Middle School Community Engagement and Experiential Learning (CEEL)

February is a busy month for our middle schoolers in GDS Corps, the Middle School Community Engagement & Experiential Learning (CEEL) program! After mentoring the kindergarteners during a January gardening session, the 5th graders met with Dr. Renaissance, the founder of One More Plate, and began their study of food justice. The 6th graders took their second field trip into the DC wards to explore local culture. In Ward 7, they met with Taboris Robinson from DMV Urban Greens. And in Ward 8, they learned about a local women’s suffrage mural from artist Candice Taylor and took rollerblading lessons from Inline Skate Ninja. The 7th graders ventured out into Tenleytown to conduct interviews with local restaurant managers about sustainability practices and food waste (shout-out to Coffee Nature, District Taco, Panera, Pete’s Pizza, and Satay Club for hosting them!). Finally, the 8th graders prepared for the upcoming Hill Day on Feb. 16, during which they’ll interview experts and policy-makers on different sides of their selected Advocacy Corps issue before transitioning into the “action” phase of their year.