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Category Archives: Culture

Around Town: October 15-16

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Happy mid-October! We have plenty of cool places to spend your weekend, including …

Multicultural Career Intern Program (Columbia Heights Education Campus, 3101 16th Street NW)

Between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM on Saturday, head over to MCIP’s 3rd Annual Booksale in support of the middle school and high school libraries at the CHEC — thousands of books in all genres at very reasonable prices.

Earth Sangha (at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 13950 Dawson Beach Road, Woodbridge, VA)

Help out with invasive plant removal, clearing invasive vines and grasses from Earth Sangha’s grassland site, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday. Directions right here.

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Around Town: October 7-9

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Enjoy the weekend, Greater Washington! And consider spending it with …

Dance Place (3225 8th Street NE)

Precise, positive, and powerful. Join the Dance Place Step Team for “Step It Up DC,” an afternoon of workshops followed by an informal performance starting at 5:30 PM on Friday.

Habitat for Humanity of Montgomery County (9110 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD)

Do you need to gain control of your energy expenses? If you attended the first session of “Watt Watchers,” stop by for your second FREE energy saving class on Saturday from 10:00 AM to noon.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th Street SE)

Starting on Saturday at 5:00 PM, the Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL) proudly presents an all-media juried exhibit entitled “The Art of Craft.” The juror of the show is Steve Fleming, artist and instructor at The Art League.

And in this coming week … Earth Sangha will be planting sumac, wingstem, and various goldenrods at Meadwood Recreation Area on Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM; the Mautner Project‘s Raffle for a Reason begins on Wednesday too!

Around Town: October 1-3

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Welcome to October, Greater Washington! You could spend your weekend in any number of cool places. Such as …

Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (at James Lee Community Center, 2855 Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA)

Love volunteering? How about education and language-learning? At a 2-day workshop, starting on Saturday at 9:30 AM, you can become a basic literacy tutor for LCNV. To sign-up: email Belle Penaranda, volunteers@lcnv.org.

Coalition for Smarter Growth (meet at south-east corner of 3rd & H Street NE — near the Capitol Bikeshares kiosk!)

At 10:00 AM on Saturday, take a walking tour with DC Councilmember Tommy Wells, discuss the future of the H Street Corridor, and explore several major redevelopment projects. Plus discover all the small businesses cropping up on H Street.

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In The News …

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DC parents raise concerns about middle schools (Washington Post via Greater Greater Washington): “Middle schools are the latest hot spot in DC public education. With preschool and elementary enrollment ticking up for the first time in decades, parents and policymakers are scrutinizing the lack of attractive middle-grade options with increasing urgency […] Without dramatic improvement in middle school quality, the long-term prospects for reform are bleak.” Back in March, we commented on a New York Times piece on the development of middle school pedagogy. Arguably, the “middle years” are neglected nationwide as much of the attention goes towards elementary school (formative years) or high school (pre-college years). Has the same been happening here?

Dismal DCPS Statistics Shared at Council Hearing (DCist): “ afternoon, D.C. Public Schools chancellor Kaya Henderson and other officials appeared in front of the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole to talk about middle school education […] Among the figures that Henderson and DCPS officials quoted: 18.4 percent of DCPS middle schoolers have missed classes because they didn’t feel safe traveling to school; 13.9 percent of middle school students were afraid of being beaten up at some point in the last year; around 40 percent of DCPS ninth graders repeat the grade, while one in three DCPS ninth graders fail algebra.” In other words, many of the most dire problems in DC middle schools have little to do with academics. Schools need to be effective, absolutely, but they also need to feel safe and protected.

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Around Town: September 24-25

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So … what would you like to do in this final weekend of September?

Support A Non-Profit:

Enjoy a Taste of Arts, complete with festive music and dancing, to benefit the Alzheimer’s Family Day Center tonight (Friday) at 6:00 at Westwood Country Club in Vienna. On Saturday at 6:30, ASHA for Women (Asian Women’s Self Help Association) hosts their annual gala dinner in Fairfax; learn about Hope Through Empowerment here. And on Sunday at 11:00, Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League (SMYAL) will hold their 14th Annual Fall Brunch at the Mandarin Oriental in DC; you can support LGBTQ youth, who face discrimination everyday in their homes, schools and communities.

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Around Town: September 17-18

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Busy, busy weekend at Catalogue nonprofits. So … what interests you?

Volunteering!

All day Saturday, the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia will be training teaching volunteers for the ESOL Learning Centers or Family Learning Program; email volunteers@lcnv.org to sign up. Or from 10:00 AM to noon, join the “Weeding Divas” of Earth Sangha for a round of invasive plant removal at Marie Butler Leven Preserve; a team from George Mason University’s Circle K International will also be working away at Rutherford Park in Fairfax.

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Around Town: September 10-11

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DC Youth Orchestra (at Eastern Senior High School, 1700 East Capitol Street NE)

A full day of rehearsals, masterclasses, and sectionals for advanced students on Saturday at 8:30 AM. You can sign up right here. Musicians will perform a free concert for the public at 7:00 PM the same day.

New to music? From 9:00 to noon, visit the Open House & Petting Zoo — meet the instruments and try them out.

The Posse Foundation (at Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, 701 Mississippi Avenue SE)

The Posse Foundation identifies, recruits, and trains incredible young leaders from urban public high schools and sends them in “posses” to top colleges. Volunteer to help out with Posse’s first stage of Dynamic Assessment Process (DAP) and identify young people who have outstanding leadership qualities on Saturday at 8:30 AM. Call Andres Maldonado at (202 ) 347-7071 x221 for more info.

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Pictures for the Day

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As we continue our recap of cool spring/summer events, catch a glimpse into … The Theatre Lab’s Dramathon fundraiser for the “Send a Kid to Theatre Camp” campaign this past May. The Dramathon participants that raised the most for the campaign (between April 4 and May 6, 2011) had the chance to perform alongside some of DC’s most recognized professional actors in an evening of original ten-minute plays by local playwrights.

So how does this story end? The Theatre Lab exceeded its campaign goal by 19%, bringing in $58,676 for their youth scholarship fund, which enables low-income local youth to participate in The Theatre Lab’s drama programs at little or no cost. The Dramathon was to thank for over one-quarter of those funds. Check out the stars below — and learn here how you can support programs at the Theatre Lab all year round! Continue reading →

Around Town: August 27-28

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Before jumping into our upcoming events, do check out yesterday’s “Back to School Wish List.” We have a simple list of our non-profits that provide back-to-school supplies and assistance to students in need — and you can help purchase backpacks, books, or even glasses so that a student can see the blackboard. It makes a major difference!

So who has an event Around Town in the next few days?

DC Youth Orchestra Program (1700 East Capitol Street NE)

Youth Orchestra Auditions are coming up: Saturday, starting at 9:00 AM! Students interested in joining the program at this level should contact DC Youth Orchestra at 202.698.0123 or rashida@dcyop.org to make an appointment. Learn more here — and good luck!

Sarah’s Circle (2551 17th Street NW)

Stop by the Open House on Saturday from 1:30 to 4:00 PM and sample some of the most popular activities that Sarah’s Circle offers, including yoga, meditation, and exercise specifically for seniors. Light refreshments and entertainment will be provided, plus attendees will have the opportunity to tour the Sarah’s Circle facility and Wellness Center, view apartments, and learn more about how to get involved as a volunteer or as a participant.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (545 7th Street SE)

Stop by CHAW on Saturday at 5:00 PM for a free Happy Hour to Benefit the Empty Bowls Project, which benefits homelessness and hunger relief organizations. Come prepared to get a little messy (aprons are available) and learn how to make hand-made bowls using coils, press molds, and slabs. Recommended for children over 8.

Also: Starting on September 1, groups of any size can volunteer to do a Mini-Walk (you choose the time and the route!) to benefit the Dwelling Place. Just a short walk (or long, if you’d like) and 15 minutes of education on homelessness and you will make a difference to dozens of homeless families. Learn more: 240.631.1988.