Our Programs and Activities
"Knowing that I have a place in the heart of a little girl and knowing that she looks up to me is the biggest gift this program has given me."
- DCSP tutor
D.C. Schools Project Programs
The D.C. Schools Project provides a range of services in schools, homes, and other community settings. Our programs serve over 200 low-income children and adults of immigrant backgrounds who reside in the following District of Columbia communities: Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Chinatown, and Petworth.
All programs provide transportation for the tutors. All sites are 30 minutes or less from campus. The following information is for Fall 2008.
Middle School Program:
Volunteers tutor English as a Second Language (ESL) students at Lincoln Middle School on Monday and Wednesday, from approximately 3:00 to 4:00 PM.
High School Program:
Volunteers tutor students at Bell Multicultural High School twice per week, for an hour at a time. Tutors assist students in the Early College Program with their reading and writing assignments on Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 3 PM.
Elementary School Program:
Volunteers tutor ESL students one-on-one twice a week at Marie Reed and Tubman Elementary Schools. Volunteers can tutor from 3:30-4:30 PM Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday.
One-to-One Program:
Two nights a week, tutors visit the homes of immigrant families where they work one-on-one with their tutees and serve as a resource person for the entire family. The program operates Mon through Thurs, from approximately 6:45-8 PM. Tutors attend two evenings per week.
Parent Program:
Tutors in this program teach adult English as a Second Language classes in the community on Saturdays, 9:15-1:30 or 12:15-4:30. Or, they can participate in our on-campus adult ESL classes for GU employees at the following times during the week: Mon and Wed., Tues. and Thursday, and Wed. and Friday from 10:20-11:30 am; Mon and Wed 12-1 pm; or Tuesday and Thursday 3:00-4:00pm.
Family Literacy Program:
DCSP seeks to create an holistic approach to literacy in the family unit by matching parents of our K-12 tutees with adult ESL classes as well as family literacy services and workshops in the community.
Resource Referral Service:
Tutors can refer any needs of their tutees, families, and adult learners that cannot be addressed by DCSP to the Community Liaison. Together with the Director, the Community Liaison will connect tutees, families, and adult learners with professionals in schools and community-based organizations who can provide assistance.
Other Activities and Special Events
To enhance the relationships between the Georgetown tutors and the people they serve, and to provide opportunities for holistic development, DCSP organizes the following events.
Fall Festival:
Trick-or-Treating, games, performances, and books giveaways on the Georgetown campus.
Spring Picnic:
The DCSP annual tradition of celebrating the end of the school year with food, games, fun, and more free books.
Field trips:
Each program organizes a range of outings to facilitate tutor-tutee bonding and just to have fun. Past trips have included the National Zoo, the Smithsonian, ice-skating, bowling, plays, D.C. United soccer games, Georgetown sports events, and Georgetown campus tours.
