Teen (14-22 yrs)

The Martha’s Table Teen Program has been a year round in-school service provider for the District of Columbia Department of Employment Services since 2003.  The youth at Martha’s Table participate in project-based work on a daily basis, and have also created media projects that have received city wide recognition in DCTV’s 2008 and 2009 Youth Film Festivals for Best “Edutainment” Video and Best PSA.   Perhaps the most compelling statistic that speaks to the excellence of our programming for older youth is that for the past 13 years 100% of the youth who attend our program regularly (2 to 3 days per week) graduate from high school and many of them go on to college.

DC Degree

DC Degree is the Martha’s Table’s Teen program new afterschool program.  Degree DC is  similar to MTTP’s traditional programming in its: hours of operation, resources, and opportunities that will be afforded to students; but will have a more intense focus on service learning via our service learning workshop entitled MTTC (Martha’s Table Teens Care), and its Teen the Story; Spread the Word campaign; and the  preparation  and support of our students (according to their classifications of freshman/freshman alumni, sophomore/sophomore alumni, , junior/junior alumni, and senior/senior alumni),  in academically preparing for, being accepted to, and successfully matriculating into a 4 year college or university via our College 101 workshop.

MTTC

On Mondays and Wednesdays, students will participate, and receive community service hours in our M.T.T.C (Martha’s Table Teens Care) service learning workshop, where they will participate in our 2 part leadership development campaign entitled “Tell the Story, Spread the Word.” In part 1 of the campaign, students will utilize social media, graphic design, and creative writing to Tell The Story of themselves, their families, and/or those in their community.  In part 2 of the campaign, students will Spread the Word about the stories created, as well as other issues they feel are affecting their personal lives and/or the lives of those in the communities in which they live.

We aim for the “Tell the Story, Spread the Word” Campaign to be one that  assists our students in developing crucial social and leadership development skills as they work with other in order to: create,  tell, then spread the word about the life experiences and realities of their communities from the perspective of young people growing up and living in the District; but also, and maybe even more importantly, we aim for our “Tell the Story, Spread the Word” Campaign to be one that empowers our young people and gives  them the voice that they sometimes lack, or feel is silenced or even ignored by adults and society.

College Prep 101

On Tuesdays and Thursdays students will be grouped together by class (freshman and sophomores, and juniors and seniors), and provided with PSAT, and PSAT assistance, and individualized assistance with planning their path towards college.  All students in College Prep 101 are assigned to staff counselors who will assist the students in assuring that they have all of the  necessary  academic and community service requirements for graduation from his or her respective high school, as well as working with the students to ensure that he or she receives assistance identifying, an ultimately preparing for application, acceptance, and matriculation into academic institution which best meets the interest, needs, and goals of each of our students.

We aim for College 101 to ensure that we not only maintain our 100% graduation rate that the Teen Program has had for over 13 years, but also, to ensure that with the support of their families, and the Martha’s Table Teen Program, each student who actively participates in our Teen Program at least 2 days per week, goes on to be accepted, matriculate, and graduate from a 4 year college or university.

The Teen and Satellite Programs

The Teen and Satellite Programs offer programming both at Martha’s Table and at two DCPS schools: Banneker Academic High School and Shaw at Garnett Patterson.  The Banneker program offers mentoring and tutoring to at-risk students at Banneker High School and at Martha’s Table.  After witnessing the impact that our youth program had on students from Banneker High School, the principal invited the director of the Teen Program to build a program there. Within these programs offered at three locations, we have 91 youth (ages 13 -22 years) currently enrolled in the Teen and Satellite Programs.

The 66 youth (ages 14 -22) enrolled in Martha's Table’s Teen Program and at Banneker High School stay focused on academic and personal development through various workshops. We have workshops dealing with topics such as dating, health & exercise, responsibility, self‑respect, and respect for others. The activities are intended to teach the youth by active involvement in performing arts, academic workshops, sports, job skills training, visual arts, volunteer work, games, and fundraising projects.  This year, over 50% of the youth in our program at Martha’s Table are seniors (15 seniors out of 28 youth), and this is highly unusual.  To help the teens that are struggling, the youth program has introduced a new program, Focus, which meets two days each week.  All of the seniors are required to partake in this workshop. They have dedicated three staff members to the workshop that includes everything from discussing the seniors’ options, filling out paperwork and applications, teaching group dynamics, helping the seniors help each other and hold each other accountable.

“I am 16 years old and currently attend the Martha’s Table Teen Program.  Here we do many different things in order to keep youth active in mind and spirit.  There are workshops where we learn different skills needed in school or in the job market and there is staff that supports us.  Teens can also volunteer with the little kids or make sandwiches for the homeless.  Doing something knowing that it would give happiness can bring out the better side of a person.  The teen program encourages youth to find themselves…if you like art you can do graphics, if you like to write Crushed ICE can expand your skills, or if you are a computer type of person Web 2.0 can make you more tech savvy.  The staff here is very supportive.  All in all Martha’s Table is a great place for youth.” 

Satellite Program

The 25 youth (ages 13-14) enrolled in our Satellite Program at Shaw focus on academic projects that include homework assistance, creative writing, computers, and worksheets in a variety of scholastic subjects.   In particular, the Shaw students focus on their math and reading skills.  Programming is a mix of homework help and workshops.

In the wake of the tragedy and untimely death of the principal at Shaw Middle School on April 15, 2010, our staff has been working with the young students as they work through their emotions.  Martha’s Table staff members have been in the school less than one year, and have already made an impact and are supporting the students and helping them cope with the loss.  These youth need consistency and support as they enter their formative years, and our staff is working to provide this through their after-school programming