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But we are proud to say that City Kids contributed 103 entries already.
This year, I’ve been thinking about what it means to truly belong—not just to show up, but to feel seen, valued, and essential to something larger than ourselves. What are the conditions that must be true about the environment we’re in and the people we are around?
Cornelia Franklin arrived in Jackson, Wyoming this summer and felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her. “I always had this hope and dream of coming back to City Kids and working with the youth,” she said.
When Kennadi first joined City Kids as a sixth grader, she was already the kind of kid who loved being outside. “I knew City Kids was an outdoorsy program, and I thought it was gonna be a whole bunch of camping trips,” she laughed. “But I realized—oh, it’s more than that.”
Last year, 125 sixth graders from across Washington, DC, applied for an extraordinary seven-year journey with City Kids—more than double the prior year. With only 25 spots available, the selection process was rigorous.
This Annual Report shares the story of what is possible when youth are given opportunities for enrichment and challenge in an environment that embraces playfulness, fun, and genuine connection.
City Kids provides DC youth with a transformative six-year journey marked by lasting friendships, personal growth, and invaluable life skills gained through wilderness exploration and experiential learning at Broken Arrow Ranch in Wyoming. Grounded in a robust youth development curriculum and with a commitment to accessibility, City Kids’ impact extends far beyond the summer months, […]
The theme of the City Kids program for high schoolers (JETs) is “create your vision.” JETs build skills for the future while exploring the aspects of professionalism, outdoor leadership, and post-graduation opportunities that interest them most. But what exactly is a JET? High school participants choose their own summer adventures– they can develop their professional […]
This January marked another exhilarating season for City Kids as we embarked on our third year of Snow Club programming. Thanks to the generous support of the Vail Resort and Katz Amsterdam Foundation’s Epic for Everyone Youth Connection to Winter Sports Program, we were able to provide a transformative experience for our youth, expanding their […]
Did you know that Washington, DC, was rated the best big-city park system in the country for the third consecutive year by the Trust for Public Land? At City Kids, we believe that all DC residents should have equitable access to nature and feel welcome in outdoor spaces. Our programs, starting in 6th grade, give […]
This summer, I spoke to countless campers of all ages in the City Kids program and felt heartened to hear them describe their time as part of this community, in their DC and Jackson “homes,” in similar ways.