As President of the Junior Friends of The Campagna Center (TCC), I am honored to work alongside some of the most dynamic women in Alexandria to provide fundraising and volunteer support for The Campagna Center and its many incredible programs. I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of those programs in recognition of the many fantastic things The Campagna Center is doing for the children and families in our community as Alexandria’s students prepare to head back to school for the 2018-2019 school year. 

Early Childhood Programs

Number of children served 17/18 SY: 501

Early Head Start, Alexandria Head Start, and Campagna Early Learning Center at St. James offer high-quality early childhood education and wellness support to more than 500 low-income families with children from newborn to five years old so that these children are prepared to enter school ready to learn. 

Campagna Kids

Number of children served: 973!

This is a licensed before- and after-school program encouraging creative thinking in children from kindergarten through fifth grade, with small-group learning activities like chess, science, dance, and drama, as well as math and reading clubs for each grade level. This year, they even put on a spring musical: Seussical Junior! TCC offers these services year-round. 

Wright to Read (WTR)

This program, created by Frank and Betty Wright in 1979, is designed to “give the gift of literacy” to Alexandria’s children. WTR recruits, trains, and supports volunteer tutors and mentors as they work with elementary school students who have been identified by their teachers as needing help with their reading. TCC has expanded the program to include fun enrichment events like yoga and trips to Huntley Meadows. This year, 88 percent of students responded that “reading is easier” since joining WTR. 

Building Better Futures (BBF)

A partnership between TCC, Alexandria City Public Schools, and local businesses, BBF aims to establish a pro-learning environment, cultivate leadership qualities, strengthen academic skills, and remove obstacles students face during their high school journey, guiding them on a path to post-secondary opportunities and success. BBF offers tutoring, enrichment seminars on college and career readiness, Career Exploration Externships, parent workshops, and enrichment activities such as college visits, field trips, and community service activities.This year, 100 percent of TCC’s seniors applied to college — and 94 percent are going to college this fall! AMAZING!! 

New Neighbors English Language Learner Program (ELL)

New Neighbors ELL offers English classes and services to immigrants and refugees from around the world who have settled in Alexandria and the Northern Virginia area. The mission is to help families become self-sufficient by providing a safe space for people from many cultures to build friends and become participating members of our communities while learning English. This program includes adult English classes; childcare that focuses upon early literacy and developmentally appropriate activities during classes; family literacy projects for parents and children to encourage speaking and reading in English at home; guest speakers providing information on jobs, housing, computer courses, and legal services; and, field trips and referrals to essential community resources. 

Interested in getting involved with TCC or the Junior Friends of The Campagna Center or making a donation? Let me know! My email is bpatterson@ttrsir.com, and I would love to direct you to the right people!