a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C., dedicated to building kid-driven, community engaging, creative green spaces. The organization has created gardens where children are the main cultivators in various communities around the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore areas, using the sites to teach children more about the environment and the world around them. City Blossoms also uses its Girard Community Garden as the site for its Herb Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Project, which provides herbs to individuals, restaurants and caterers for a membership fee. All City Blossoms projects are organic and designed to work with the local environment and community needs. Additionally, City Blossoms facilitates educational programming on gardening and green spaces in classrooms and other learning centers. The group’s instructors provide lessons for studying the growth cycle, nutrition, agricultural traditions and environmental structures and offer most sessions in English and/or Spanish.

For more information, contact:
City Blossoms
443.854.1669

Community Minute: Professional development and resources for local educators

webservices@wamu.org — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 11:08:36 -0500

Two of the most powerful influences on childhood success are community and school: Student Support Center integrates both parts to provide a holistic development model to help students succeed.

Student Support Center (SSC) is an educational organization that intends to create and sustain positive and productive learning environments where students are safe, respected and nurtured intellectually, physically and emotionally. The organization provides training and coaching to early childhood teachers aimed at enhancing their instructional skills, and also provides school staff with training on how to implement behavior management, emergency prevention, and parent involvement programs. Additionally, SSC helps develop school-based and family-centered support services to meet the social and emotional needs of students and their families. SSC also offers professional development trainings and leadership coaching in areas such as school improvement planning, teacher supervision, organizational management and other instructional best practices.

For more information, contact:
Student Support Center
1003 K Street, NW, Suite 405
Washington DC 20001
Phone: 202.628.8848
Fax: 202.628.8849

88.3 Ocean City: Celebrating art in the Rehoboth Beach community

webservices@wamu.org — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:20:22 -0500

Art can serve many different purposes, including physical and emotional therapy, self-expression, and simply leisure. The Rehoboth Art League (RAL) was founded 70 years ago as a place to bring people together to inspire, encourage, and sustain the spirit of art in the community.

The Rehoboth Art League is a center for exhibits of invited artists, as well as lectures, classes for all ages, and the enjoyment of the outstanding works in the league’s Permanent Collection. The RAL contributes to the regional economy by offering income for more than 750 artists through teaching and sale of their work. Art classes are held year-round for children and adults, from beginning to advanced levels. They are taught by local guest artists as well as nationally recognized artists. Classes offered at RAL include: drop-in sessions of pottery, sketching and printmaking for members as well as private lessons in painting, pottery and drawing. Other available courses include corkwork, jewelry, oil and water color painting.

For more information, contact:
Rehoboth Art League, Inc.
12 Dodds Lane
Henlopen Acres
Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971
Tel:302-227-8408

Community Minute: Educating D.C. youth through food and cooking

webservices@wamu.org — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:05:42 -0500

Brainfood is a organization that gives D.C. youth the opportunity to experience food in creative, educational, and engaging ways.

Brainfood is a nonprofit youth development organization based in Washington, D.C., where high school-aged youth can learn about food, nutrition, cooking, and jobs in the food industry through activities, games, restaurant visits, cooking in our kitchen, and working with guest chefs. Through culinary-related activities, Brainfood promotes active learning, self-reliance and healthy living to empower youth as resources in their own community. The Kitchen All Stars program introduces participants to learning life skills and leadership skills through food and cooking. Brainfood graduates in the Community MVPs program build job and presentation skills by planning and facilitating healthy cooking workshops for groups in need of food education resources. The Summer Institute gives youth a way to stay in the kitchen during the summer months.

For more information, contact:
Brainfood
1525 Newton St NW
Washington, D.C. 20010
info@brain-food.org