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 seven-day journey of backpacking, canoeing, caving, and rock climbing in the Appalachian Mountains; service learning projects; a forum on college admissions; workshops on financial literacy and resume writing – all are designed to unleash their potential by developing their inherent strengths, leadership, and life skills. Annually, some 40 students make the full, 335+-hour commitment to explore and grow, and every student who completes the program has graduated from high school or is on track to do so.
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