We get lots of great questions, so we've answered some of them here.
If you don't find your questions answered, please email us anytime.
And we love your feedback! We welcome that, too.
For our COVID-19 Safety Protocol, please click here.
If you don't find your questions answered, please email us anytime.
And we love your feedback! We welcome that, too.
For our COVID-19 Safety Protocol, please click here.
About Us
WHO ARE YOUR STAFF MEMBERS?
Our program educators are called Squad Leaders. Squad Leaders are a multi-talented group of people with diverse backgrounds and expertise. All Squad Leaders are required to undergo background checks. They are CPR/AED- and First Aid-certified, and trained in EpiPen administration. Depending on the ages of Squad members, our ratios are one Squad leader for every six to eight children. These ratios are to ensure safety during hikes and while taking public transportation, and to make sure that each child has sufficient attention to learn and have questions answered.
A few days before each program, we send out an email to registered families that includes a link to our Staff Bios page. This allows you to get to know a little bit more about our program educators.
A few days before each program, we send out an email to registered families that includes a link to our Staff Bios page. This allows you to get to know a little bit more about our program educators.
where do you hold your programs?
We’re lucky to have great relationships with community organizations and businesses that are happy to have us, and who provide us with great spaces for learning, playing, and creating. These spaces are our dropoff/pickup headquarters for the day, but we spend most of our program days out in the neighborhood on our outdoor learning adventures. We may hike in Rock Creek Park, go on a mural scavenger hunt on U Street, or mark storm drains by identifying which watershed they're a part of. For more specific information about these spaces, or to bring a Squad program to a space you have in mind, please contact us.
IS UAS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION?
Yes! The IRS approved our application for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in March 2017. Becoming a nonprofit is an incredible step for our whole Squad community; it allows us to access resources and funding to make our programs more broadly accessible and to develop a robust, innovative, and energized learning community.
CAN I GET REGULAR UPDATES ABOUT UPCOMING PROGRAMS?
Yes, we send out the UAS Update, our e-newsletter, about twice a month. Please click here to subscribe to the UAS Update. You can also check out our School-Year Programs page, which we update with locations and additional program days as we confirm them.
UrBAn Hiking? Cooking Demos? D.C. history and culture? sounds fun. can I come?
Absolutely! If you're interested in a special program for a group of adults, a family, a conference based in D.C., or a group of families, please contact us.
I'D LOVE TO SEE UAS BECOME SUSTAINABLE AND BE ABLE TO OFFER MORE PROGRAMS IN LOCATIONS ACROSS D.C. HOW CAN I HELP?
You can help us spread the Squad love by telling your school communities and favorite listservs about us, and by following us on Twitter (@UrbanAdvSquad) and on Facebook (@UrbanAdvSquad) We can often run special programs at or near particular schools if we get a core group of interested families. Letting your schools know that you love our programs helps, too! We want to work with schools to provide support for families on days when schools are closed, and we want to partner with schools on field trips and other experiential learning opportunities to support student learning.
The Registration Process
Can i register my pre-K child for uas programs?
We regret that we are unable to enroll students in PK-3 and PK-4 in our full-day programs. We do welcome these grade levels in our school partnership programs. For our full-day, school-year programs, we accept students who are currently enrolled in kindergarten, or who are at a level similar to kindergarten in their homeschool program.
Unfortunately we do not accept students entering kindergarten in our summer programs. During our school-year programs, we find that kindergarten and first grade students still need extra support and hand-holding when we cross city streets and streams and because our programs include daily hikes ranging between one and four miles as well as riding public transportation, the summer sessions are designed for students entering 1st-8th grades. Your current PK4 student will be eligible for our school-year programs as a kindergartner in the fall--registration opens around mid-August.
Unfortunately we do not accept students entering kindergarten in our summer programs. During our school-year programs, we find that kindergarten and first grade students still need extra support and hand-holding when we cross city streets and streams and because our programs include daily hikes ranging between one and four miles as well as riding public transportation, the summer sessions are designed for students entering 1st-8th grades. Your current PK4 student will be eligible for our school-year programs as a kindergartner in the fall--registration opens around mid-August.
How Many Squad membeRS do you accept for a program?
The number of Squad members we accept is based on the number of Squad leaders available to work, the size of our rental space, and the nature of that day's adventure. We strive for an adult-to-child ratio of between 1:6 and 1:8, depending on the ages of the children registered.
HOW DO I REGISTER MY CHILD FOR URBAN ADVENTURE SQUAD PROGRAMS?
Sign into your UltraCamp account or if you're registering for the first time, create a NEW account using this UltraCamp registration link. Please save the username and password you created so you can log in and make changes to your account at any time. You're able to register, cancel registration, add allergy info, alter authorized pickup information, and so much more using UltraCamp.
Select Make a Reservation and register and pay for your programs. No-questions-asked scholarships are available to select during the registration process. At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe in equitable outdoor learning and want as many children to access our programs as possible. Use scholarships whenever your family needs one, whether that's sometimes or always.
Select Make a Reservation and register and pay for your programs. No-questions-asked scholarships are available to select during the registration process. At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe in equitable outdoor learning and want as many children to access our programs as possible. Use scholarships whenever your family needs one, whether that's sometimes or always.
My child is on the waitING list, can I expect that they will get into the program?
When you log into your UltraCamp account and click Make a Reservation, you'll see a list of programs with availability for that particular Squad member based on their grade level followed by a list of programs for which you can add them to the waiting list. If you add your child to a waiting list, it's difficult to tell if or when a space will become available. If a space DOES become available for your waitlisted Squad member, you'll receive an automatic email notifying you. The email gives instructions on how to confirm that space. If you're no longer interested, please let us know so we can offer the space to another family.
WHY CAN'T YOU ACCEPT LAST-MINUTE OR WALK-IN REGISTRATIONS?
UAS programs require a high-degree of research, planning, logistics, and care. We carefully plan our curriculum and our field trips, and we must ensure that our adult-to-child ratios are appropriate for hiking through urban neighborhoods, on trails in the woods, and along bodies of water. We need to make sure that our Squad members get the attention they need throughout the day. We're unable to ensure these ratios if we rely on last-minute registrations.
The success of our programs is rooted in meticulous curriculum planning and staying flexible when we need to (for example, during public transportation delays, if a field trip is canceled, or if the weather affects our plans). For those reasons, we're unable to register Squad members at the last-minute or on the same day, unless they're coming off of a waitlist. Registration closes two weeks ahead of school-year programs.
The success of our programs is rooted in meticulous curriculum planning and staying flexible when we need to (for example, during public transportation delays, if a field trip is canceled, or if the weather affects our plans). For those reasons, we're unable to register Squad members at the last-minute or on the same day, unless they're coming off of a waitlist. Registration closes two weeks ahead of school-year programs.
During Program Days
DO YOU HAVE THEMES FOR YOUR PROGRAMS, SO THAT I KNOW WHAT ACTIVITIES YOU'LL BE DOING?
Our approach to every program is to get kids out and exploring D.C. on foot and by public transportation. Each program day is designed around a curriculum that keeps kids intellectually stimulated, physically active, and engaged with community.
We research and create handouts, which we discuss at our morning meeting or throughout the day, as we encourage curiosity, learn through experiences, and do community service projects. Because of weather considerations, and because we rely on guest speakers for some of our activities, sometimes our programs change at the last minute. We encourage families to sign up for the UAS model, which is rooted in community-based, experiential learning, rather than for a particular program on a particular day. For more specific information, please refer to the FAQ below, “What does a typical Squad day look like?” or email us.
We research and create handouts, which we discuss at our morning meeting or throughout the day, as we encourage curiosity, learn through experiences, and do community service projects. Because of weather considerations, and because we rely on guest speakers for some of our activities, sometimes our programs change at the last minute. We encourage families to sign up for the UAS model, which is rooted in community-based, experiential learning, rather than for a particular program on a particular day. For more specific information, please refer to the FAQ below, “What does a typical Squad day look like?” or email us.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL SQUAD DAY LOOK LIKE?
We start our day with free play so students can get acquainted with other Squad members, our rental space, and our staff. We believe strongly in the power of learning through play, so we design our days to have a balance of structured and unstructured time. Next, we circle up for a morning meeting, where we review our rules for safety and conduct, and learn about the day’s focus (e.g., history, architecture, culture, science, nature) in ways that accommodate the different ages/intellectual levels of our Squad members. We generally head out — we do lots of walking and exploring! — for several hours of hiking, picnicking, or an indoor field trip, sometimes with a guest to join us, like a park ranger or an environmental educator. We aim for field trips that are different from school field trips. For example, we’ve gone to Volkswagen to learn how cars work, to a restaurant/public space to learn about its use of recycled materials in its furniture and design, to Rock Creek Park to learn about erosion while hiking by the water, and on boat rides along the Anacostia River to learn about its wildlife and its pollution. If we go on more traditional field trips, we take a particular angle. For example, we once went to the National Zoo because the trip was designed and led by one of our Squad leaders who had been an animal husbandry intern at a different zoo. She taught the Squad about the lesser known animals she’d worked with, like the white-cheeked gibbon and the golden lion tamarin. After our adventure, we return to Squad headquarters, where we might do a cooking project, play games and run around, have an art/design project, or participate in a UAS series, like “Exploring Writers,” Curiosity Corner,” or “Imagination Station.”
What should I pack for my Squad member?
A few days before each program, you'll receive a logistics email that details what Squad members should bring to the program, drop-off and pick-up information, and short bios of the program's Squad Leaders. Generally, Squad members will need a packed lunch, weather-appropriate clothing, and comfortable walking shoes for any program. We provide the morning and afternoon snacks and Metro fare for any transportation we take during the program.
MY SQUAD MEMBER IS NOT EXPERIENCED WITH D.C. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THIS?
Part of the Urban Adventure Squad experience is learning how to get around our wonderful city. Some of our older Squad members are already independent commuters, and others have no experience with buses and trains. Our Squad leader-to-Squad member ratio is one Squad leader to between six and eight children, depending on their ages. Safety is our highest priority. Squad members love the adventure of traveling on public transportation, and we love showing them how it works and where it can take them, and cultivating an interest in navigation, urban design, and improving public transportation. We review our rules for safety on public transportation during our morning meeting and answer any questions students may have.
MY SQUAD MEMBER IS NOT EXCITED TO GO TO UAS WITH HER LITTLE BROTHER. SHE THINKS THEY’LL SPEND TIME DOING “BABYISH” STUFF.
Many sibling pairs join us at UAS programs and we make sure to treat all of them as individual Squad members. We believe strongly that our one-room schoolhouse model offers children great opportunities to learn from and help each other, and we encourage them to both work together and to carve out space/time for themselves. We work hard to make sure kids of all ages are intellectually and physically challenged at their own levels. Often, students will be separated into smaller groups for certain activities, like science experiments, writer’s workshops, and hikes. The result is that Squad members make friends of different ages from schools all over DC. Our hope is that they find a peaceful, supportive place to be themselves, and to remain part of our Squad community as they grow up. We hope that our current Squad members will be Squad leaders one day!
HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH WEATHER CONCERNS ON DAYS THAT IT'S REALLY HOT OR COLD? DO YOU STAY INSIDE?
We carefully balance our aim to spend time learning and playing outdoors with weather concerns, whether it's on a 95-degree day or bitterly cold. Please be sure your Squad member is prepared for the day's weather with appropriate clothing and shoes. We encourage you to pack extra layers or a second set of socks or clothes when necessary. We keep a close eye on the weather and any advisories, sometimes changing around the order of activities or shortening a hike. Check out this article about our hike through Dumbarton Oaks Conservancy on one of the coldest days of the year!
CAN I PIck up my squad member early from a program, OR DROP OFF LATE TO A PROGRAM?
Although our schedule varies for every program, we're generally out and about between 10 am and 2 pm. Sometimes we leave later or return later, depending on the field trip. In general, if you're dropping off late, it's better to do that before 10 am, and to pickup no earlier than 2 pm. But please check in with us so that we can help, and let you know what's possible.
WHY DON'T YOU OFFER BEFORE/AFTER CARE ALL THE TIME?
We’d like to provide more coverage for families that need it, so we are experimenting with aftercare as we are able to. We don't have the capacity to hire separate staff for extended morning or afternoon hours, and we need to make sure that we're offering aftercare when there is sufficient demand. So stay tuned, and let us know if you're unable to register for UAS programs without aftercare. In the meantime, we're very glad to try to help you find carpool options for the UAS program you’re registering for, and to offer aftercare when enough parents ask for it and we have the staff and rental space to allow for it.
Can families join on a squad adventure?
We love having observers and visitors at our programs, so you are always welcome to join us for part of our day. Please let us know ahead of time when you'd like to visit so we can figure out a good time when we're not in transit.