Participating in field experiences beyond the classroom significantly enhances students’ confidence and engagement in learning. Since its founding in 2005 by a DC public school teacher to expand access to such experiences, LILI has connected over 28,000 2nd-5th grade students with local historical, cultural, and environmental sites. Each year, some 2,000 students across its partner schools participate in carefully crafted curricula, beginning with inquiry-driven exploration and discussion in the classroom that seamlessly integrate with field experiences introducing real-world contexts. LILI manages all the logistics, like coordinating transportation and materials, so that teachers can focus on shaping the learning environment. Through the Bridge the Gap fund, it also supports teachers in designing these learning opportunities, further embedding place-based learning as a core component of DC’s public education. At LILI, all learners are empowered to engage with the world.

WISH LIST: $100: materials for 1 grade level at 1 school for a field experience; $500: LILI staff time for one grade level’s field experience; $1200: 2 buses per grade level

Founded in 2009 by parents of autistic students, xMinds helps families combat social isolation and navigate special education together. Today, it serves autistic students from preschool through high school across Montgomery County, providing all programs, resources, and services free of charge. Families receive support through a monthly bilingual speaker series, digital resources, and one-on-one consultations with trained volunteers to better understand special education and available school supports. Annual in-person clinics offer individualized guidance for families who cannot afford professional assistance, while discussion groups and social events foster community. Educators receive grants for classroom supplies and professional development at no cost to them. Reaching nearly half of MCPS autistic students, xMinds builds a strong network of support that helps autistic students thrive in school and beyond.

WISH LIST: $100: classroom supplies or curricula that support autistic students; $500: one Open Gym or Playground Meetup; $1000: six-week Consult Team training series

Boolean Girl closes the STEM opportunity gap for youth ages 7 to 13, especially girls, students of color, and children from low-income families, across Northern Virginia, DC, and Montgomery County. It meets families where they are, running free clubhouses and camps inside Title I schools and affordable housing communities like Brookland Manor and Barcroft Apartments, removing cost, transportation, and equipment as barriers. A “train-the-trainer” model equips teachers to lead their own after-school STEM clubs, while a near-peer mentoring pipeline lets former participants return as paid instructors, with several now studying computer science or engineering in college. Since 2017, Boolean Girl has reached over 38,000 youth and employed 55 high schoolers and college students, 25 percent of them children of newly arrived immigrant families. Today, 87 percent report increased STEM confidence, and 85 percent want to pursue STEM careers.

WISH LIST: $100: snacks for 2 Saturday Clubhouses (80 children); $500: camp scholarship for 1 child, including before & after care; $1000: Saturday Clubhouse for 15 children

Each year, 130 youth from DC communities experience life-changing adventures, build resiliency, broaden their horizons, and learn skills that will ensure success. They begin in 6th grade and progress as a cohort through seven years of activities and challenges – day and weekend excursions that acquaint them with our region’s natural wonders, from the Potomac River to the Shenandoah Mountains. The Middle School Program offers outdoor living skills, environmental education, and art and peacemaking activities, while the High School & Alumni Program provides job and leadership training, mentoring, and help with post-secondary plans. In the summer, kids head to Jackson, Wyoming for overnight camping trips, rock climbing, and white-water kayaking – activities that double as lessons in self-confidence, self-respect, and teamwork. Keeping youth involved and engaged is vital; your support brings so much to these kids.

WISH LIST: $100: hiking day pack for one participant; $500: camping gear (sleeping bag, pad, and tent) for two; $1000: lift tickets & instruction for five for one Snow Club session

Pink Space Theory was founded by engineer Monica Nichols, who entered college unprepared for math after no one encouraged her toward advanced coursework in high school. Determined to spare other girls that struggle, she built an organization connecting under-resourced students, especially girls, with rigorous math and STEM learning before critical middle school placement decisions. Its flagship program, G.R.E.A.T. Math Minds, gives Prince William County elementary students over 80 hours of advanced math and coding instruction, mentorship, and STEM career exposure, using the same curriculum as the county’s gifted program. Last year, this program and the organization’s other efforts reached over 2,000 students, families, and educators—nearly double the previous year’s reach—while expanding access to more Title I schools. Since 2020, 99% of participants have shown measurable math growth, and 93% report newfound confidence.

WISH LIST: $100: 3-day STEM workshop for one student; $500: 1 year of speaker supplies, snacks, & graduation materials for 10 students; $1000: transportation for one field trip

AITC gives DC-area K-12 students, especially those from historically underrepresented communities, hands-on access to archaeology and local history that most never encounter until college, if at all. As the only nonprofit dedicated solely to archaeology education in a city with no Office of the State Archaeologist, AITC connects professional archaeologists directly to classrooms, libraries, and families across all eight DC wards. Programs like the free Young Archaeologists Club and the annual DC Archaeology Month turn students into scientists and stewards of their own neighborhoods’ stories, building STEM skills, critical thinking, and civic identity along the way. In 2025 alone, AITC reached more than 1,400 students directly, and participants showed a striking 118% increase in correctly defining archaeology, real proof that hands-on learning changes how young people see science, history, and their own city.

WISH LIST: $100: archaeological science for 1 public school class; $500: archaeology STEM activities for 2 scouting groups; $1000: 100 DC Archaeology Month posters

Mikva Challenge has spent over two decades refining a youth development model built on two core principles: that youth voice matters, and that young people are experts on the issues that affect them. These principles drive every program, building the next generation of leaders and activists through civic knowledge, leadership skills, and civic engagement. In Citywide Youth Councils, students research a public policy problem, develop policy recommendations to present to city leaders, and partner with these leaders to implement their ideas. Mikva also incorporates experiential civic learning into DC public school curricula, while paid summer internships place students directly in the offices of elected and government officials. An annual youth-led event convenes over 100 students to deliver persuasive speeches on issues affecting their communities. Young people care deeply about our world; they should have the tools to change it.

WISH LIST: $100: food & incentives for student attendance & participation in programming; $500: mini-grants for student-created civic projects; $1000: student stipends

In DC, 15% of all students are children with disabilities—and about half attend public charter schools. The DC Special Education Cooperative equips these schools with tools and support to give students with disabilities a high-quality education. Its ELEVATE program helps charters to design, implement, and improve special education services to meet or exceed federal standards of quality. The Co-op provides classroom teachers with professional development and networks that build their capacity to teach every student effectively. Administrative services, such as securing Medicaid reimbursements, relieve logistical burdens that individual charters would struggle to bear. And direct programs for students with disabilities (career fairs, job-readiness training) boost opportunities for post-graduation employment. With 61 charter members, the Co-op impacts 7,500 DC students with disabilities each year, and its reach continues to grow.

WISH LIST: $100: interview-appropriate clothing for 1 student; $500: supplies including assistive technology for 1 classroom; $1000: “Demo Classroom” teacher stipend for 1 year

FFDIA uses ice skating to build confidence, resilience, and opportunity for roughly 2,500 DC youth annually, most from Wards 7 and 8: communities long without access to safe recreation or to costly sports like figure skating and hockey. Founded in 1996 to save the city’s only public indoor rink, it built Kids On Ice into a nationally recognized model – pairing skating lessons with mentorship, academic support, and social-emotional learning. When the District’s $40 million rebuild of the rink suffered years of delays and, according to FFDIA, a faulty dehumidification system, FFDIA decided to keep its programs at Canal Park. With 30 years of experience, trained instructors, and a proven curriculum, it is ready to bring Kids On Ice back to its historic home; in the meantime, it continues to serve eager skaters and their families, as it has for decades.

WISH LIST: $100: 1 pair of skates for a figure skater or hockey player; $500: bus to a Schools Skate for Fitness field trip; $1000: 3 one-hour practices for a synchronized skating team

Educate Fairfax is dedicated to serving the nearly 183,000 students in FCPS, the 9th-largest school district in the nation. Believing that public education is a shared responsibility, it catalyzes philanthropic investment for FCPS’s learners and educators. Annually, by fostering alumni and community connections, it moves over $1.5 million into schools, funding food, supplies, and post-secondary scholarships for students. Throughout the year, volunteers collect, pack, and distribute weekend snack packs and supply kits, and stock schools’ food pantries. And every year, educators receive funding to jumpstart their bold ideas that enrich the learning environment and create equitable access to innovative education. Educate Fairfax works closely with school partners to design and scale solutions that meet their needs, taking a systems-wide approach to meaningfully support students and educators so every student has a path to success.

WISH LIST: $100: 10 weekend student Snack Packs; $500: 20 supply-filled backpacks for a school year; $2000: scholarship for a student pursuing postsecondary education or training

Improving educational outcomes begins with something basic: keeping young people in school, not in the juvenile justice system. And that means addressing the things that cause them to drop out in the first place: chronic truancy, suspension, and school disengagement. Access Youth tackles all of these. At eight public schools, full-time, on-site program managers build trusting relationships with students, meeting them at moments of crisis or when early warning signs of school disengagement arise. Beginning as early as 6th grade, this seven-year continuum of support provides students with opportunities and incentives, such as coaching and personalized goal-setting, through high school graduation. Rooted in trust, student voice, conflict resolution, and mediation — not punishment — the program will serve 900 students this year, decreasing behavior issues, boosting attendance, increasing school engagement, cultivating a sense of belonging, improving performance, and creating better outcomes for kids.

WISH LIST: $100: snacks for 1 week of student activities; $500: a school-wide engagement event; $1000: year-end student incentives and prizes for 1 partner school

In Greater Washington, high-quality debate programs (and the associated academic benefits) have traditionally been available only at private schools. So, WUDL creates debate programs at public schools in DC and Prince George’s County, 75-80% of them Title I schools. It supports them with expert coaches, curricular resources, and monthly tournaments – all at no cost. Students develop grit and perseverance alongside skills in critical thinking, research, and effective communication; meanwhile, test scores, attendance, and graduation rates begin to climb. The most successful participants travel to regional tournaments to display their skills and compete for college scholarships. A summer institute introduces students to the new debate topic for the coming year, boosting competitive success. Declared League of the Year by the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues, this young organization already reaches 100+ schools.

WISH LIST: $100: tournament costs for four students; $500: tournament breakfast for several hundred students; $1000: coach stipend for a semester

Spark the Journey has worked with hundreds of young adults from low-income communities as they successfully chart paths to high school graduation, college completion, and career success. Beginning in eleventh grade and continuing through college, Spark provides a continuum of one-on-one mentoring, academic support, career preparation, and workforce development. It also delivers sustained wraparound support to students at Northern Virginia Community College and mentoring for young adults in workforce preparation programs through its partner, Year Up United. This intensive, long-term approach changes lives: Spark participants graduate from college at triple the rate of similarly situated peers and consistently achieve higher internship completion rates than those without a mentor. Spark the Journey advances greater, lasting economic mobility for every young person, regardless of zip code, educational background, or race.

WISH LIST: $100: textbooks for 1 student for 1 course; $500: career exploration panel & networking for 40 students; $2000: 1 year mentor-mentee experience for 1 student

Montgomery County boasts one of the finest public school systems in the nation, yet some students never go to college, and many who do never graduate. Of Maryland’s high school Class of 2018, 80% of graduates who began working full-time earn below a livable wage. CollegeTracks believes in access to higher education for all so that every student can build a just and prosperous future. It helps students articulate their goals through career advising and navigate the daunting tasks of choosing the right schools, preparing for standardized tests, applying for college, and negotiating financial aid packages. Last year, 99% of CollegeTracks seniors were accepted to college or vocational school, 50% to four-year colleges. Providing personal and academic support throughout the college years helps students persist at rates equal to their more affluent peers (and better than the national average).

WISH LIST: $100: college admissions advising for 1; $500: financial aid, FAFSA & MHEC One App advising for 1; $1500: 1-year college completion coaching for 1 student

Hearts of Empowerment builds pathways to economic stability for teens facing systemic barriers in DC, most of them Black and Latino youth from Wards 6, 7, and 8. Founded in 2019 by four young men breaking cycles of generational poverty, it grew from community drives into a school-based model now in five DC Public Schools. Its Pathways to Opportunity program, serving about 200 students and on track to reach 250 by year’s end, combines tutoring and SAT prep with mentorship and case management from Student Success Coaches trained through Catholic University’s School of Social Work. Despite steep budget cuts, it was the only school-based partner to remain at all five sites. Last year, participants averaged a 55-point SAT gain, earned over $750,000 in scholarships, and achieved a 98% college acceptance rate.

WISH LIST: $100: lunch for 1 Pathways to Opportunity session; $500: lunch for 1 week of programming for all sites; $1000: transportation for 1 college or career visit for a full cohort

Posse identifies local public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who might otherwise be overlooked in the college admissions process and places them in multicultural teams (“posses”) of ten that act as support systems on campus and beyond. It expands the pool from which top institutions recruit, helps create more inclusive campus environments, and ensures that scholars (an astonishing 90%!) persist and graduate to take on leadership positions in our diverse nation. Sixty from the DC area are chosen annually, and full-tuition, merit-based scholarships are awarded by partner institutions (Bucknell, Lafayette, Lewis & Clark, Sewanee, University of Rochester, and UW-Madison). Pre-collegiate training prepares them for what lies ahead; a mentor tracks progress; a career program leads to internships and jobs. Posse invests in what counts: the intelligence, talent, and dreams of young people.

WISH LIST: $100: writing program materials for 1 posse in pre-collegiate training; $500: supplies for 1 Career Program event; $1000: training for 12 mentors

NEXTDC, formerly the American Experience Foundation, connects Washington, DC high school students, most of them Black and Latine, to real careers in hospitality, culinary arts, media, and sports marketing. Working inside fourteen career academies across nine public and charter high schools, NEXTDC coordinates directly with school curricula, not just with individual students, structuring its work around four pillars: networking events with industry professionals, scholarships, internships and work-based learning, and career-exploration field trips. Its network of more than 1,000 industry partners gives students access and connections many would otherwise lack. Since 2015, NEXTDC has served over 7,000 students, hosted more than 4,000 in work-based learning, and awarded more than $250,000 in scholarships, turning opportunity into coordinated pathways toward college and career confidence.

WISH LIST: $100: Microsoft Office & Zoom software; $500: one networking event; $1000: hotel accommodations for 20 students on college & work-based learning experiences

For students whose immigration status places them at a systemic disadvantage, the dream of attending college can feel distant and unattainable. Many grow up in low-income households, attend under-resourced schools, and lack access to reliable guidance about navigating the higher education system. Without clear information, mentorship, or financial pathways, college can seem overwhelmingly out of reach. Working throughout Virginia, the Dream Project provides high school seniors with college tours, a college readiness class, and one-on-one volunteer mentors who help facilitate the college application process. Graduating mentees (as well as other college-bound immigrant students) can then apply to become Dream Scholars. Over 100 scholars each year receive much more than financial assistance: social-emotional support, an emergency loan fund, pro bono legal services, an alumni network, and parent education classes. Dreams of college, career, and a future can be dreams fulfilled.

WISH LIST: $100: parent education program for 1 parent; $500: college coaching for 1 college freshman; $4500: 1-year scholarship for 1 student