Tree Wise: Summer Update – the end is near!


And what an incredibly productive (and fun!) summer it has been for our TreeWise Summer Youth program! Run by Liz Ball, our Volunteer Coordinator, the summer program is something that has grown and changed with Casey Trees over the past two years. For any of our more vigilant followers, you may remember it as the Arbor Kids Summer program last year – it was focused around getting kids between the ages of 6 and 13 more experienced in “nature-and place-based learning,” and in 2012 TreeWise continues this endeavor.  It reaches out to summer camps, academic camps, church programs, etc. and creates a unique curriculum filled with lessons, activities, and games to further the children’s environmental awareness and knowledge.

Now, however, the program has continued its success – this year alone, they’ve met with 14 different groups, including:

  • Bridges Academy,
  • Centro Nia Bilingual Charter School,
  • Grace Episcopal Day School,
  • Jan’s Tutoring House,
  • and The Lowell School,

among others.  They’ve been working all across the District (and even in Maryland and Virginia, too) in neighborhoods like:

  • Kensington and Chevy Chase, MD
  • Georgia Ave.
  • H St. Corridor
  • Brookland
  • Parkview
  • Columbia Heights

They’ve all been recipients of some of TreeWise‘s 80+ sessions this summer!  Certainly, the incredible heat index this year has made some days tougher than others, but our counselors, Alex Kemp and Michelle Ramirez, have continued to provide engaging and exciting experiences for all of our young arboriculture-students! Alex is a senior at GWU (majoring in Geography and International Affairs) while Michelle is a senior at the University of Maryland (majoring in Environmental Science and Policy) – and their endless energy transfers to each child, each session.

As the program enters its last week, there will be one final session – at the U.S. National Arboretum on New York Ave. NE! They’ll be finishing their summer with some games, a scavenger hunt – basically, just good-’ol-tree-based FUN!

Here’s to hoping they enjoyed their summer with us, and that you did too!

 

August 2, 2012 | Comments Off | Categories: Blog, Education, TreeWise

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