Live It Learn It

Fresh air. Sunshine. Movement. Joy.

Today 4th graders at explored and Heritage Island, seeing nature through the lens of a heron, frog, snail, and dragonfly. Students looked up, crouched down, zoomed in, and noticed the tiny details that make the world feel alive.

It was the perfect day to get outside and remember that learning can be joyful, active, and full of wonder.

Students at Columbia Heights Education Campus experienced something special thanks to teacher ✨Renana Fox and her project, “Drama Club Goes to Broadway.” 🎭

The Bridge the Gap Fund, powered by Live It Learn It, helped make it possible for CHEC theatre students to travel from DC to New York City🍎 to attend a Broadway performance, participate in an acting workshop with NYC public school students, and explore the roots of musical theater in America 🎶 🎭.

For many students, it was their first time leaving DC, first time riding Amtrak 🚆and first time seeing a Broadway show live. As Ms Fox shared: “Having surveyed my students’ families at the start of the year, not everyone could have afforded this trip without full financial aid. With the support of the Bridge the Gap Fund, every one of them felt equal and could access this truly meaningful opportunity.” ✨❤️✨❤️

That is exactly why the Bridge the Gap Fund matters. It helps ensure students can experience learning, creativity, and possibility without cost being the thing that leaves them out.

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Thank you NatureBridge for the shoutout! The Bridge the Gap Fund is funded by the DC Council, and we’re honored that we get to help run this citywide initiative supporting teachers and students across DC public and public charter schools, PreK–12.

Helping schools access meaningful student experiences like the amazing overnight environmental programs Nature Bridge offers is exactly why the fund exists, and we’re excited to see more educators take advantage of it.

Thank you to the educators, partners, and advocates who make outdoor learning experiences possible for students in Washington, D.C.! At the recent D.C. Teachers' Night, hosted by U.S. Botanic Garden and DC Environmental Education Consortium, we were honored to connect with so many of these champions of outdoor education. 🌿

📣 Special shoutout to Amanda and Gabbie from Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, who shared their experience bringing students into the field with us since Yu Ying’s first trip to NatureBridge Prince William Forest Park in 2015.

We were also excited to connect with Live It Learn It, whose Bridge the Gap fund provides up to $5,000 to help D.C. public and charter schools access experiential, field-based learning opportunities. We're looking forward to connecting more schools with this awesome source of support!

What does it look like to lead together? 🤝

At Live It Learn It, we believe in the power of partnership and not just with schools, but at the very top of our organization.

Join our Co-EDs, Maryam Trowell and Erin McSpadden, and Chance Co-CEOs Jeffrey Franco and Ann Birnbaum Miles for a candid LinkedIn Live conversation on Thursday, March 12. We’re diving into the real benefits and challenges of the nonprofit co-leadership model.

What does it look like to lead together? 🤝

At Live It Learn It, we believe in the power of partnership and not just with schools, but at the very top of our organization.

Join our Co-EDs, Maryam Trowell and Erin McSpadden, and Co-CEOs Jeffrey Franco and Ann Birnbaum Miles for a candid LinkedIn Live. We’re diving into the real benefits and challenges of the nonprofit co-leadership model.

Every time we bring students to the Portrait Gallery 🖼️, there are two stops the kids will not let us skip.

Black History Month or not, they know what leadership looks like, and they know who’s worth learning from.

Happy Black History Month from the LILI crew. ✊🏾✊🏿✨

Snowed in ❄️ but still thinking about last week’s big moment when LILI connected third graders with the John A. Wilson Building 🏛️✨!! Students shared what they care about in this city 🗣️💛 and their BIG ideas 💡, and she truly listened 👂🏽👏🏽. Huge thank you to Councilmember Anita Bonds and her amazing staff 🙌🏽, and to Director of Communications & Public Information Joshua Gibson for making it all happen 🎉🤝!!