The past month has been an eventful month at Teens Club. We had our first Experience and Exposure trip to the Zoo- twice! The first time we tried going to the zoo, we realized when we got there that it was closed to the public. The students were very disappointed, but thankfully our amazing volunteers and I were able to come up with a plan B: taking them to Gravelly Point Park and playing on the field. Needless to say, the students went home with huge grins, forgetting about the zoo being closed; they were great sports about it. The following week, as promised, we went to the zoo to make up for the previous week. The students were able to see the open exhibits, and they had fun walking through the zoo on a lovely chilly fall afternoon. Recently, eight of our middle school students participated in bettering their community by spending an entire Saturday morning along with other Alexandria community members cleaning up the area of the Four Mile Run trail in Chirilagua.

They helped fill 8 huge garbage bags with trash from the area! They became so focused that they never complained about the messy job that it was. They even requested to stay an extra hour! Seeing them care for their community and realizing that littering really does affect their community was one of the best moments I’ve had in Teens Club. The foundation of Teens Club is slowly being solidified as I spend time getting to know the students and their families as well as working together with the GW Middle School staff. I’m excited to see the evolution of this wonderful program.

Adriana