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Youth Development

HOMEWORK CLUB

Helping Build Skills & Understanding

Homework Club pairs volunteer tutors with students to help build skills and understanding while completing homework assignments. Homework Club takes place Monday through Thursday, from 3:30pm to 6:00pm.

With a student-to-tutor ratio of 3:1, we ensure our students daily receive the attention and guidance they need to succeed.

Through our partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, each of our students receives a full, balanced meal each night at Homework Club—a key part of sustained academic success.

READING HEROES

One-to-one Tutoring

Reading Heroes helps students develop grade-level literacy skills through one-to-one tutoring.

Each student is paired with a specific tutor for the duration of the semester, sometimes longer, in order to build stability, continuity, and a relationship that aids a student’s academic growth.  Every Tuesday, from 6:00 to 7:00pm, students and tutors work together to complete lesson plans crafted specifically for each student based off of internal assessment results. 

Reading Heroes is a great way to make a direct and meaningful connection to support one of our students.

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MATH HEROES

Focused Help That Can Make All The Difference

Math Heroes helps students develop grade-level mathematical skills through one-to-one tutoring. Each student is paired with a specific tutor for the duration of the semester, often longer. Every Thursday, from 6:00 to 7:00pm, they work together to complete lesson plans specifically crafted for each student based on their internal assessment results.

Along with the lessons, the relationships students build with their tutors are a significant help to their academic and emotional well-being. Tutors and students often build meaningful relationships with each other, giving tutors the ability to help instill confidence and growth in students.

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SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Managing Emotions & Achieving Positive Goals

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) helps students identify, name, and manage their emotions so that they can interact with the world around them in a healthy way.  

SEL helps change the trajectory for children who have experienced trauma and might be manifesting their distress by shutting down, acting out, feeling fatigued, or hopeless. Instead, SEL helps reconnect youth to their communities of care and helps them thrive relationally, emotionally, academically, and socially. 

Throughout our programming, we host SEL sessions covering topics like personal boundaries, dealing with sadness, how to cool down when upset, and more. Students can also meet one-to-one with staff trained in SEL at our Homework Club program.

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SUMMER LIGHTS

Enjoy Summer To Its Fullest

At Summer Lights, our kids have the opportunity to enjoy summer to the fullest. They explore their interests, cement their math and reading skills, and play in a safe environment. Through our partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, it’s also ensured that they receive a healthy meal. Some of the activities that we offer include:

Cooking, Arts & Crafts, Photography, Reading, Bible Study, Dance, Exercise, Swimming.

Summer Lights has become an exciting staple in many of our communities with kids lining up at the door waiting for it to open, knowing that there will be a smiling face waiting for them.

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THE MENTORING PROGRAM

Become a Mentor

Our mentoring program is a relationally based one-to-one mentoring program for youth in underserved public housing communities in Washington, DC. The primary goal of the mentoring program is to empower youth to thrive spiritually, relationally, and emotionally. The mentor’s goal is twofold: to be a stable, loving, and supportive adult figure to the mentee and to show them what it means to love and follow Christ.

Supportive and loving personal relationships can be transformational for youth and communities. When caring adults commit to mentoring a student, the student has more opportunities to grow and thrive.

Students at Little Lights live in either Potomac Gardens, Hopkins, or Benning Terrace public housing complexes, under-resourced neighborhoods where 90% of youth live in single-parent, female-headed households that live on an average of $17,000 a year. Without intervention, an estimated 2% of these students will go on to attend college. These kids want – and need – mentors and yet are unlikely to have one.

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Becoming a mentor is a tremendous opportunity but also one to consider carefully. During the application and interview process, we will work with you to determine if you are ready to step into the role of mentor. In order to apply, you must agree to a background check and meet all of the following requirements:

  • Be at least 21 years old.
  • A committed follower of Christ.
  • Commit to at least one year in The Mentoring Program.
  • Spend at least 6 hours/month with your mentee.
  • Attend mentoring meetings.
  • Submit monthly reports about the time with your mentee.

BOYS NIGHT & GIRLS NIGHT

Having Fun & Serving Others

Boys and Girls Night offers middle school students the chance to meet weekly throughout the school year with caring adults to build a community that encourages character and spiritual growth, has fun, and serves others.

SATURDAY PROGRAMS

A Fun and Safe Place to Spend the Weekends

Saturday Drop In Program offers students a safe, structured, and fun place to spend their weekends. Twice​ ​a month​ from 10am-1pm​, a volunteer group of 6-12 provide personal attention to students, as well as organizing a craft project, and supplying packed lunches for all of the students.

Since Saturday Program involves less structured activity, it is an ideal time for staff and volunteers to forge more personal relationships and spend extended quality time with students.​