UAS Update
Annual Report Message 2021
Happy, Happy New Year, Squad friends. 2021 is here. We hope that this Annual Report message finds you whole, beginning to heal, or with the support you need.
On Wednesday, we had our last all-outdoor, masked, socially distanced program of the year, and we hiked to a D.C. hidden gem in Rock Creek Park: the Capitol Stones. It’s a giant pile of sandstone that formed the original U.S. Capitol, which was completed in 1800.
It was a heavily symbolic way to end this Squad year, standing in front of hundreds of large rocks in a meadow on National Park Service land, imagining their history, reflecting on the people who fought to preserve the greenspaces we use as our outdoor classrooms, and wondering what people would build with the stones if they could, or if hikers pass by without realizing the site’s significance.
In this annual report message, we share with you some of the bright lights of 2020, the lessons we’ll take with us, and--rather than our usual section on dreams for next year and beyond--a more modest look at what we need to get done right now to sustain ourselves until a vaccine is wildly available, and how you can help us get there. The work begins Tuesday, Jan. 5, when we’re back outdoors: www.urbanadventuresquad.org/outdoorprograms
The brightest light of 2020? You, our Squad community of all ages.
You emailed us. On our toughest days, we’d open our inbox to an email from a Squad friend who was just writing to say something like, “I’m sorry you’re going through this. I love what you do,” or “We’re not ready to be with people outside of our household, but I’m so happy you’re holding programs outdoors.”
You donated. Our losses this year were steep--our 2019 revenues were over $270,000, but in 2020, because of the loss of programs and associated fees, we brought in about half that amount. We’re still tallying, but we received well over $20,000 in donations, which more than tripled our donations from 2019, and we are expecting additional donations in January from several in-progress Facebook fundraisers. This was possible because you:
You joined us to make kids happy. People like musician/music teacher Premila Mistry, food industry veteran Peter Fox, artist Wendy Sittner, chefs Jon Pham, Jen Hoang, Shaiq Husain; beekeeper and educator Caroline Hutton; civil engineer Julie Pike, environmental educators Wendy Howard, Autumn Saxton-Ross, and Samantha Battersby all joined us for virtual sessions and online events this summer. We learned and smiled together, got to know each other, and created the important social connections that we were all missing.
You joined us to help make adults happy and raise money. We held two online fundraisers spearheaded by Christy Brock, UAS director of programming: a “Summer Drinks and Trivia Fundraiser,” with Peter Fox, who showed us how to make tasty beverages, and a “Sweat for the Squad” fundraiser on Giving Tuesday. Squad friend and certified fitness instructor Sarah Goldberg and Christy, also a certified instructor, helped us laugh, sweat, and raise much-needed funds.
You accessed our scholarships to send your children to programs. The Squad is for all, and we will continue to raise money to make sure that we can stay afloat as an organization and support access to our programs for more children.
You helped us experiment. The prospect of a virtual summer really stunk at first. But because of online learning, we were able to fulfill a dream we’d had for a while: create a panel discussion that focused on students, not adults. Moderated by DC high school sophomore Zoe Woods-Arthur, we hosted a community film screening on the powerful documentary, “The Story of Plastic” during our weeklong summer session, "Protecting the Anacostia: Watershed Stewards Program."
You--a student/Squad member/kid--attended our programs virtually or in-person. Do you recognize yourself in this list?!
You cracked us up by belting out Broadway show tunes on a trail in Fort Totten Park.
You made funny faces through your mask.
You made a chili crisp omelette for our virtual potluck.
You asked our panelists what you could do to help reduce plastic in our waterways.
You made us laugh and almost cry when you came to our outdoor program and said, “I just don’t want to be on mute anymore.”
You doodled during Squad virtual sessions--often inspired by the lesson of the day--and then held your work up to the camera and told us about it, so we could all share it.
You found trees to climb wherever we were.
You chose us, in the fall, as the first place you came to interact with kids outside your household since March. And then you came back!
You, a high school volunteer, taught the Squad how to make linguine from your kitchen while the rest of us watched and asked questions on Zoom.
You, inspired on a hike, screamed, “THIS IS SO COOL!!”
You, on a trail near Peirce Mill, asked us to take photos so you could show your mom where you hiked.
You, who have come to our programs for years, joined us for a 3-hour, all-outdoor program--your first Squad since February--and you told us it was the best Squad you’d been on, ever.
You shared your pets and younger siblings with us on Zoom. (Sometimes you weren’t so happy about the siblings….)
You had long conversations with us about Star Wars Legos and the Mandalorian as we hiked through the woods.
You quizzed younger kids in trivia while we hung out on a beach in Rock Creek Park.
You loved building a water wheel outside and asked when we were doing it again.
You wanted hugs, as did we, but we agreed on elbow bumps and a promise of post-COVID hugs.
You got to the Squad early, because as soon as virtual school ended, you were so excited to join us outdoors!
UAS STAFF AND BOARD
We got through 2020 because of the dedicated people who are part of our Squad community. Our staff got smaller this year--educators Laurel Clark and Maia Banayangraduated from American University and moved on to full-time jobs--but our community remains close.
Laurel helped with video editing for a recent grant we received from DC Public Schools to produce two educational videos and hold two virtual events as part of their DCPS Family Cornerstones project. DCPS is in the process of launching the project, and our virtual events will take place this spring.
We learned about Laurel’s video editing skills when she produced this wonderful video on acidity for our virtual summer programs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y73nYSnXs9s&t=42s
Educators Ashley Turnbull and Ebony McCovery left the Howard University campus in March, when shutdowns began. They join us for occasional virtual programs, including our programs for Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Ward 7, which is funded by a grant from Mayor Bowser’s Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes.
Educator Brielle Brookins--now Dr. Brookins!--earned her PhD in developmental psychology from Howard University in 2020 and has a full schedule teaching at local universities. We miss her so much! But Brielle still joins us occasionally for programs, and recently filmed one of the DCPS Family Cornerstones videos, “Represent Yourself and Your Community Through Public Art."
Educator Peter Merlo-Coyne joined UAS in 2019, when he graduated with a chemistry degree from the University of Maryland. We were getting ready to hire Peter as our third full-time employee--which would have been a significant milestone for the Squad--when the pandemic forced us to freeze hiring and reduce our spending.
Peter has been developing and running fantastic programs, including a recent “Wilderness Survival Skills” series that includes learning to tie knots and use them for practical and recreational purposes, navigating trails, and building fires. You can see Peter in action in this recent video (remember that snowy/rainy day on December 16?) that was filmed and shared with us by the Flores family, whose children attend our programs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ky35C8nzE&t=194s
All UAS programming and curriculum work is led by Christy Brock, Urban Adventure Squad’s director of programming. Under Christy’s leadership, the Squad adapted ALL of its 2020 weeklong summer sessions to virtual programs--a tough task for an organization that had focused on the outdoors and community-based learning, and not on technology or screen time. She then oversaw our second programming pivot, to fully masked, small-group, equitable outdoor programs this fall.
UAS is overseen by a Board of Directors that meets quarterly. We are excited to welcome new board member Tamar Shapiro, senior manager of strategic initiatives at the New Urban Mobility Alliance and former president and CEO, Center for Community Progress. In addition to Elana Mintz, the executive director, the Board includes:
Eric Glantz, Board Treasurer
Nathan Slusher, Board Secretary
Catherine Brown
Arati Karnik, MD
Amanda Ripley
WHAT’S NEXT, AND HOW WE’LL TRY TO GET THERE
In previous annual reports, we’ve finished with our dreams for the future, some of which have come true. In 2019, we introduced a registration system that we could finally consider after we received an important donation of $5000. It automated many things we did manually for years, and allowed registering families to make their own changes to registration and their accounts through a dashboard.
Last year, one of our dreams we shared was for a permanent home for the Squad. That is still a distant dream for us, but the financial turmoil this year reminded us of the importance of being nimble, and that a pop-up model of outdoor learning programs means that we can get to different neighborhoods more easily, rather than be tied to rent expenses that might motivate us to focus our work in just one neighborhood. So we’re thinking through our dreams, and right now, we just need to stay afloat. So here’s the rundown of our current work:
Now that the latest Coronavirus relief package is law, we are looking at another Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which helped us pay salaries and retain staff for most of the summer.
We have been approved for a Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). This is a potential game changer for us, and would allow us some stability until a vaccine is widely available. But it is still borrowed money. So we are awaiting more information on a potential PPP loan, which is forgivable, before we go forward with an EIDL, which is not.
We continue to look for grants and other funding opportunities. If you or someone you know is interested in investing in safe, equitable, outdoor learning, please get in touch or help connect us.
We have a Squad-sustaining Membership offer that was originally scheduled to close on 12/31, but we want to give families more time to consider it. As part of our Campaign to Save the Squad, we created a Squad membership program that asks families to invest in our future and receive unlimited access to six months of Squad programs (June-December 2021).
The membership includes ALL 2021 summer, fall, and winter break programming. Traditionally, we bring in most of our program-related revenues between December and February, as families register for summer. We will not see those revenues because summer 2021 is uncertain. After a virtual summer and a fall of outdoor programs, we're prepared to support families across the city, safely and joyfully, in any scenario. We are offering two sustaining membership levels:
Unlimited programs, June-December 2021, family enrolling one child: $3000
Unlimited programs, June-December 2021, family enrolling two or more children: $4000
If you're not enrolling children in Urban Adventure Squad, please consider purchasing a Squad-sustaining Membership to support our programs and scholarships. To inquire, please email [email protected].
For info and to purchase a membership: www.urbanadventuresquad.org/outdoorprograms
For membership questions: [email protected]
We will continue to speak out about barriers for small nonprofits, and offer feedback to current and prospective grantors about how to create grants that help both the funder and the funded meet our goals. Our op-ed in the Washington Post with Living Classrooms addressed an issue that we are still sorting through, and which contributed to significant, end-of-year financial stress for us.
We’re advocating for funding for outdoor learning opportunities. Squad Executive Director Elana Mintz testified before the DC State Board of Education (DCSBOE) on December 16 as part of a panel on outdoor learning. Elana's testimony and the rounds of questions from Board members begin at the 59:50 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTWix7_wA48
The DCSBOE has asked Mayor Muriel Bowser for a $4 million fund for outdoor learning for DC public and public charter schools that would include not just outdoor classrooms but doing what we do--using the city as a classroom for curriculum- and standards-aligned academic activities. If outdoor learning is something you'd like to see at your school, please talk it up with your principal, your parent/family association, and with us! Here’s a recent news story on the issue: https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-state-board-education-outdoor-classrooms
Keep an eye on Washingtonian magazine’s February issue for a story on summer that includes us. There is lots of uncertainty around summer and what programs will look like for organizations like ours, who don’t have a permanent, outdoor home, but we’re going to get out there!
We welcome visitors to our programs, connections to potential supporters of, or partners in our work, your ideas of all sizes, and your feedback. Please stay in touch, or reach out if we’ve never talked. You can find us at the contact info below, and on social media: we are @UrbanAdvSquad on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And we now have a YouTube channel that you can subscribe to!
That's all from here. Happy UAS 2021! May the new year bring you peace, health, happiness, and time outdoors.
Click here to make a donation* to Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center.
*Registered families can donate through your account; a link to the account log-in page is at www.urbanadventuresquad.org.
Follow your Squad on Twitter (@UrbanAdvSquad) and Facebook (@UrbanAdvSquad).
Sign up for this e-newsletter by joining our email list
Please note our email addresses and add them to your contacts:
General UAS inquiries: [email protected]
Elana Mintz, Executive Director: [email protected]
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: [email protected]
Phone number (voicemail only): 202-455-0390
Questions, concerns, or feedback? Email [email protected]
Annual Report Message 2021
Happy, Happy New Year, Squad friends. 2021 is here. We hope that this Annual Report message finds you whole, beginning to heal, or with the support you need.
On Wednesday, we had our last all-outdoor, masked, socially distanced program of the year, and we hiked to a D.C. hidden gem in Rock Creek Park: the Capitol Stones. It’s a giant pile of sandstone that formed the original U.S. Capitol, which was completed in 1800.
It was a heavily symbolic way to end this Squad year, standing in front of hundreds of large rocks in a meadow on National Park Service land, imagining their history, reflecting on the people who fought to preserve the greenspaces we use as our outdoor classrooms, and wondering what people would build with the stones if they could, or if hikers pass by without realizing the site’s significance.
In this annual report message, we share with you some of the bright lights of 2020, the lessons we’ll take with us, and--rather than our usual section on dreams for next year and beyond--a more modest look at what we need to get done right now to sustain ourselves until a vaccine is wildly available, and how you can help us get there. The work begins Tuesday, Jan. 5, when we’re back outdoors: www.urbanadventuresquad.org/outdoorprograms
The brightest light of 2020? You, our Squad community of all ages.
You emailed us. On our toughest days, we’d open our inbox to an email from a Squad friend who was just writing to say something like, “I’m sorry you’re going through this. I love what you do,” or “We’re not ready to be with people outside of our household, but I’m so happy you’re holding programs outdoors.”
You donated. Our losses this year were steep--our 2019 revenues were over $270,000, but in 2020, because of the loss of programs and associated fees, we brought in about half that amount. We’re still tallying, but we received well over $20,000 in donations, which more than tripled our donations from 2019, and we are expecting additional donations in January from several in-progress Facebook fundraisers. This was possible because you:
- sent donations of every amount ($5, $25, $200, $500, $1000)
- started fundraisers to support the Squad
- told friends, family, and colleagues about our work, and asked them to consider donating
- shared our social media posts from our programs on Capitol Hill, Fort Totten, Fort Reno, Peirce Mill, Carter Barron, and on Zoom.
- Posted about our programs on neighborhood and school listservs, which led people to reach out to us who had never heard of us before.
You joined us to make kids happy. People like musician/music teacher Premila Mistry, food industry veteran Peter Fox, artist Wendy Sittner, chefs Jon Pham, Jen Hoang, Shaiq Husain; beekeeper and educator Caroline Hutton; civil engineer Julie Pike, environmental educators Wendy Howard, Autumn Saxton-Ross, and Samantha Battersby all joined us for virtual sessions and online events this summer. We learned and smiled together, got to know each other, and created the important social connections that we were all missing.
You joined us to help make adults happy and raise money. We held two online fundraisers spearheaded by Christy Brock, UAS director of programming: a “Summer Drinks and Trivia Fundraiser,” with Peter Fox, who showed us how to make tasty beverages, and a “Sweat for the Squad” fundraiser on Giving Tuesday. Squad friend and certified fitness instructor Sarah Goldberg and Christy, also a certified instructor, helped us laugh, sweat, and raise much-needed funds.
You accessed our scholarships to send your children to programs. The Squad is for all, and we will continue to raise money to make sure that we can stay afloat as an organization and support access to our programs for more children.
You helped us experiment. The prospect of a virtual summer really stunk at first. But because of online learning, we were able to fulfill a dream we’d had for a while: create a panel discussion that focused on students, not adults. Moderated by DC high school sophomore Zoe Woods-Arthur, we hosted a community film screening on the powerful documentary, “The Story of Plastic” during our weeklong summer session, "Protecting the Anacostia: Watershed Stewards Program."
You--a student/Squad member/kid--attended our programs virtually or in-person. Do you recognize yourself in this list?!
You cracked us up by belting out Broadway show tunes on a trail in Fort Totten Park.
You made funny faces through your mask.
You made a chili crisp omelette for our virtual potluck.
You asked our panelists what you could do to help reduce plastic in our waterways.
You made us laugh and almost cry when you came to our outdoor program and said, “I just don’t want to be on mute anymore.”
You doodled during Squad virtual sessions--often inspired by the lesson of the day--and then held your work up to the camera and told us about it, so we could all share it.
You found trees to climb wherever we were.
You chose us, in the fall, as the first place you came to interact with kids outside your household since March. And then you came back!
You, a high school volunteer, taught the Squad how to make linguine from your kitchen while the rest of us watched and asked questions on Zoom.
You, inspired on a hike, screamed, “THIS IS SO COOL!!”
You, on a trail near Peirce Mill, asked us to take photos so you could show your mom where you hiked.
You, who have come to our programs for years, joined us for a 3-hour, all-outdoor program--your first Squad since February--and you told us it was the best Squad you’d been on, ever.
You shared your pets and younger siblings with us on Zoom. (Sometimes you weren’t so happy about the siblings….)
You had long conversations with us about Star Wars Legos and the Mandalorian as we hiked through the woods.
You quizzed younger kids in trivia while we hung out on a beach in Rock Creek Park.
You loved building a water wheel outside and asked when we were doing it again.
You wanted hugs, as did we, but we agreed on elbow bumps and a promise of post-COVID hugs.
You got to the Squad early, because as soon as virtual school ended, you were so excited to join us outdoors!
UAS STAFF AND BOARD
We got through 2020 because of the dedicated people who are part of our Squad community. Our staff got smaller this year--educators Laurel Clark and Maia Banayangraduated from American University and moved on to full-time jobs--but our community remains close.
Laurel helped with video editing for a recent grant we received from DC Public Schools to produce two educational videos and hold two virtual events as part of their DCPS Family Cornerstones project. DCPS is in the process of launching the project, and our virtual events will take place this spring.
We learned about Laurel’s video editing skills when she produced this wonderful video on acidity for our virtual summer programs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y73nYSnXs9s&t=42s
Educators Ashley Turnbull and Ebony McCovery left the Howard University campus in March, when shutdowns began. They join us for occasional virtual programs, including our programs for Elsie Whitlow Stokes Community Freedom Public Charter School in Ward 7, which is funded by a grant from Mayor Bowser’s Office of Out of School Time Grants and Youth Outcomes.
Educator Brielle Brookins--now Dr. Brookins!--earned her PhD in developmental psychology from Howard University in 2020 and has a full schedule teaching at local universities. We miss her so much! But Brielle still joins us occasionally for programs, and recently filmed one of the DCPS Family Cornerstones videos, “Represent Yourself and Your Community Through Public Art."
Educator Peter Merlo-Coyne joined UAS in 2019, when he graduated with a chemistry degree from the University of Maryland. We were getting ready to hire Peter as our third full-time employee--which would have been a significant milestone for the Squad--when the pandemic forced us to freeze hiring and reduce our spending.
Peter has been developing and running fantastic programs, including a recent “Wilderness Survival Skills” series that includes learning to tie knots and use them for practical and recreational purposes, navigating trails, and building fires. You can see Peter in action in this recent video (remember that snowy/rainy day on December 16?) that was filmed and shared with us by the Flores family, whose children attend our programs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5ky35C8nzE&t=194s
All UAS programming and curriculum work is led by Christy Brock, Urban Adventure Squad’s director of programming. Under Christy’s leadership, the Squad adapted ALL of its 2020 weeklong summer sessions to virtual programs--a tough task for an organization that had focused on the outdoors and community-based learning, and not on technology or screen time. She then oversaw our second programming pivot, to fully masked, small-group, equitable outdoor programs this fall.
UAS is overseen by a Board of Directors that meets quarterly. We are excited to welcome new board member Tamar Shapiro, senior manager of strategic initiatives at the New Urban Mobility Alliance and former president and CEO, Center for Community Progress. In addition to Elana Mintz, the executive director, the Board includes:
Eric Glantz, Board Treasurer
Nathan Slusher, Board Secretary
Catherine Brown
Arati Karnik, MD
Amanda Ripley
WHAT’S NEXT, AND HOW WE’LL TRY TO GET THERE
In previous annual reports, we’ve finished with our dreams for the future, some of which have come true. In 2019, we introduced a registration system that we could finally consider after we received an important donation of $5000. It automated many things we did manually for years, and allowed registering families to make their own changes to registration and their accounts through a dashboard.
Last year, one of our dreams we shared was for a permanent home for the Squad. That is still a distant dream for us, but the financial turmoil this year reminded us of the importance of being nimble, and that a pop-up model of outdoor learning programs means that we can get to different neighborhoods more easily, rather than be tied to rent expenses that might motivate us to focus our work in just one neighborhood. So we’re thinking through our dreams, and right now, we just need to stay afloat. So here’s the rundown of our current work:
Now that the latest Coronavirus relief package is law, we are looking at another Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan, which helped us pay salaries and retain staff for most of the summer.
We have been approved for a Small Business Administration Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). This is a potential game changer for us, and would allow us some stability until a vaccine is widely available. But it is still borrowed money. So we are awaiting more information on a potential PPP loan, which is forgivable, before we go forward with an EIDL, which is not.
We continue to look for grants and other funding opportunities. If you or someone you know is interested in investing in safe, equitable, outdoor learning, please get in touch or help connect us.
We have a Squad-sustaining Membership offer that was originally scheduled to close on 12/31, but we want to give families more time to consider it. As part of our Campaign to Save the Squad, we created a Squad membership program that asks families to invest in our future and receive unlimited access to six months of Squad programs (June-December 2021).
The membership includes ALL 2021 summer, fall, and winter break programming. Traditionally, we bring in most of our program-related revenues between December and February, as families register for summer. We will not see those revenues because summer 2021 is uncertain. After a virtual summer and a fall of outdoor programs, we're prepared to support families across the city, safely and joyfully, in any scenario. We are offering two sustaining membership levels:
Unlimited programs, June-December 2021, family enrolling one child: $3000
Unlimited programs, June-December 2021, family enrolling two or more children: $4000
If you're not enrolling children in Urban Adventure Squad, please consider purchasing a Squad-sustaining Membership to support our programs and scholarships. To inquire, please email [email protected].
For info and to purchase a membership: www.urbanadventuresquad.org/outdoorprograms
For membership questions: [email protected]
We will continue to speak out about barriers for small nonprofits, and offer feedback to current and prospective grantors about how to create grants that help both the funder and the funded meet our goals. Our op-ed in the Washington Post with Living Classrooms addressed an issue that we are still sorting through, and which contributed to significant, end-of-year financial stress for us.
We’re advocating for funding for outdoor learning opportunities. Squad Executive Director Elana Mintz testified before the DC State Board of Education (DCSBOE) on December 16 as part of a panel on outdoor learning. Elana's testimony and the rounds of questions from Board members begin at the 59:50 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTWix7_wA48
The DCSBOE has asked Mayor Muriel Bowser for a $4 million fund for outdoor learning for DC public and public charter schools that would include not just outdoor classrooms but doing what we do--using the city as a classroom for curriculum- and standards-aligned academic activities. If outdoor learning is something you'd like to see at your school, please talk it up with your principal, your parent/family association, and with us! Here’s a recent news story on the issue: https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-state-board-education-outdoor-classrooms
Keep an eye on Washingtonian magazine’s February issue for a story on summer that includes us. There is lots of uncertainty around summer and what programs will look like for organizations like ours, who don’t have a permanent, outdoor home, but we’re going to get out there!
We welcome visitors to our programs, connections to potential supporters of, or partners in our work, your ideas of all sizes, and your feedback. Please stay in touch, or reach out if we’ve never talked. You can find us at the contact info below, and on social media: we are @UrbanAdvSquad on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. And we now have a YouTube channel that you can subscribe to!
That's all from here. Happy UAS 2021! May the new year bring you peace, health, happiness, and time outdoors.
Click here to make a donation* to Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center.
*Registered families can donate through your account; a link to the account log-in page is at www.urbanadventuresquad.org.
Follow your Squad on Twitter (@UrbanAdvSquad) and Facebook (@UrbanAdvSquad).
Sign up for this e-newsletter by joining our email list
Please note our email addresses and add them to your contacts:
General UAS inquiries: [email protected]
Elana Mintz, Executive Director: [email protected]
Christy Brock, Director of Programming: [email protected]
Phone number (voicemail only): 202-455-0390
Questions, concerns, or feedback? Email [email protected]