Horizons Greater Washington

Are you as excited for the Summer Olympics as we are? At Horizons, swimming is our favorite sport, considering the tremendous strides our students have made in and out of the pool this summer. Wishing all Olympians the best of luck, especially our friend Katie Ledecky!

At Horizons Greater Washington, we recognize that parents need to have deep confidence in their children’s care, and that many of our employees require childcare during our summer program. We are thrilled to offer a new benefit to our staff this summer--enrollment in our summer program! Executive Director Mike Di Marco now gets an inside report each day from his daughters, who are eager to tell their dad all about their day at Horizons.

Photo Credit: Jenifer Morris Photography

En Horizons Greater Washington, reconocemos que los padres necesitan tener una profunda confianza en el cuidado de sus hijos, y que muchos de nuestros empleados requieren cuidado infantil durante nuestro programa de verano. ¡Estamos encantados de ofrecer un nuevo beneficio a nuestro personal este verano: la inscripción en nuestro programa de verano! El Director Ejecutivo Mike Di Marco ahora recibe un informe interno cada día de parte de sus hijas, quienes están ansiosas por contarle a su papá todo sobre su día en Horizons.

Crédito de la foto: Jenifer Morris Photography

Art is an important component of Horizons’ STEAM education (science, technology, engineering, arts and math). Our STEAM education program emphasizes hands-on project-based learning. Including art in our curriculum helps Horizons students improve their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as their creativity, concentration, and self-expression!

Yesterday, students from our Norwood program site worked with watercolors in Ms. S’s class. Special shoutout to all of our Supply Drive donors, Norwood School Day of Service volunteers, and June Packing Party volunteers at Maret School who helped ensure our students receive high-quality materials they can take home at the end of the program!
Photo Credit: Jenifer Morris Photography
El arte es un componente importante de la educación STEAM (ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería, artes y matemáticas) de Horizons. Nuestro programa de educación STEAM enfatiza el aprendizaje basado en proyectos prácticos. Incluir arte en nuestro plan de estudios ayuda a los estudiantes de Horizons a mejorar sus habilidades motoras finas y la coordinación mano-ojo, así como su creatividad, concentración y autoexpresión.
Ayer, los estudiantes de nuestro sitio del programa en Norwood trabajaron con acuarelas en la clase de la Sra. S. Un agradecimiento especial a todos nuestros donantes de la Campaña de Suministros, a los voluntarios del Día de Servicio de la Escuela Norwood y a los voluntarios de la Fiesta de Empaque de junio en la Escuela Maret, quienes ayudaron a asegurar que nuestros estudiantes reciban materiales de alta calidad que puedan llevarse a casa al final del programa.
Crédito de la foto: Jenifer Morris Photography

We are so thankful for our long-standing partnership with Tregaron Conservancy!

May this Independence Day bring you new opportunities and endless possibilities. If you are cooling off for a swim this holiday weekend, we invite you to reflect on the time when you first learned to swim. At Horizons, we are proud of our summer swim program, and the opportunities and possibilities the ability to swim brings to our students.
Happy 4th!

¡Que este Día de la Independencia te traiga nuevas oportunidades y posibilidades infinitas! Si te estás refrescando con un chapuzón este fin de semana feriado, te invitamos a reflexionar sobre la vez que aprendiste a nadar por primera vez. En Horizons, estamos orgullosos de nuestro programa de natación de verano y de las oportunidades y posibilidades que la habilidad de nadar ofrece a nuestros estudiantes.
¡Feliz 4 de julio!

The first day of the summer program last Friday was brimming with enthusiasm, energy, and curiosity. We can’t wait to see how our students grow, learn, and thrive during the next five weeks!

El primer día del programa de verano el pasado viernes estuvo lleno de entusiasmo, energía y curiosidad. Estamos ansiosos por ver cómo nuestros estudiantes crecen, aprenden y prosperan durante las próximas cinco semanas!

We have been counting down the days to the first day of our 2024 summer program! On Friday, Horizons will welcome 420 new and returning students at three program sites. Our intensive 5-week flagship program includes 175 hours of instruction led by professional teachers. Students will dive deep into academics as well as the pool as they prepare for the next school year and - for our oldest students - high school!

¡Hemos estado haciendo la cuenta regresiva para el primer día de nuestro programa de verano 2024! El viernes, Horizons recibirá a 420 estudiantes nuevos y que regresan en tres sitios del programa. Nuestro programa insignia intensivo de 5 semanas incluye 175 horas de instrucción impartidas por maestros profesionales. Los estudiantes profundizarán en los estudios académicos y también en la piscina mientras se preparan para el próximo año escolar y, para nuestros estudiantes mayores, ¡la escuela secundaria!

Today marks the last day of 2023!

As the clock is counting down, there is still time to make your end of year gift to Horizons. Your support will provide vital funding for key partnerships, increased program enrollment, faculty and staff salaries, transportation, meals, swimming, and so much more.

To make your year end gift to Horizons please visit: https://ow.ly/fTAj50Qb7ry

At Horizons Greater Washington, we make a promise to our students: You will leave our program a stronger reader, better at math, and better prepared for learning during the academic year – making school a better place for everyone. We believe that every child in the greater Washington, DC area should have the same opportunity to realize their full potential, regardless of their background.

We have upheld this commitment for 24 years and the results are seen in the high retention among our students and families who keep coming back summer after summer. To hear what this means for our students like Beth, please visit: https://ow.ly/MYqn50Qb7nH

During this season of giving, will you join us in advancing educational equity in DC and MD for students like Beth? https://ow.ly/roun50Qb7nJ

With just two days remaining in 2023, can we count on you to help advance educational equity in DC and MD?

With your support and partnership we will be able to expand our reach to serve more students in Ward 8, offer additional Saturday Academy programming, and lean into health equity by providing nutrient dense meals, offering counseling and mental health supports, and providing an expanded Swim Program that focuses on water safety and swim curriculum for our youngest students, swim team training for our middle school students, and lifeguard training for our rising 9th grade students.

To make your year end gift to Horizons please visit: https://ow.ly/lR2s50Qb7kz

At Horizons, we carefully cultivate an environment where our teachers know each individual student and customize the support to help them thrive.

One of those exceptional teachers is Matt Azzaro, a middle school teacher at our Norwood site. Since joining the team in 2019, Horizons has been a constant throughout his professional career and has been one of the most impactful steps that he has taken. He continues to come back each summer because he is inspired by the students at Horizons and the impact that he can make in the classroom. To hear what Horizons means to Matt, please click on the video provided above. https://ow.ly/YWH250Qb7ir

During this season of giving, will you join us in supporting our exceptional teachers like Matt? https://ow.ly/o9Kx50Qb7it

Matt Azzaro This is "Matt Azzaro" by Erin Ross on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

Shout-out to the St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School community and Lyon Bakery for your support of Horizons Greater Washington at St. Patrick's Gifts for Good event on Saturday. The event was a rousing success and we were so honored by Lyon Bakery's (delicious) support for our students and our mission. Thanks to the generosity of our St. Patrick's community and Lyon Bakery, we raised $1,200 to support Horizons students!

For our 422 students and families, Horizons is not just a summer or school year program. Horizons is a place our students return to year after year to build community and confidence.

At Horizons, our whole-child approach to learning includes a combination of academics, swim instruction, field trip experiences, and guest speaker events. This approach exposes our students to new opportunities and ensures that they are better prepared for the school year ahead.

During this season of giving, can we count on you to help advance educational equity in DC and MD? https://ow.ly/cwt950Qa6Pj

This , we hope that you will make a gift that impacts those close to home and our hearts - our Horizons students.

Thanks to your support and the support of our Horizons community, during the summer months when students in our communities are experiencing summer learning loss (losing up to 3 months of learning), our students are experiencing summer learning gain with 70% of Horizons students making gains or being above grade level in math by the end of the 2023 Summer Program (69% in reading). Those students who made gains, made tremendous gains - gaining up to 8 months in math skills and 7.4 months in reading skills by the end of the program. However, we cannot do this work alone. Will you join us in making these outcomes possible for our students? To make your gift please visit: https://ow.ly/JE6A50Qa6FO

Thanksgiving is a time of year to reflect on our many blessings. At Horizons, we have much to be thankful for including our students and their families, our talented teachers and staff, and our incredible supporters. On behalf of our students, teachers, and staff, we thank you for your continued support and for all that you have helped us accomplish. Best wishes for a wonderful Thanksgiving and start to the holidays.

We are pleased to share that the 2022-2023 Annual Report is here. To view the report please visit: https://ow.ly/ClmY50Q9Ueq

We know that we cannot do this work alone, and we are so grateful to YOU, our Horizons community, for making these successes possible!

Our Politics & Prose Book Fair is being held today! Come shop for a cause from 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 20% of all purchases at Politics & Prose locations will benefit Horizons and our students when presented with the attached flyer. If you can't attend the event you can make a donation online: https://ow.ly/8Rn450Q93aV

We are pleased to share that we have been included in this year's Bethesda Magazine's Guide to Giving. The latest edition also features an article on one of Horizons' own, Mary Pat Alcus, who is being honored tonight as the 2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year in recognition of leveraging her time, talent, and philanthropy to make a difference in the Greater Washington area. To read more, please visit: https://ow.ly/HI7j50Q8tjA and scroll to pages 194-199 and 204.

Calling all returning families, we will be holding a Re-Enrollment Workshop this Saturday, 11/18, at Bancroft ES from 9:00-11:00. Please come see us!

Llamando a todas las familias que regresan, llevaremos a cabo un taller de reinscripción este sábado 18/11 en Bancroft ES de 9:00 a 11:00. ¡Ven a vernos!

Come shop for a cause on Saturday, November 18th. From 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. 20% of all purchases at Politics & Prose locations when presented with this flyer will benefit Horizons and our students. If you can't attend the event you can make a donation online: https://ow.ly/5Oxj50Q7v8i

We are pleased to share that the Greater Washington Community Foundation has named one of Horizons' own, Mary Pat Alcus, as the 2023 Montgomery County Philanthropist of the Year in recognition of leveraging her time, talent, and philanthropy to make a difference in the Greater Washington area. We are so grateful for Mary Pat’s longstanding commitment to Horizons Greater Washington and for her leadership and insight in helping to chart our path forward. We look forward to celebrating this well-deserved honor with Mary Pat on November 16th at GWCF’s Celebration of Giving.

It's an exciting time at Horizons as we are building upon the success of last year's revamped Saturday Program by expanding the programming offered to our students and families throughout the school year. In the 2023-2024 academic year, Horizons Greater Washington will offer three six-week sessions to students in grades K-8 in the Fall, Winter, and Spring. This will provide our students with an additional 108 hours of programming throughout the school year, 2 meals per day, and four field trips per session. We hope you can join us on Saturday, November 4th from 9:30 -10:30 am at Bancroft Elementary School to see the fall session and our students in action!

To RSVP please visit: https://ow.ly/kNE050PZPLY

The clock is counting down as our fiscal year closes at midnight tonight!

Help unlock the match for our End of Year Giving Challenge and expand our horizons today. With your support, we can continue expanding our programming and serving more students in Washington, DC and Montgomery County, MD.

To make your gift, please visit: https://ow.ly/qoR750PRqtu

There's only one day left in our End of Year Giving Challenge!

Help expand our horizons by making your gift today! Your support will enable us to launch our new, innovative, 18 week, Saturday Academy, which will add 108 additional programming hours and provide mental health supports and field trips to our students.

Won’t you join us by making a gift today? https://ow.ly/csgu50PRaCw

Did you miss our End of Program Zoom? Don't worry, we have you covered. To see the recording and highlights from our 2023 Summer Program, which included record enrollment, increasing our reach to serve students in DC's Ward 8, leaning into health equity by providing nutrient-dense meals, offering counseling and mental health services, building an impactful swim program, and so much more please click on the video below.

As we are looking to expand our program, key partnerships, and the students that we serve in 2023-2024, we need your help and the help of our Horizons community before the end of our fiscal year this Saturday, September 30th. To take part in our giving challenge, please visit: https://ow.ly/pt7H50PQLUy

Horizons' End of Program Zoom 2023 This is "Horizons' End of Program Zoom 2023" by Erin Ross on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

At Horizons, we provide opportunities outside of the classroom for our students to explore their community and broaden their horizons. This is accomplished through field trips to Dumbarton Oaks, Tregaron Conservancy and Smithsonian’s National Zoo, participating in outdoor adventures with Calleva including ropes courses and white water rafting, taking part in college tours at Howard University and Georgetown University, and hearing from guest speakers that include Capital One, IBM, and HMSHost to name a few.

To double your impact as part of our giving challenge and to fuel field trip experiences for our students and so much more please visit: https://ow.ly/PFw550PQapo