Beacon House provides afterschool education and youth development services to roughly 400 children, ages 5-18, annually. From the moment students enroll at Beacon House, as early as age five in many cases, our goal is high school graduation. Our school-year and summer programs provide year-round opportunities for learning and encourage academic achievement.
We base our work on an evidence-based theory of change which asserts that programming which stimulates intellectual, creative, physical, and social-emotional capabilities, with the support of caring adult mentors, will promote feelings of connectedness and a belief in one’s own learning abilities. Relationships with nonparental adults have been shown to have great potential to bolster black adolescents’ social-emotional well-being, increase academic achievement, and deter risk-taking behavior.
(D.L. DuBois et al., American Journal of Community Psychology, 2002; N.M. Hurd, F.A. Varner, S.J. Rowley, Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 2013; N.M. Hurd, R.M. Sellers, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 2013).
Click below to learn more about our various programs:
Beacon House collaborates with multiple outstanding programmatic partners, several of which are listed below. These collaborations contribute to our goal of academic achievement for our students.
Enterprise Community Development (formerly Community Preservation and Development Corporation, or CPDC). The owner of the affordable housing community in which we are based, Enterprise Community Development donates space (with an annual in-kind value of about $170,000) in exchange for services we provide to residents.
The Catholic University of America (CUA). A partner for more than 15 years, CUA’s “DC Reads” program and homework help volunteers support Beacon House students with homework and literacy development. Additionally, two student-led mentoring programs – Girls in Action and Boyz II Men – were formed specifically for CUA student-athletes to serve as mentors for our youth in grades K-6.
College Bound. Our partnership with College Bound started in 2001 and they provide best-in-class college readiness programming. Beacon House serves as the Ward 5 service delivery site for College Bound’s Academic Mentoring Programming for 8th-12th grade students. We expanded our partnership in 2017-2018 by offering their “STEM in Your Hood” program to our middle school students. National Institutes of Health fellows serve as facilitators for STEM in Your Hood, which covers a variety of science and math topics that build on what the students are learning in middle school.
Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital Partnership.In summer 2025, Beacon House launched an exciting partnership with Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital to bring their Series Program to our girls. Through this collaboration, participants explore Girl Scout traditions and values while building essential life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and goal setting. The program offers hands-on activities that promote confidence, creativity, and community, creating a space where girls grow, lead, and thrive together.
ASME K–12 STEM Scholars Partnership.Launched in summer 2025, our partnership with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) brings dynamic STEM learning to Beacon House youth through the K–12 STEM Scholars program. Students are introduced to the Engineering Design Process and learn how to approach real-world challenges as creative problem-solvers. Through hands-on projects, collaboration, and visits from STEM professionals, scholars build critical thinking skills, strengthen teamwork, and explore how STEM can be a force for positive change in the world.
At Beacon House, we believe collaboration is key to expanding opportunities for youth. Through strategic partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, we enrich our programs with additional academic support, enrichment activities, and mentoring opportunities. Whether you’re an organization offering STEM programming, arts education, wellness workshops, or college and career readiness resources—we welcome the chance to work together to help students thrive.
Program Partnership Interest Form
Interested in partnering with us? Complete the interest form below, and a member of our team will be in touch.
Program Details
=>Briefly describe your organization’s mission and work (100–200 words)
=>What type of programming or support would you like to offer? (check all that apply):
- Academic tutoring
- STEM activities
- Arts enrichment (visual, performing, etc.)
- College & career readiness
- Social-emotional learning
- Health & wellness
- Other: _________
=>What grade levels do you typically serve?
- Grades K–2
- Grades 3–5
- Grades 6–8
- Grades 9–12
Logistics & Availability
Preferred days/times to offer programming
How many sessions or hours can your team commit per week or month?
Do you require any materials, space, or technology to run your program?
Additional Info
- Have you partnered with other schools or nonprofits before?
- Anything else we should know?