These programs are for families whose children live or go to school in Ward 7.
Junior Ranger Adventure Squad is a creative partnership between Urban Adventure Squad and Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens with the goal to create meaningful connections to local National Parks--especially Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens--and foster a lifelong love of environmental stewardship in students here in Washington, DC. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a historic National Park Service site located along the Anacostia River, is where we will spend our days hiking, exploring, learning, picnicking, and playing.
Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center (“Urban Adventure Squad") is a Washington, DC-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit education organization that supports schools and school communities with outdoors-focused, hands-on learning programs that use the city as the classroom. If you have any questions after reading through this page, please email us at [email protected].
Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens connects neighbors and visitors to the park all year long through stewardship, engagement and educational activities. To learn more and get involved as a family or school, visit kenaqgardens.org or on social media @kenaqgardens.
Spring Break Program: April 14-18
Junior Ranger Adventure Squad: Fiber Crafts and Mapmaking
This program gives priority to students who live or go to school in Ward 7.
Registration is OPEN!
Grades 1-5
8:45am-3:00pm
Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
$440 program fee
$110 scholarship rate (select this option while registering, there is no application or paperwork)
+15% sibling discount for both options
Please note: Registration for spring break closes two weeks ahead of the program, on March 31.
Summer Program: June 23-27
Great Observations: A Naturalist's Field Guide Adventure
This program gives priority to students who live or go to school in Ward 7.
Registration is open!
Grades rising 2nd-8th
8:45am-3:00pm
Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE
$440 program fee
$110 scholarship rate (select this option while registering, there is no application or paperwork)
+15% sibling discount for both options
At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe every child should have access to the joy of outdoor learning. It is our mission to make outdoor learning more equitable in Washington, D.C. If you need additional scholarship support, please email Urban Adventure Squad at [email protected], subject line, "Full scholarship request."
This special Junior Ranger Adventure Squad programming is made possible thanks to scholarship funding provided by Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens who are deeply invested in our Ward 7 neighborhood. Want to make a contribution? Make a donation online at kenaqgardens.org/donate.
HOW TO REGISTER
Returning families CLICK HERE to log into your UltraCamp account and register.
NEW families:
Welcome! Follow the steps below to create an account and register for summer programs.
1. CLICK HERE to create a new account.
Please note: Now that we're in a new calendar year, our registration system asks for your student's grade "in fall of 2025." Summer registration generally goes by the "rising" grade, or the student's grade in fall of the next school year. When asked for your child's grade in fall of 2025, you would (for example) select 4th grade for your current 3rd grade student. This would let the system know they are currently in 3rd grade and UltraCamp will automatically graduate them to 4th grade in June.
2. CLICK "MAKE A RESERVATION"
3. SCROLL DOWN AND SELECT THE SESSION(S) OF YOUR CHOICE
4. COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION
REFUND POLICY
Spring Break program
We can honor your cancellation with a full refund until two weeks before the program begins. The last day for a refund is March 31. After that, you will get a credit on your UltraCamp account to be used toward a future program. It is very difficult to fill spots at the last minute, even if we have a waitlist for the program. Please email us at [email protected] to request a refund. This refund policy applies to both the standard program fee and the scholarship rate.
Summer program
If you paid the standard program fee of $440 (with or without a sibling discount), $110 of your program fee is non-refundable. We can refund the remaining amount until April 1st. If you paid the scholarship rate, we can issue a full refund before April 1st. We are unable to issue any refunds beginning on April 1st. It is very difficult to fill summer spots after April, even when a program has a waitlist. Please email us at [email protected] to request a refund.
Junior Ranger Adventure Squad is a creative partnership between Urban Adventure Squad and Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens with the goal to create meaningful connections to local National Parks--especially Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens--and foster a lifelong love of environmental stewardship in students here in Washington, DC. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, a historic National Park Service site located along the Anacostia River, is where we will spend our days hiking, exploring, learning, picnicking, and playing.
Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center (“Urban Adventure Squad") is a Washington, DC-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit education organization that supports schools and school communities with outdoors-focused, hands-on learning programs that use the city as the classroom. If you have any questions after reading through this page, please email us at [email protected].
Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens connects neighbors and visitors to the park all year long through stewardship, engagement and educational activities. To learn more and get involved as a family or school, visit kenaqgardens.org or on social media @kenaqgardens.
Spring Break Program: April 14-18
Junior Ranger Adventure Squad: Fiber Crafts and Mapmaking
This program gives priority to students who live or go to school in Ward 7.
Registration is OPEN!
Grades 1-5
8:45am-3:00pm
Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
$440 program fee
$110 scholarship rate (select this option while registering, there is no application or paperwork)
+15% sibling discount for both options
Please note: Registration for spring break closes two weeks ahead of the program, on March 31.
Summer Program: June 23-27
Great Observations: A Naturalist's Field Guide Adventure
This program gives priority to students who live or go to school in Ward 7.
Registration is open!
Grades rising 2nd-8th
8:45am-3:00pm
Location: Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, 1550 Anacostia Ave. NE
$440 program fee
$110 scholarship rate (select this option while registering, there is no application or paperwork)
+15% sibling discount for both options
At Urban Adventure Squad, we believe every child should have access to the joy of outdoor learning. It is our mission to make outdoor learning more equitable in Washington, D.C. If you need additional scholarship support, please email Urban Adventure Squad at [email protected], subject line, "Full scholarship request."
This special Junior Ranger Adventure Squad programming is made possible thanks to scholarship funding provided by Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens who are deeply invested in our Ward 7 neighborhood. Want to make a contribution? Make a donation online at kenaqgardens.org/donate.
HOW TO REGISTER
Returning families CLICK HERE to log into your UltraCamp account and register.
NEW families:
Welcome! Follow the steps below to create an account and register for summer programs.
1. CLICK HERE to create a new account.
Please note: Now that we're in a new calendar year, our registration system asks for your student's grade "in fall of 2025." Summer registration generally goes by the "rising" grade, or the student's grade in fall of the next school year. When asked for your child's grade in fall of 2025, you would (for example) select 4th grade for your current 3rd grade student. This would let the system know they are currently in 3rd grade and UltraCamp will automatically graduate them to 4th grade in June.
2. CLICK "MAKE A RESERVATION"
3. SCROLL DOWN AND SELECT THE SESSION(S) OF YOUR CHOICE
4. COMPLETE YOUR REGISTRATION
REFUND POLICY
Spring Break program
We can honor your cancellation with a full refund until two weeks before the program begins. The last day for a refund is March 31. After that, you will get a credit on your UltraCamp account to be used toward a future program. It is very difficult to fill spots at the last minute, even if we have a waitlist for the program. Please email us at [email protected] to request a refund. This refund policy applies to both the standard program fee and the scholarship rate.
Summer program
If you paid the standard program fee of $440 (with or without a sibling discount), $110 of your program fee is non-refundable. We can refund the remaining amount until April 1st. If you paid the scholarship rate, we can issue a full refund before April 1st. We are unable to issue any refunds beginning on April 1st. It is very difficult to fill summer spots after April, even when a program has a waitlist. Please email us at [email protected] to request a refund.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE DOING EACH DAY?
Every day of our Junior Ranger Adventure Squad programs include hiking, playing, exploring, and creating at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Your student will learn about our urban ecosystem, practice identifying the local plants and animals that rely on the Anacostia River, design and create art projects, and become an environmental steward of the park!
Families are responsible for transportation to and from the park and packing a lunch and water bottle. UAS will provide morning and afternoon snacks, as well as water bottle refills.
At Urban Adventure Squad, we strongly believe that outdoor learning is an essential part of a child’s physical, social, mental, and emotional growth. Squad members--who come from over 80 schools in the Washington area--explore the natural world, build confidence in themselves, make new friends, discover new passions, become environmental advocates, and connect with their communities. See examples of what we've been doing in our weekday programs all schoolyear by checking us out on instagram, facebook, and twitter @UrbanAdvSquad, or visiting our Outdoor Programs webpage.
Every day of our Junior Ranger Adventure Squad programs include hiking, playing, exploring, and creating at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. Your student will learn about our urban ecosystem, practice identifying the local plants and animals that rely on the Anacostia River, design and create art projects, and become an environmental steward of the park!
Families are responsible for transportation to and from the park and packing a lunch and water bottle. UAS will provide morning and afternoon snacks, as well as water bottle refills.
At Urban Adventure Squad, we strongly believe that outdoor learning is an essential part of a child’s physical, social, mental, and emotional growth. Squad members--who come from over 80 schools in the Washington area--explore the natural world, build confidence in themselves, make new friends, discover new passions, become environmental advocates, and connect with their communities. See examples of what we've been doing in our weekday programs all schoolyear by checking us out on instagram, facebook, and twitter @UrbanAdvSquad, or visiting our Outdoor Programs webpage.
WAITING LISTS. We are opening just a few spaces for each grade level, totaling 30 students in each program, so we can split students by age into smaller groups of 8-10 per educator. If a session you're interested in is full, there is an option to add your student to the waiting list. You can add your child to the waiting list by scrolling past "Available programs" down to the bottom of the page. Select the waiting list you'd like to be added to. If space becomes available, you'll receive an email offering you a spot, which will be held for just 48 hours. We prioritize siblings so that all siblings from a family can get into the program. We'll do our best to expand these programs where we can. Please be sure to check your spam filters. Emails often land in them, and we can't be responsible for emails that land in spam folders.
PREFERRED PAIRINGS. We will do our best to place siblings and friends in the same group whenever possible. If you'd like to request a pairing, please email us when you register to notify us of your request. Click here to email us.
WEATHER CANCELLATIONS. If there is relentless rain and lightning throughout all or part of the day, we may have to shorten or cancel that day's program. We will only use Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens' emergency shelter (classroom and tents) for brief periods during the day. We will not spend an entire day indoors.
HOW TO BE PREPARED FOR ADVENTURE. We will send an email with program details about a week ahead of each program, but your child should bring:
- a comfortable backpack packed with a lunch and water bottle. *We do not recommend drawstring backpacks--the strings can create rope burn on exposed shoulders and even through t-shirts. UAS provides morning and afternoon snacks.
- We recommend light, breathable layers in the spring and summer. Light color layers and tall socks help for tick prevention. For UAS tick protocol, click here.
- A hat and comfortable hiking shoes are a must! PLEASE NO CROCS OR FLIP FLOPS.
- If it's a rainy day, a waterproof layer or poncho is helpful. UAS educators are well stocked with supplies to keep Squad members safe, dry, and cool thanks to our wonderful Squad community who purchases these supplies from our amazon wish list and donates other items. This means we have things like disposable ponchos, disposable kid-sized medical masks, and extra socks.
- Send your Squad member in the morning with a base layer or sunscreen and insect repellent. We'll remind Squad members to reapply throughout the day.
To meet our team of educators, head over to our Staff Bios page.
For more information about Urban Adventure Squad, follow us on social media: @UrbanAdvSquad on instagram, X, and facebook, or email us at [email protected].