July was a busy month for the WC Smith Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) participants, with three out-of-the-office activities for the students.
The field trips kicked off with a visit to Howard University. The students had a campus tour, and learned about the academic, extracurricular and social activities that Howard has to offer. Visiting local universities is an SYEP tradition. In the past the students have toured Bowie State, University of Maryland, UDC and George Mason University.
On July 19 there was a behind-the-scenes tour of Reagan National Airport, arranged by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). The students saw DCA’s operations center, then had a tour of the fire station, complete with a demonstration with the bomb-sniffing dogs and a water hose display from one of the airport’s crash trucks. The day ended with an information session about MWAA’s skilled trades apprentice program.
July wrapped up with a Wellness Day at THEARC. The students started at THEARC Farm, harvesting onions, green beans, kale and cabbage (and learning a little about farming and nutrition). They then heard a presentation from Morgan Stanley about financial literacy, followed by an hour-long wellness session led by the David Lynch Transcendental Meditation Center at THEARC.
