Give a child a chance

Advancing Black Lives in Education (ABLE) (advancingblacklives.org) is committed to supporting Black children in recognizing and using their educational talents and abilities to reach their highest academic potential; providing research-based academic interventions that support the reinforcement, growth and sustainability of educational success for Black children; and empowering Black parents to effectively advocate for schools to address the educational needs of their children.

Headquartered: Bethesda

Serves: Maryland

What a donation buys:

• $300 funds cultural Black history field trip experiences.
• $200-$1,000 funds technology resources (refurbished laptops, hot spots, academic technology, etc.).

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Help with special events; virtually read stories to young students; provide office support as needed.
• SSL

Artivate (goartivate.org) celebrates the arts as an essential part of everyday life, creating dynamic, interactive experiences in schools, libraries, theaters and other community sites, including the Montgomery County jail and youth detention centers, through Project Youth ArtReach. Working with dozens of professional artists, Artivate engages children, teens and families through performances and workshops representing a range of artistic disciplines and cultural traditions.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C.

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides journals and drawing supplies for 12 youth offenders in a visual arts workshop.
• $500 supports a cultural arts performance for 350 at a Title 1 school.

Asian American LEAD (aalead.org) empowers Asian American and Pacific Islanders youths in underserved communities through culturally responsive programming and advocacy.

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $200 covers the cost of an educational workshop or field trip for 10 youths.
• $600 provides one youth with a full six weeks of summer camp programming.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Lead an educational or career workshop.
• Weekly/monthly: Volunteer at an after-school program or mentor a young person.
• Internships

The Barker Adoption Foundation (barkeradoptionfoundation.org) serves all members of the adoption circle. Barker provides ethical, child-centered services that fully respect everyone’s needs. Clients are diverse in age, race, religion, sexual orientation and socioeconomic background. Expectant parents with crisis pregnancies access emotional support, housing and food, education about their options, and connections with community resources. (There are no fees and no one is turned away.) Post-adoption training and counseling are available to anyone—not just to Barker clients. Understanding that the adoption of children in foster care is absolutely critical—25% will otherwise age out of care and experience homelessness; 50% will spend time in prison—Project Wait No Longer helps to find “forever families” for some of the 100,000 eligible children in the foster care system.

Headquartered: Bethesda

Serves: Maryland

What a donation buys:

• $100 provides an older foster child outing with a mentor.
• $250 provides two post-adoption consultations for a birth parent.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• None at this time.

The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence (bandbcoalition.org) strives to ensure that all students, particularly Black and brown students, have equitable access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. The Coalition brings Black and brown parents into direct conversation with key decision-makers so their needs are heard and understood.

Headquartered: Montgomery County

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $500 trains three parents to speak up for academic supports their children need.
• $1,000 supports a community gathering across racial lines to foster collective action and hold decision-makers accountable for the success of all students.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Support informational sessions and community forums both virtual and in person
• SSL

Community Bridges (communitybridges-md. org) empowers girls from diverse back- grounds in elementary, middle and high schools to become exceptional students, positive leaders and healthy young women. Each year the organization supports more than 500 girls at 21 public schools in discovering their unique identity, voice and potential through leadership development, college and career readiness, family support and mentoring.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $250 covers the annual activity fees for 10 girls in the program.
• $1,600 sponsors one girl for the year.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Become a volunteer for food/ supply delivery.
• Monthly: Mentor a high school/middle school girl.
• SSL
• Internships

Crittenton Services of Greater Washington (crittentonservices.org) helps 1,000 girls at 29 schools annually achieve academic success, make healthy choices and chart their own bright futures. Through proven curricula, Crittenton helps teenage girls believe in their ability to succeed—even in the face of significant challenges. The organization’s programs teach teenage girls to value their education and their relationships, and speak up for their needs.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $250 allows a parent to attend workshop on supporting their teen daughter academically and emotionally.
• $1,500 underwrites the costs for a Crittenton teen for an entire year.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Help with supply drives for students.
• Ongoing: Serve as an executive adviser or board member.
• SSL
• Internships

The George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy’s Saturday School (saturdayschool.org) supports more than 3,200 students with PreK-12, grade-appropriate, low-cost academic tutoring and mentoring services virtually and at eight locations around Montgomery County.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $500 underwrites the tutoring and mentoring for one Saturday School student for one year.
• $1,000 provides one scholarship to an outstanding senior who has participated in or volunteered with Saturday School.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Share experiences of your professional life with students during a motivation session.
• Weekly on Saturday mornings: Volunteer in a classroom, working with a certified teacher.
• SSL
• Internships

Horizons Greater Washington (horizonsgreaterwashington.org) prepares students from families with low incomes to succeed by building academic and life skills outside the traditional school year. The organization fosters a joyful and supportive environment that inspires young minds and enhances a love of learning. Horizons is a nine-year program that serves nearly 400 students annually at three sites.

Headquartered: Washington, D.C.

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $229 covers the cost of transportation
  for one student.
• $577 provides swim instruction for eight students.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Weekly: Serve as a guest speaker, classroom volunteer or tutor.
• SSL
• Internships

Identity (identity-youth.org) works with Latino and other historically underserved youths and their families, benefiting more than 50,000 residents annually at school, in the community and on playing fields. Identity helps youths develop social and emotional skills, do better in school, and get ready for work, providing case management, nonclinical emotional support, counseling and other wraparound services.

Headquartered: Gaithersburg

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $50 exposes two youths to local theater, including admission, snacks and transportation.
• $500 trains community members to co-facilitate nonclinical emotional support groups, helping neighbors and families cope with anxiety, stress and grief exacerbated by the pandemic.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Occasional: Help with the yearly backpack drive, sports tournaments and other events during school holidays.
• SSL

Imagination Library of Montgomery County, (imaginationlibrarymcmd.org) provides free, new, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age 5 by mailing one book each month to the child’s home in his/her name. Currently serving more than 2,000 children in the county, it is an affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The program promotes family reading, a love of learning, and kindergarten readiness.

Headquartered: Glen Echo

Serves: Children in nine zip code areas in Montgomery County: 20850, 20851, 20876, 20877, 20886, 20895, 20903, 20906, 20912

What a donation buys:

• $250 buys books for 10 children for one year. 
• $1,000 buys books for 450 children for one month.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• Ongoing: Provide support to staff and work on special projects.

KID Museum (kid-museum.org) is a center for maker learning, designed to inspire the next generation to be creative leaders, inventors and changemakers. Through hands-on programs, young people are challenged to be active makers, building agency, confidence and creative problem-solving skills. KID Museum aims to make 50% of all programming available to young people who do not have the ability to pay, so that all kids have the chance to be makers.

Headquartered: Bethesda

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $100 supports a full day of maker camp for a child in need.
• $500 supports a semester of after-school programming for one child.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Mentor middle school students participating in KID Museum’s invention challenge.
• SSL
• Internships

Latin American Youth Center/Maryland Multicultural Youth Centers (LAYC/MMYC (layc-dc.org) serves 4,500 youths annually in the region through 45-plus programs across the areas of workforce, education, social services, health/wellness, housing, art/media and recreation. At LAYC/MMYC’s Silver Spring site, youth gain access to job readiness training, paid internships, GED tutoring and exams, counseling, case management, mentoring and conservation corps. LAYC/MMYC partners with MoCo ReConnect to perform outreach and support to disconnected young people. In fiscal year 2022, LAYC/MMYC helped 397 Montgomery County youths.

Headquartered: Washington, D.C.

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $500 covers GED exams for 20 youths.
• $1,000 supports two professional certifications.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Serve as a guest speaker.
• Seasonal: Deliver food to youths and families during holidays.
• SSL
• Internships

Latino Student Fund (latinostudentfund.org) provides opportunities to build a strong academic foundation for underserved pre-K to 12th grade students in the region. By providing year-round out-of-school-time programs to low-income at-risk students and their families, the Latino Student Fund increases levels of educational attainment in the community. 

Headquartered: Washington, D.C.

Serves: Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Washington, D.C.

What a donation buys:

• $250 funds mentoring for high school recent arrivals.
• $500 funds one week of summer college prep.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day or ongoing: Volunteer for Saturday morning one-on-one tutoring with a K-12th grade student; serve as a mentor or college prep tutor.
• SSL
• Internships

Liberty’s Promise (libertyspromise.org) engages first-generation and immigrant youths through programming that includes civic/community engagement, career and college readiness, and internships with government agencies, small businesses or nonprofit organizations. Liberty’s Promise serves at least 400 county youths annually.

Headquartered: Alexandria, Virginia

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $250 covers meals for 30 youths at six program sessions.
• $500 pays for the Metro fares for 70 youths to tour Washington, D.C., sites.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Work with a student to create a resume and cover letter, or address the after-school program on topics such as college and careers or financial literacy.
• Ongoing: Host a Liberty’s Promise youth at your place of business during the summer.
• SSL
• Internships

The Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) (pepparent.org) is dedicated to helping parents and caregivers build strong and harmonious family relationships so that children can grow up in a supportive environment that strengthens their confidence, resiliency and self-motivation. For the past 40 years, PEP has helped over 65,000 parents and caregivers through its online and in-person programs, including support-group style programs where parents come together to learn and share with each other.

Headquartered: Kensington

Serves: Metro region and globally online

What a donation buys:

• $50 helps underwrite PEP’s free PEP’s Critical Topics in Parenting Webinars.
• $1,000 helps underwrite PEP’s Family Resiliency Program.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• SSL
• Internships

Passion for Learning (P4L) (passionforlearning.org) addresses educational opportunity gaps faced by middle school students from low-income families. P4L provides enriching STEM, digital literacy and college awareness/readiness programs for adolescents who are underestimated and under-encouraged. Coached by dedicated teachers and older student mentors, P4L’s students develop their pathways to success in high school, in college and in their careers.

Headquartered: Gaithersburg

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $250 provides five electronics and robotics project kits.
• $1,000 enables four students to attend a one-week college readiness summer camp.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Share your experience as a STEM professional with students.
• SSL
• Internships

So What Else (sowhatelse.org) provides food security, access to basic necessities, and high-quality out-of-school-time programs in literacy, athletics and the visual and performing arts. The organization aims to inspire youths to give back by creating volunteer opportunities. So What Else’s Project Change program engages youths in producing original musical theater through a free summer camp while developing their skills to support social-emotional health. 

Headquartered: Rockville

Serves: Metro region

What a donation buys:

• $100 pays for meals for a family of six for an entire week.
• $500 funds a theater arts program for 50 students at a Title I school.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Support the after-school program.
• Ongoing: Help in the food pantry.
• SSL
• Internships

YMCA Youth & Family Services (yfs.ymcadc.org), a branch of the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington, provides therapy for youths and families and family support and social-emotional development to help youths and their families become safe, secure and connected to community supports. YFS’s mentoring, counseling, and case management programs provide critical preventative and early intervention strategies that stabilize families during uncertain times.

Headquartered: Silver Spring

Serves: Montgomery County

What a donation buys:

• $150 buys healthy snacks for 40 youths at community centers.
• $1,000 provides multiple mental health therapy sessions for a youth facing adversity.

Volunteer Opportunities:

• One day: Lead activities or small games at the annual Healthy Kids Day event in April.
• Ongoing: Mentor a youth.
• SSL
• Internships