“New people, new beginnings” were the apt words of reflection shared by students from Southeast DC after spending a transformative day with Conservation Nation and the Outdoors Alliance for Kids on Capitol Hill.
The four remarkable students who joined us for this day were participants in the Justice40 Summer Internship program at Anacostia High School run by the University of the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of the Interior, a program that Conservation Nation has been honored to collaborate on over the past two summers.
Highlights of the day included an advocacy training from the Outdoors Alliance for Kids at the Sierra Club headquarters, a visit to the office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton to participate in a congressional meeting to advocate for passage of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act, a tour of the Capital that included time observing the Senate floor, and participation in a listening session for the National Nature Assessment at the Natural History Museum.
Throughout the day, our students got to experience the rush of being on Capitol Hill, putting in more than 11,000 steps! They were able to share their perspectives and experience from the summer internship program with congressional staff and were able to read some reflections from the book they published with our Literacy Consultant Caroline Brewer, Through My Anacostia Eyes: Environmental Problems and Possibilities.
At the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, the students actively participated in roundtable discussions to provide feedback on various chapters of the National Nature Assessment, which is a project of the U.S. Global Change Research Program to take stock of U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, and the benefits they provide to our economy, health, climate, environmental justice, and national security. The students spoke confidently with Dr. Phillip Levin, Director of the National Nature Assessment, and asked poignant questions about environmental justice and the role of youth in the development of this project.
We are grateful to our friends at the Outdoors Alliance for Kids for organizing such a special day for the students. We were also grateful to be joined by Anacostia High School’s Government teacher, Mr. Edmonds, who shared his appreciation for “the opportunity of exposure for our inner-city youth to be able to experience these aspects of politics and having their voices heard.” We were so proud of our students for speaking their truth confidently and observing how much the congressional staff and environmental leaders valued their participation.
On the bus ride back to school, the students reflected on their experience and how much they enjoyed meeting new people, getting points of inspiration from seasoned professionals, observing politicians working and talking to constituents, sharing their own ideas, answering questions, and discovering new opportunities. They told us that they would be interested in talking to decision makers again, and we are already working on making that happen!
—Ikea
The day was best summed up by our partner, UDC’s Anacostia Ambassador, Xavier Brown, who said, “It was good to see students tap into what they learned over the summer. They showed up and showed out.”
