March 22, 2024
Dear Washingtonians,
Three years ago, my education team came to me with a strategy for helping our students recover from the impacts of the pandemic: more access to high-quality, data-driven tutoring. So we made big investments in what we refer to as “high-impact tutoring.” The early results are positive. Last school year, we found that students enrolled in high-impact tutoring were more likely to reach their math and literacy goals. A recent Stanford study also found that students in high-impact tutoring were more likely to attend school on days they had a tutoring session. So, this year, we are investing $4.8 million to continue high-impact tutoring.
We are also continuing our investments in another program with a track record of increasing attendance and achievement: our Advanced Technical Center (ATC). The ATC is modern vocational learning—a unique blend of high school, college, and workforce training. This school year, the ATC is serving almost 200 students from all eight wards, representing 15 public high schools. Last year, students earned 740 college credits, valued at over half a million dollars.
In the upcoming budget, we are investing $5 million to support the reimagination of high school, including at our Advanced Technical Center. We are also investing in a new health clinic that will open in partnership with Children’s National Hospital to provide health care services and training for students at the existing Advanced Technical Center in Ward 5, and we are investing $600,000 to open a new Advanced Technical Center at the Whitman-Walker Max Robinson Center in Ward 8.
Even during a very sober budget season, we will continue to make strategic investments in programs — like high-impact tutoring and the Advanced Technical Center — with track records of success and that focus on equity. Our public schools have been a bright spot in the renaissance of Washington, DC, and they will continue to play a critical role in our comeback.
Sincerely,
 View photos from this week on Facebook.
 Applications are now open for the Department of Small and Local Business Development's 2024 Robust Retail Grant Program. This year, 48 businesses will be awarded funding through a lottery selection process. The program is accepting applications from local businesses through Monday, April 15.
Small and independent retail businesses with fewer than 25 full-time employees are eligible for the $10,000 grants. Grant funds can be used for the reimbursement of business expenses that cover employee wages and salaries, insurance, rent, utilities, inventory, cleaning supplies, and more.
Since the launch of the Robust Retail Grant Program in 2019, the Bowser Administration has allocated over $4 million to support nearly 500 diverse retail establishments across all eight wards.
Learn more HERE.
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 Do you know a young person who is enthusiastic about swimming and interested in becoming a lifeguard? Sign them up for the Department of Parks and Recreation's (DPR) Junior Lifeguard Academy! At the Junior Lifeguard Academy, young people ages 12-19 will:
- Learn life-saving skills such as CPR/first aid and water safety, along with personal development.
- Prepare to take the full DPR lifeguard training.
Weekend and afterschool sessions are happening now through May at:
- Takoma Aquatic Center | Sundays, 3:15 p.m.-4:15 p.m.
- Ballou Aquatic Center | Wednesdays and Fridays, 4:30 p.m.-5:15 p.m.
- Barry Farm Aquatic Center | Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5:15 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
Learn more HERE.
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 As the National Cherry Blossom Festival continues at events across DC, check out upcoming events in Downtown:
Saturday, March 30: 2024 Blossom Kite Festival
- Where: Washington Monument Grounds
- Learn more HERE
April 4-6: The DC Public Library will host the DC History Conference - an interdisciplinary, community conference considering the District’s past, present, and future.
- Where: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library
- Register HERE
April 6 and 7: Cherry Blossom 5K (Saturday, April 6) and Cherry Blossom 10 mile (Sunday, April 7).
Sunday, April 7: Jazz & Blossoms, a free outdoor music extravaganza
- Where: Franklin Park
- Learn more HERE
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