Providing Opportunities for Youth to Thrive
Education is one of the greatest determining factors in the success of a child’s life. Yet sadly, the achievement gaps in DC are among the widest in the country, particularly for children in DC’s low-income communities and communities of color. According to results of the 2016 DC Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and […]
A Long Way to Grow
The Fishing School has come a long way since 1990. Once operating from a former crack house on Wiley Street in Northeast DC on what had been dubbed “the worst street in America,” we are now headquartered in Washington, DC’s Deanwood neighborhood in “the big blue house.” Thanks to the support of the community and […]
What If TFS Did Not Exist?
Recent policy shifts and pending budget cuts threaten to vastly reduce the number of students who participate in afterschool programming. According to the Afterschool Alliance, 35% of DC students in grades K – 12 participate in afterschool programs. A lack of funding for our program and others like it, would negatively impact the 26,619 children […]
Staff Training
Our staff training is based on best practice for OST programs including safety, sound program delivery, parent and community engagement, and supporting a positive social/emotional climate for children. We also provide training on the use of technology-based tools to enhance academic interventions. Among these are our online tutorial software, i-Ready; the use of Smart Boards; […]
Leveraging Corporate and Community Partners
TFS leverages corporate and community partners—such as Northrop Grumman, KPMG, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, Deloitte, Wells Fargo, Kearney & Company, and DC’s Metropolitan Police Department—to support programmatic elements, assist with school-wide goals and projects, provide workplace exposure and field trips, and provide donated supplies for students. Corporate partners, community organizations, and DCPS collaborate with TFS staff […]
Improving Academic Performance
The Fishing School (TFS) prepares elementary and middle school students for success in high school and life by improving their academic performance and life skills; and engaging them and their parents in intensive, multi-year, and research-based out-of-school time (OST) and parent engagement activities. The philosophy of TFS is inspired by the adage, “If you give […]
Empowering Parents
In TFS’ Parent Engagement Program, parents participate in year-round activities and events designed to increase their knowledge and skills of youth development and empower them to make use of best practices. TFS works to promote trust, open communication, and parent stewardship of their child’s academic career. We connect with parents through family events, advisory committees, […]
Elementary Afterschool Program
Our Elementary Afterschool Program for 1st to 5th grade students operates from August through June, 3:15 to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Students spend at least 90 minutes weekly on an instructor-supervised online curriculum. On a weekly basis, students participate in an hour-long, Common Core-aligned STEAM curriculum that provides opportunities for youth to become young […]
Holistic Personal Development
The philosophy of The Fishing School (TFS) is inspired by the adage, “If you give a man a fish, you will feed him for a day. If you teach him how to fish, he will feed himself for a lifetime.” Our mission is to prepare elementary and middle school youth for success in high school […]
Continuous Commitment
The Fishing School’s Cohort Model is a unique, continuous commitment to children and their parents from 1st through 8th grades in which students are grouped into “cohorts” upon enrollment and progress through a multi-year program continuum together. Our programs follow each child through critical benchmarks in their elementary school years, and continue to support through middle school […]