AALEADers Clean Up Anacostia
On Thursday July 23rd, AALEADers participated in a street cleaning project in Anacostia, partnering with Project Create and Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). Check out this post from Ying, participating in the DC Middle and High School Summer Program.
By: Ying, AALEAD Youth
Photos Courtesy of AALEAD Staff
On Thursday, July 23, 2015, AALEADers from the DC Middle School and High School Summer Program visited Project Create to participate in a street trash pickup and to learn about what this organization does for the community. We learned that Project Create is an organization that provides accessible, high quality art education to children who experience poverty and homelessness. They believe a safe and creative community will develop a sense of belonging and help the youth find their voice. Project Create assists many children in the community who want to learn or improve their artistic skills.
AALEADers participated in the street trash cleanup event in Anacostia with the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC). Together, we picked up litter from the streets and had fun while doing it. We put the litter into trash bags, and the bags quickly became full. Along our journey, we saw many historical sites and buildings. We learned new information and gained more knowledge about the building in Anacostia. The house that Frederick Douglass lived in, the places where his workers resided in, and the story behind the culture were just a few examples of the knowledge we gained. We also put sunflowers in areas where a lot of litter was collected and in places that could use a little more light. Putting sunflowers gave those areas light, beauty, and brightness that the community needed.
This community service event was a very fun experience. I learned a lot from our journey around Anacostia and gained a lot about its history. After we finished the event, I felt really good about the fact that I was a part of making Anacostia a better and cleaner community. The AALEADers had a lot of fun on this field trip and community service event. I definitely want to participate in more of these events and am very excited for the rest of this summer program!
Special thanks to Project Create for sponsoring this clean up and giving our youth the opportunity to collaborate with Latin American Youth Center (LAYC).