Briya Public Charter School

Yesterday, we inaugurated our new Shepherd Street campus with a ribbon cutting and open house! Supporters toured adult ed and early childhood classrooms, shared food, and enjoyed speeches from DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, DME Kihn, Councilmember Lewis George, and ANC Commissioner Kirby. We're incredibly grateful for everyone who collaborated to make this long-term home in Petworth a reality. "Washington, DC is a city of life-long learners, and today, we celebrate the expansion of Briya Public Charter School's unique two-generation education program," Mayor Bowser said during the event. "Programs like Briya represent who we are as city: our resilience, our never-give-up spirit, our diversity and the celebration of that diversity, and our appreciation for learning – across all ages."

Congratulations to our amazing Child Development Associate (CDA) Team! Briya's CDA Program was named the winner of the 2024 Advancing Workforce Development for Adult Learners award from Coalition on Adult Basic Education. "The adult learners who emerge from this program are well equipped and ready to start a well-paying career," said Sharon Bonney, CEO of COABE. "Briya’s commitment to keeping this program free has offered a huge incentive for hundreds of students to begin this career path debt free.” This national award recognizes an outstanding workforce development initiative that is designed in response to local needs, leverages collaborative partnerships, offers career-contextualized instruction that integrates workforce and basic skills training, and leads to industry recognized/stackable credentials.

On Friday, we were honored to host five Administration for Children and Families (ACF) National Head Start Fellows for a site visit at our Fort Totten campus! We're grateful for the opportunity to share about Briya's two-generation approach, integration of outdoor learning, partnership with University of the District of Columbia-CC on a bilingual associate degree in early education, and more. We enjoyed learning about each fellow’s leadership in their respective states and look forward to witnessing the ways their work continues to transform the early education field and improves the lives of children and families across the country. 

Thank you, Mary's Center, for visiting students at our Shepherd Street site to tell them about the All of Us Research Program! This program allows health researchers access to the largest and most diverse database, in turn helping researchers understand what impacts our health. Learn more about All of Us and how you can make an impact: https://lnkd.in/ejJXMgri

Briya's advanced English classes help students prepare for the next steps toward their individual professional goals, including the option of participating in our workforce development programs. Former students and current staff recently hosted an Education and Career Panel for advanced students, where they discussed their own career and education journeys along with offering advice. We are extremely grateful for the staff who participated in the panel and gave our students a real-world view of the possibilities after taking classes at Briya.

We're honored to be one of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Children and Youth Resilience Challenge finalists!

"Saoussan Aitchaoui and her husband, Ayoub Bouriqui, like parents the world over, want better lives for their kids than they had. A good education — and all that it promises — is key. That, along with the prospect of high-paying jobs, is what brought the family last year from Casablanca to D.C., where they didn’t know anyone. What greeted them was a complex system in which families can attend their neighborhood public school or enter a citywide lottery," writes Lauren Lumpkin in a recent article for The Washington Post. Over the coming months, families across DC will navigate their way through the public school lottery. Prior to the lottery, families were given the chance to learn about schools at EdFEST, DC's annual public school fair. Saoussan, a student at Briya, detailed her family's experience of searching for the perfect school for their son: https://lnkd.in/ebfbsZFb

Give the gift of education this year! We're so close to reaching our goal raising funds to provide all early childhood students with warm outerwear before the new year begins. Learn more about how your donation helps our youngest learners and donate on our website: briya.org/donate.

Our week was full of cheer! Last week, staff gathered to celebrate during our annual holiday party. Staff members and their families shared their traditional food, dance, and more with the Briya community. We look forward to sharing more moments and memories with our staff in the new year!

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," Benjamin Franklin wrote. Nearly 265 years later, this still holds truth. Through Briya's outdoor learning program, our youngest learners learn about the world around them and build a strong foundation for their future. Give the gift of education this holiday season with a tax-deductible donation to Briya Public Charter School. A $20 donation can provide a child with a warm fleece jacket, ensuring they can learn all year round in our outdoor classrooms: briya.org/donate.