Investigating Where We Live Outreach Program

There are numerous programs in the D.C. metro area  to keep your children busy during the warmer summer months. The National Building Museum's Investigating Where We Live (IWWL) summer outreach program is one of the best in the country for teens interested in art and design . I was not surprised when First Lady Michelle Obama presented the 2013 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award to Investigating Where We Live last November.

I first learned of this well-kept secret in the Nation's Capital years ago when my oldest daughters, now in college, participated. Since then, two of their siblings have  followed in their footsteps, having participated for two consecutive summers. My daughter Kai, who has aspirations of becoming an architect, is active in the Design Apprenticeship Program (DAP), another great National Building Museum initiative for teens interested in art and design.  Unlike IWWL, which only meets in the summer, DAPP meets on Saturdays throughout the school year. This summer, I intend to enroll two more of my children in IWWL because they are finally old enough to participate.  That brings my family to a total of six IWWL participants spanning a period of almost ten years.  So, as you can see, we really love the program!

Each summer, thirty-five area teens are selected to participate in IWWL, which meets for 15 intensive sessions during June and July.  Sessions are held from 9 am to 2:30 pm on Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at the National Building Museum in the heart of China Town. What I like most about the program is that it is free!  There is no cost to participate nor do you have to meet certain financial requirements. IWWL program coordinators, college students, and design professionals teach area teens how to investigate, document, and interpret the evolving communities around them through photojournalism, creative writing, and exhibition design.

Students are excited to participate in the program because they are given free metro passes, daily gourmet lunches, a digital camera, which is theirs to keep upon completion of the program, and a professional sketch book in which to document and record their observations.

As the teens explore their assigned communities on foot and by metro in small, diverse groups, clad with their digital cameras and design books in hand, they are immersed in the history, culture, and building design of this fabulous city. Historical communities like Anacostia, Congress Heights, and the Shaw Area are traditionally selected for them to explore because it is here in these fast-changing neighborhoods where the teens are able to appreciate the influences of the past on the present. You can enjoy a visual journey of  Anacostia as documented by the talented 2012 IWWL students here on flickr.

IWWL is a true outreach program. I love how the teens are taught to reach out in a personal and unique way to community residents and businesses, both new and old, who are the  heart and soul  of these historic neighborhoods.

The IWWL program is run in a very professional manner. Students get to become curators of a prestigious museum and are treated like real designers and photographers. Each session, program coordinators display the student's photos from their previous week's exploratory adventures on contact sheets and other sophisticated media for the group to discuss and analyze. Students learn the importance of team work and cooperation in the design setting, while sharing their personal insights and perspectives.

As the highlight of the program, the teens plan, design, and build a unique museum exhibition that showcases their creative works and writings from the summer.   The exhibit remains on display for public viewing in the Museum Gallery for nine months before it embarks upon a national tour. At the end of the program, parents and students are invited to a reception and awards ceremony, which kicks off opening day of the IWWL exhibit.  The 2013 exhibit, Recapturing Shaw's Legacy, will be on display until June 8, 2014.  It is  well worth the trip downtown.

Another benefit of the program is that students are given their photographs in electronic media at the end for future use in college, research projects and portfolios.  Parents also receive a Family Membership to the National Building Museum which comes in handy for other museum events though out the year.

According to the National Building Museum website, The online application  for the 2014 session will be available from March 17 until April 20.  Program Coordinators usually begin notifying students of their acceptance in early May.  The National Building Museum welcomes homeschoolers and acknowledges the maturity and perspectives they bring to the program. College students and professionals with design, city planning, architecture, and creative writing experience are also encouraged to volunteer and share their expertise with the students.  Be sure to check out all that the National Building Museum has to offer this summer.  The award-winning IWWL program is one of the best art and design summer programs in the Nation for local area teens.