Kid Power

Kid Power inspires youth leadership by promoting academic advancement, physical and emotional wellness, and positive civic engagement in underserved communities throughout the District of Columbia. 

Kid Power is the only nonprofit expanded learning program offering a three-pronged approach to helping underserved DC students grow and become engaged leaders in their communities. Kid Power helps youth succeed academically, empowers them to become engaged leaders and responsible citizens, and encourages them to make healthy living choices. Kid Power students work every day to build a stronger, healthier District. 

Kid Power’s free after-school and summer programs serve approximately 425 youth daily,and our monthly in-school VeggieTime program serves 500 students. Kid Power serves elementary and middle school students attending the following Title 1 District of Columbia Public Schools (Wards 4, 6, and 8): LaSalle-Backus Education Campus, J.O. Wilson ES, Stanton ES, Malcolm X ES, Jefferson MS, and Barnard ES.

Kid Power’s programs include a comprehensive cadre of innovative, evidence-based activities and approaches which engage students and families resulting in achieved academic proficiency and preparation for a career and life. 

All students participate in the following core after-school programs.

• Academic PowerHour and STEM Enrichment links school-day academics to innovative and engaging after-school activities. Using a 1:7 adult to student ratio, Kid Power staff and volunteers provide differentiated instruction to help meet youth’s individualized academic needs. Students participate in homework help and small group, hands- on academic activities aligned to the Common Core Standards. In STEM class, students complete monthly units following a yearly theme. Students learn about physics, chemistry, and engineering while participating in small- group hands-on building challenges or science experiments.
• Citizenship Enrichment is a multi-faceted approach to civics education. Students and their mentors from local high schools and universities complete the Citizenship workbook, which includes reading comprehension, critical thought, vocabulary-building exercises, and group activities. Students then implement youth-led service-learning projects to improve their communities.
• VeggieTime Enrichment connects a standard-based environmental science and nutrition/health curriculum to hands-on gardening, cooking, and market operations. Students apply lessons on organic agriculture, nutritional concepts, environmental science, and healthy living practices to their own school gardens. Harvest is used for cooking classes, sale at local farmers markets, and to contribute to family food needs when possible.

A cohort of approximately 150-200 students participate in summer programming.   The Summer Leadership Academy is a 5-week full-day Academy that takes a multi-faceted approach to summer learning. It helps to close the achievement gap by providing underserved youth with the opportunity to acquire key academic, civic, nutritional and workforce development skills through project- based learning.

 Stay up to date on Kid Power and check out our Twitter and Facebook pages! For more information visit us at www.kidpowerdc.org.