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.
Emmanuel had always dreamed of adventure: “We don’t really have parks nearby. I thought it was just gonna be amazing.” Naz was honest about his hesitation: “At first, I really didn’t want to go. I was comfortable staying indoors.” For Mai’ia, City Kids was a legacy—her mother had been part of the program twenty years earlier.
Becoming a Ranger
Working with schools across DC, City Kids prioritizes recruitment from underinvested Wards 5, 7, and 8. Last year, 96% of first-year participants qualified for free and reduced lunch. After information sessions, interested sixth graders embark on applicant trips—rock climbing, hiking—getting their first taste of City Kids culture.
The pivotal moment comes during a required overnight trip. At The Adventure Park at Sandy Springs, Mai’ia found herself face-to-face with her fear of heights. “I was scared that I would fall. But I saw everyone else do it,” she said. “The more I did it, the more I overcame my fear of heights.”
After the overnight trips, City Kids staff and volunteers reflect on each applicant—their willingness to try new things, their connection with peers, and their readiness for a seven-year commitment. In May, 24 youth received the news: they were selected to join City Kids as “Rangers.”
“I was just really emotional because I knew this would be the place for him,” Emmanuel’s mom said. “I was so excited he would have a long-term experience and all he could learn from it to prepare for the world.”
The First Summer in Wyoming
For first-year participants, summer camp in Jackson, Wyoming, marks a profound transition—from the familiar streets of DC to vast wilderness. Rangers spend their first summer camping beneath star-filled skies in Yellowstone and embarking on an overnight canoe trip through Grand Teton National Park.
Santi faced his fears while learning T-Rescues, the technique for righting a capsized canoe. “I didn’t want to flip my boat, because I was scared,” he said. But by the time the group went whitewater rafting later that summer, something had shifted. “I redeemed myself—I jumped out of the raft and went swimming!”
Naz, who had begun the journey nervous and unsure, embraced the experience. “I learned I love hiking. I like being free and in the outdoors,” he said.
Back at the ranch, days overflowed with energy—games and Olympics-style competitions, talent shows, movie nights, and campfires.
Ask any Ranger about their favorite part of camp, and they’ll likely say “each other.” “Some people think it’s about camping or marshmallows, but the experience is about making new friends and trying things out together,” said Emmanuel.
Mai’ia said it simply: the people were her favorite part. She cherished those evenings crowded in a tent after s’mores, “playing games, and talking, telling stories.”
Looking Forward
Mai’ia is already envisioning becoming a JET Camp Leader in high school. “I think it would be nice to be in a cabin with campers and tell them my stories when I was in their position.”
Emmanuel offers wisdom to future applicants: “Expect the unknown—random stuff happens at camp. It’s okay to be unprepared for the unexpected.”
And Santi, who once feared flipping his canoe, now sets his sights bigger. “I really wanna climb a mountain when I’m a JET,” he said. Then he shared the lesson he’d already learned: “The fear is inside your brain—if you let it control you, you’ll never do anything brave.”
Over the next six years, these Rangers will face challenges, conquer fears, and build resilience. They’ll learn, as Mai’ia’s mother did two decades ago, that when life gets difficult, they can reach inside and know: I can make it.
