WTEF TODAY: THE MISMATCH BETWEEN OUR SITE
AND OUR STUDENTS

During five decades of operation, WTEF has defied the odds, successfully changing the lives of thousands of children from the District's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. By offering at-risk kids a rare blend of academic enrichment, athletic instruction, and a positive alternative to the dangers of the City's streets, WTEF has enabled these children to be safe, remain in school, receive academic and athletic scholarships to college, and choose productive life paths that enable them to flourish for years to come. In-depth assessments by outside evaluators prove the efficacy of WTEF programs.

For four days each week after school from 4pm -7pm during the school year and each weekday from 9am - 3pm during the summer, WTEF's program brings children from Southeast to Northwest DC to participate in the Center for Excellence (CFE). This rigorous program offers academic, athletic, and life skills instruction.

The map (left) illustrates the geographical mismatch between program participants and the current facility. WTEF now runs the CFE in its facility off 16th Street in Northwest, DC, at The William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, far from the neighborhoods where most of its students live. This location severely limits WTEF's potential to reach at-risk children living in the District's underserved areas. The commute to Northwest can be two to three hours each day, a daunting prospect for many children.

Additionally, for 16 years WTEF has operated its flagship after school program, the Arthur Ashe Children's Program (AACP), in 18 DC public schools in Wards 5, 6, 7, and 8, and on neighborhood tennis courts throughout the academic year. Since the AACP uses local outdoor courts, that program cannot offer full tennis instruction during the winter months. Instead, WTEF is often forced to create makeshift courts in gymnasiums, hallways, and activity rooms within the schools for tennis instruction.

WTEF's vision -- to build a site in the neighborhood of the children served by its program. Working in partnership with the District of Columbia, this vision is now an exciting reality.

WTEF'S NEW SITE AT BENNING STODDERT RECREATION CENTER

WTEF has broken ground on a new tennis, education and community center in Southeast DC (Ward 7) where the majority of our children live.

WTEF is building a new Tennis, Education and Community center located in Ward 7 near its students in Northeast and Southeast DC. The new site will enable WTEF to expand its current programs to include more offerings for children, youth, and families in Washington's most underserved areas.

WTEF's new tennis, education, and community center will be built on seven acres of land at the Benning Stoddert Recreation Center near a number of schools participating in WTEF programs, right in the backyards of the children WTEF now serves. The Mayor and City Council unanimously supported the plan to lease the land to WTEF in a public/private partnership.

The new facility will support children, families and the community in a number of ways:

• Serve more students: WTEF will serve nearly twice as many students (~3,000) at the new facility through after school and summer programming. In particular, the Center for Excellence (CFE) expects to double its enrollment while participation in the Arthur Ashe Children's Program (AACP) will increase close to 50%. The new facility will also permit WTEF to reach younger children- as young as three to five years old - and to offer services during times when other year-round programs are not open to this age group.
  
  
• Retain more students: WTEF will be able to attract and retain more young people and to extend critical mentoring and support during their most at-risk years by offering a location in their own neighborhood.
  
  

WTEF'S NEW TENNIS, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY CENTER

• Operate extended hours: With extended after school (3:30-8 pm) and weekend hours, students will have increased access to mentors, computer labs, and parent/child programs. By running programs year-round, the new facility will be able to provide additional structure and support all weekend and all day during the summer months.
  
  
• Provide growth opportunities: Students who excel in leadership groups during the school year will have the opportunity to work for WTEF and coach younger kids during the summer months at the new facility, giving them work opportunities and teaching a sense of community responsibility to a younger generation.
  
  
• Serve as a community center: The location will become a gathering place for the neighborhood, encouraging greater parent participation, increasing staff/family dialogue, engaging families in program planning, and providing meeting space for community needs. It will enable WTEF to offer programming and meeting space for adults and seniors (e.g., tennis instruction, fitness classes, parenting workshops); physical education classes for area schools lacking tennis facilities; and coaching assistance for high school tennis teams. WTEF will work to determine how the facility can best meet the community's needs.
  
  

In short, the new WTEF facility will expand opportunities for children and families in Southeast and Northeast DC, both on and off the court.

WTEF'S NEW TENNIS, EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY CENTER WILL INCLUDE:

THE CAMPAIGN

We are close to making our vision a reality! With early gifts from generous supporters, the Capital Campaign, Building a Better Future for Children, has successfully raised over $9 million of the $10 million goal. The Campaign seeks to achieve its financial goal and build a new center to mark the start of the next chapter of WTEF's 55 year history.

• The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
• Sylvia Ritzenberg
• J. Willard & Alice S. Marriott Foundation
• Verizon Foundation