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AHFES 2018-19 Program Review

Submitted by: Hannah Elliott, DC Collaborative Programming Intern

August 30, 2018

Another year, another round of incredible field-trips being offered to DC Public and Public Charter School students through our Arts and Humanities For Every Student (AHFES) program. On July 18th, 2018, a wonderful group of teachers and members joined us at the National Building Museum to review AHFES applications and ensure that we are providing the best programming possible to DC students. As a summer intern, this event gave me a lot of insight into what the DC Collaborative does year-round. After learning about lots of fantastic field-trip and in -school opportunities, I can confidently say that there are so many enjoyable and educational experiences in store for local students this year.

When we arrived at the National Building Museum early to set up, I was struck by the beauty of the building. Marble columns and elegant arches line the perimeter of the building, while a rows of busts accent the ceiling. The pearly facade of the National Building Museum’s summer exhibit, Fun House, stood tall and the sound of children laughing in the ball pit rang through the lobby. All of our participants were invited to explore the exhibits at the National Building Museum after the AHFES Review—quite a perk!

When the review began, we were broken into four separate groups to evaluate field-trips and in-school offerings across different disciplines: humanities, music/dance, theatre, and visual/media arts. I had the privilege of facilitating the group reviewing theatre programming. As an avid theatre fan, the chance to learn more about all of the theatrical productions for young audiences in DC was fascinating. I also relished the opportunity to interact with members in-person; it is such a pleasure getting to know the people behind what we do every day. Two hours and a few sandwiches from Potbelly later, we had compiled constructive feedback for all of our assigned theater programs. The AHFES Review truly demonstrated the collaborative nature of the DC Collaborative—what could be better than members and teachers working together to create the best possible experiences for DC students?

Thank you so much to the National Building Museum for hosting us, and to all of our teachers and members who participated in the AHFES Review:

Khendall Beale

Carolina Clarens

Kate Meenan-Waugh

Caitlin Miller

Barbara Stauffer

Miriam Deaver

Cynthia Gertsen

LaToya Hutchins

Caryn Fraim

Janey Moskowitz

Fareed Mostoufi