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Dear Friend,
Gratitude is a word that continues to surface for me lately. Gratitude for returning to a new normal, for the countless milestones we have experienced, for the passion for learning our students possess, for the continued dedication of our partner teachers, and for your generous support as Live It Learn It wraps up another year of programming. We could not have come this far without you. As I reflect on the past year, I am overjoyed to know that you have been with us every step of the way in bringing first-time experiences to DCPS students, celebrating their successes, and cheering us on for another year of growth. If we have learned one thing from this past year it is that we are creative and we are resilient, and we will find a way — whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person — to bring the joy of experiential learning to DC students.
It is my pleasure to share the latest issue of The Progress Report with you, highlighting our Spring Soirée and other recent events with our partners in and around DC. And it particularly makes me smile knowing that we have 49 brand-new supporters who are receiving our newsletter for the very first time — welcome! We are excited to continue building our mission throughout the summer with program offerings, anti-racism training, and our Experiential Learning Fellowship. As always, thank you for investing in the lives of our students, teachers, partners, and staff.
Sincerely,
Michelle N. Edwards, Ed. D
Executive Director
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LILI Educator Delema Johnson led an interactive lesson on the history of go-go music in DC! One attendee wondered in the chat: Why didn't we have teachers and curriculum like this when I was growing up?!
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LILI Distinguished Educator Award recipient, Hope Harrod, is surprised to see her students in person for the very first time at Burroughs EC.
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Apologies for the hype, but we really were thrilled with our first-ever virtual event. More than 100 friends and supporters took part in the experience and celebrated with us. There was laughing, drumming, chatting, and donating. There may have even been a few misty eyes… I’m not crying - you’re crying! Those who attended got to meet our staff, see an overview of our virtual programming, participate in a mini-lesson on go-go music in Washington, DC, and witness our amazing Distinguished Educator, Hope Harrod, meet her students in person for the very first time. No one watching could help but be wowed by Hope and her phenomenal students. Our chat lit up with comments like: There's only one Hope Harrod; You are a true inspiration to your students and to us all; and Hope is brilliant! Clearly we agree with every one of these sentiments!
Of course none of it would have been possible without you. We thank everyone who attended, participated, and donated. We had donations ranging from $5 to $10,000, and we appreciate every single one! We also want to thank our fabulous business sponsors: uBreakiFix, a generous LILI supporter and partner for over a year, and Miss Pixie’s Furnishings and Whatnot, a brand-new sponsor who we are absolutely delighted to welcome to the LILI family. Finally, Link Strategic Partners supported us with their in-kind donation of video production services.
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Did you know that our Spring Fundraising Campaign is still in progress? That’s right, our campaign runs through June 18 and we need your help in reaching our goal. We are overwhelmed and grateful for all your support so far, but we still have $25,000 to go to reach our goal. Please consider making a donation right now to support the students of DCPS during this challenging time!
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
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Author Juana Martinez-Neal reads to Patterson ES students from her book, Zonia's Rain Forest.
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In April, LILI partnered with An Open Book Foundation to virtually bring author-illustrator Juana Martinez-Neal and her new book, Zonia's Rain Forest, to Patterson ES. LILI educators developed and delivered a lesson to help build students' background knowledge of the rainforest prior to the author's reading of the book. Through LILI’s lesson and the author's presentation, students gained an understanding of what makes the rainforest so important for the animals, plants, and people who call it home.
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In addition to hearing directly from Martinez-Neal about the inspiration and process of creating her book, AOB Foundation also provided each third-grade scholar with their own copy of Zonia's Rain Forest and a collection of Martinez-Neal’s books for Patterson’s library! LILI is honored to continue partnering with AOB Foundation this summer to bring the power of reading to even more of our students. If you're interested in learning more about Martinez-Neal's work, you can check out her website here.
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Welcome to the Crew!
We are excited to welcome five new Fellows to the Experiential Learning Fellowship! These outstanding educators will study, collaborate, and support one another in and out of the classroom for the 21-22 school year.
What is ELF? →
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From the Inside Out
In addition to LILI staff continuing their anti-racism training, this summer the Board of Directors will begin their own understanding around racial equity in DC with local facilitators.
Explore our Resources →
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Summertime, we see you!
Whether you're hunkering down from the heat or cruising through the city, our partner destinations have some exciting events all summer long! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to explore all DC has to offer with your family and friends.
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Our students have spoken!
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