Our 6-week after school program provides high schoolers from Wards 7 & 8 with safe, positive respite and recreation options. We co-created programming with local schools and community partners to promote:
Social and emotional learning
Cognitive and academic development
Reducing risky behaviors
Maintaining mental and physical health
A safe and supportive environment for youth
Our long-term objective is to build and strengthen the outdoor education networks that serve children and their families in stressed communities.
Thrive
Thrive encompasses our year-round, outdoor programming for youth, including a 6-week teen respite series that provides Ward 7 & 8 teens with a safe space to connect with the outdoors. We also host NatureFest and the Anacostia Environmental Youth Summit in the Spring, helping youth of all ages develop a meaningful relationship with our local ecosystem and engage with pertinent environmental issues.
Anacostia Environmental Youth SUmmit
Friends of Anacostia Park has partnered with the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) for the past two years to host 400 3rd-8th graders in Anacostia Park for an interactive day of STEAM learning. Participating students learn about the Park's ecosystem and what they can do to become stewards of the environment. The National Park Service opens up skate rentals so that students can recreate with their friends, families and teachers.
Naturefest
NatureFest provides local youth and their families with a week of guided environmental education and exploration activities over Spring Break.
