WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING INC
1758 PARK ROAD NW, WASHINGTON, DC 200102105 www.will-lead.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: WILL'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE DIVERSE GROWTH EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO INSPIRE AND ASSIST YOUTH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS, AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.

WILL'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE DIVERSE GROWTH EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO INSPIRE AND ASSIST YOUTH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, BECOME EFFECTIVE LEADERS, AND ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS.OUR GOAL IS TO LAUNCH WILL YOUTH INTO A FUTURE THAT THEY COULD NOT IMAGINE BEFORE THEY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM, AND TO COMPLIMENT TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM EDUCATION WITH HIGH-QUALITY, DIVERSE EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP INHERENT STRENGTHS, DECISION-MAKING AND LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND TO BE EFFECTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL AS THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR LIVES.

LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT - WILL IS A TRANSFORMATIVE HOLISTIC 12-MONTH EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING, YOUTH LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA YOUTH FROM UNDERSERVED/UNDER-RESOURCED NEIGHBORHOODS.DURING THE NORMAL NON-PANDEMIC WILL YEAR, YOUTH ARE ENGAGED IN MORE THAN 335 HOURS OF QUALITY EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO DEVELOP THEIR INHERENT STRENGTHS, DECISION MAKING AND LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS. AMONG OTHERS, WILL PROGRAMS INCLUDE: A ROPES COURSE, DAY ON THE ANACOSTIA AND POTOMAC RIVERS WITH THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FOUNDATION(CBF), BIASES AND DEI WORKSHOP, TWO DAYS OF NUTRITION AND LEARNING SKILLS TO MAKE HEALTHY EATING AND HYDRATION CHOICES AND MUSIC/CULTURAL APPRECIATION FOCUSED ON LATIN AMERICAN AND UKRAINIAN CULTURES AND MUSIC, A DAY AT MOUNT VERNON, 3-DAY TRIP SPRING BREAK TRIP TO THE BAY WITH THE CBF, A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FORUM, 2 SERVICE PROJECTS GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, 3 DAYS OF FINANCIAL LITERACY, SCAVENGER HUNT ON THE NATIONAL MALL, A DAY CANOEING ON THE ANACOSTIA RIVER, AND 7-DAY BACKPACKING EXPEDITION ON THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL.INTEGRATED WITH THESE ACTIVITIES, WILL YOUTH LEARN TO SET PERSONAL SMART (SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, RELEVANT, AND TIME BOUND) GOALS AND ACTION PLANS TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS, MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS ATTAINING THEIR GOALS, AND PARTICIPATE IN SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK ON EACH OTHER'S GOALS AND ACTION PLANS.SERVICE LEARNING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE WILL EXPERIENCE, SO THAT WILL YOUTH LEARN AND APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK TO ONE'S COMMUNITY. EACH YEAR AT LEAST ONE OF THE SERVICE PROJECTS IS ENVIRONMENTAL.WE REGULARLY COMMUNICATE WITH GRADUATES AND GATHER WITH WILL ALUMNI TWICE EACH YEAR AT THE ALUMNI HOLIDAY LUNCH AND SUMMER ALUMNI PICNIC. A NUMBER OF WILL ALUMNI ALSO ASSIST WITH WILL PROGRAMS, ATTEND FUNDRAISERS AND MENTOR WILL YOUTH.WILL'S RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC:DUE TO COVID-19, IN MARCH 2020, WILL SUSPENDED ITS NORMAL EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROGRAMS. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF WILL'S POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMING HAD BEEN COMPLETED. ALTHOUGH WILL CANNOT PROVIDE ITS PROGRAMMING IN PERSON, TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WILL YOUTH, IT PIVOTED ITS APPROACH. WILL IS DOING ZOOM MEETINGS WITH WILL YOUTH EVERY TWO TO THREE WEEKS THAT ALIGN WITH WILL'S PILLARS. THE TOPICS COVERED AND TO BE COVERED ARE: SYSTEMIC RACISM, EQUITY V EQUALITY, COVID-19'S IMPACT, LIFE CHOICES, WILL'S STANDING TOGETHER STATEMENT, FINANCIAL LITERACY, SMART GOALS, RESUME WRITING, INTERVIEW SKILLS, 1ST AID, BIASES, DEI, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE, NUTRITION AND A COLLEGE ADMISSIONS FORUM. WILL COMMUNICATES FREQUENTLY WITH WILL YOUTH AND FAMILIES, SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT WILL IS THINKING ABOUT THEM AND TO REINFORCE THAT THEY MATTER AND WILL CARES. IT PROVIDES SUPPORT TO/FOR THEM ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, INCLUDING THAT, IN THE LATE SPRING, WILL PROVIDED EACH WILL FAMILY WITH A $100 VISA CARD, AND, DURING THE HOLIDAYS, PLANS TO GIVE WILL FAMILIES $175 VISA CARDS. SOME OF THE WORDS WILL YOUTH HAVE USED TO DESCRIBE THE ZOOM MEETINGS AND THE INFORMATION DISCUSSED AND PROVIDED INCLUDE: BENEFICIAL, COMPELLING, EDUCATIONAL, EMPOWERING, ENCOURAGING, ENLIGHTENING, EQUITY, HOPEFUL, INFORMATIONAL, IMPORTANT, INSPIRING, MOTIVATING, REJUVENATING, TOGETHERNESS, UNITY, AND UPLIFTING. WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOW WILL TO RESTART NORMAL PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, IT LOOKS FORWARD TO COMPLETING THE PROGRAM YEAR WITH THE 16TH WILL CLASS.

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