ABOUT US
Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center (UAS) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), Washington, D.C.-based education organization that supports schools and school communities with equitable, community-based, outdoor learning programs. We offer full-day programs when schools are closed, and we partner with schools and communities to connect students to their neighborhoods with curriculum-aligned lessons in science, history, math, art, engineering, and writing, and to train teachers in outdoor learning.
The UAS leadership includes the executive director and founder, Elana Mintz, the director of programming, Christy Brock, and a six-member Board of Directors.
UAS Squad leaders, or our organization's program educators, are the heart of our organization.
UAS partners with community educators, colleges and universities, other nonprofits, and small businesses to create programs that let students learn by doing. We learn about environmental science and stewardship by hiking through Rock Creek Park, fishing in the Anacostia River, and clearing invasive species from local greenspaces; about the arts and arts production by going on behind-the-scenes tours of local theaters, meeting student filmmakers, and taking hip-hop and drumming workshops at local nonprofits; and about local history by hiking through neighborhoods, meeting archaeologists, and visiting local historic homes.
For regular updates on what we're up to, you can join our email list. You can also follow Urban Adventure Squad on Facebook and Twitter!
THE UAS MODEL
Our model is built on four pillars:
1. Leveraging community resources
2. Meticulous curriculum development
3. Hands-on and physical learning
4. Curiosity and fun
Leveraging community resources. UAS programming is driven by the belief that children learn as much when they are engaged in their communities as they do in schools. We have visited car dealerships to learn about cars; restaurants to learn about food preparation and preservation, culture, and running a business; environmental organizations to learn about invasive species and erosion; and urban farms to learn about agriculture and sustainable farming. We have worked with composers, singers, athletes, DJs, painters, writers, and dancers to develop curricula. We rent space that is not used during the day from local churches, synagogues, yoga studios, and social clubs. The more integrated we are in the community, the more we can leverage community resources, which enhances experiential learning, helps keep our programs affordable, and supports local businesses and organizations.
Meticulous curriculum development. Effective use of free and low-cost community resources requires detailed lesson planning. We spend an enormous amount of research time identifying subject matter, content, and medium of delivery. We don’t shy away from complex social or scientific problems, and we find ways to make them age-appropriate. We now have more than 100 unique days of curricula that use community resources in the Washington, D.C., area, and we are continuing to develop more. We offer our Squad Leaders paid time for developing and testing new curricula.
Hands-on and physical learning. We develop curricula that include hands-on learning and lots of physical activity. We build, we cook, we hike, we visit, we observe, and we are building research designs to address social and scientific problems. For example, when we learned about erosion, we hiked along Rock Creek and examined the banks and the running water. During our winter break program, we learned about the effects of trash on the environment by creating a New Year's Eve carnival almost entirely from recycled materials. We incorporate physical activity into every program day. On most days, Squad Members walk between two and four miles, hiking through neighborhoods and on trails as we learn about trees, plants, erosion, neighborhood history and culture, and map- and compass-reading.
Curiosity and fun. In emphasizing education goals, we know that UAS programs must excite the curiosity of our Squad members and make learning fun. We take seriously our Squad members’ interests by soliciting their feedback and by routinely use their questions to build future programs. We have a regular module called “Curiosity Corner,” where Squad Members submit questions, and we create new programs around those questions. When a Squad member asked, “Why do trains run on tracks?” we rode Metro to Silver Spring’s B&O Railroad Station and met Jerry McCoy, the president of the Silver Spring Historical Society. Through Curiosity Corner, we’ve also learned why Swiss cheese has holes, how ChapStick was invented, why we have eyelashes, and much more.
For a list of upcoming programs, please go to our Outdoor Programs page. For more specific information, please join our email list.
Are you interested in special programs or team-building exercises? We can put together enriching, fun, tailored programs for large and small groups of children or adults. Please email us with questions about planning and pricing.
Urban Adventure Squad/Urban Learning and Teaching Center (UAS) is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), Washington, D.C.-based education organization that supports schools and school communities with equitable, community-based, outdoor learning programs. We offer full-day programs when schools are closed, and we partner with schools and communities to connect students to their neighborhoods with curriculum-aligned lessons in science, history, math, art, engineering, and writing, and to train teachers in outdoor learning.
The UAS leadership includes the executive director and founder, Elana Mintz, the director of programming, Christy Brock, and a six-member Board of Directors.
UAS Squad leaders, or our organization's program educators, are the heart of our organization.
UAS partners with community educators, colleges and universities, other nonprofits, and small businesses to create programs that let students learn by doing. We learn about environmental science and stewardship by hiking through Rock Creek Park, fishing in the Anacostia River, and clearing invasive species from local greenspaces; about the arts and arts production by going on behind-the-scenes tours of local theaters, meeting student filmmakers, and taking hip-hop and drumming workshops at local nonprofits; and about local history by hiking through neighborhoods, meeting archaeologists, and visiting local historic homes.
For regular updates on what we're up to, you can join our email list. You can also follow Urban Adventure Squad on Facebook and Twitter!
THE UAS MODEL
Our model is built on four pillars:
1. Leveraging community resources
2. Meticulous curriculum development
3. Hands-on and physical learning
4. Curiosity and fun
Leveraging community resources. UAS programming is driven by the belief that children learn as much when they are engaged in their communities as they do in schools. We have visited car dealerships to learn about cars; restaurants to learn about food preparation and preservation, culture, and running a business; environmental organizations to learn about invasive species and erosion; and urban farms to learn about agriculture and sustainable farming. We have worked with composers, singers, athletes, DJs, painters, writers, and dancers to develop curricula. We rent space that is not used during the day from local churches, synagogues, yoga studios, and social clubs. The more integrated we are in the community, the more we can leverage community resources, which enhances experiential learning, helps keep our programs affordable, and supports local businesses and organizations.
Meticulous curriculum development. Effective use of free and low-cost community resources requires detailed lesson planning. We spend an enormous amount of research time identifying subject matter, content, and medium of delivery. We don’t shy away from complex social or scientific problems, and we find ways to make them age-appropriate. We now have more than 100 unique days of curricula that use community resources in the Washington, D.C., area, and we are continuing to develop more. We offer our Squad Leaders paid time for developing and testing new curricula.
Hands-on and physical learning. We develop curricula that include hands-on learning and lots of physical activity. We build, we cook, we hike, we visit, we observe, and we are building research designs to address social and scientific problems. For example, when we learned about erosion, we hiked along Rock Creek and examined the banks and the running water. During our winter break program, we learned about the effects of trash on the environment by creating a New Year's Eve carnival almost entirely from recycled materials. We incorporate physical activity into every program day. On most days, Squad Members walk between two and four miles, hiking through neighborhoods and on trails as we learn about trees, plants, erosion, neighborhood history and culture, and map- and compass-reading.
Curiosity and fun. In emphasizing education goals, we know that UAS programs must excite the curiosity of our Squad members and make learning fun. We take seriously our Squad members’ interests by soliciting their feedback and by routinely use their questions to build future programs. We have a regular module called “Curiosity Corner,” where Squad Members submit questions, and we create new programs around those questions. When a Squad member asked, “Why do trains run on tracks?” we rode Metro to Silver Spring’s B&O Railroad Station and met Jerry McCoy, the president of the Silver Spring Historical Society. Through Curiosity Corner, we’ve also learned why Swiss cheese has holes, how ChapStick was invented, why we have eyelashes, and much more.
For a list of upcoming programs, please go to our Outdoor Programs page. For more specific information, please join our email list.
Are you interested in special programs or team-building exercises? We can put together enriching, fun, tailored programs for large and small groups of children or adults. Please email us with questions about planning and pricing.