Syatt

An amazing fall full moon hike at Old Woman Creek NERR! Weather ✅water✅crew✅ vibes✅ moon✅🚣🏾‍♀️🌕

Now I don’t know about you all, but we have never gotten down in a National Park Service like we did at Anacostia National Park thanks to the Friends of Anacostia Park!!! They are not just “friends of the park” but FAMILY!!! We felt like we were at a family reunion….our cousin’s house for the summer. Placemaking at it’s absolute finest because the community creates the programming, hires the staff, and ensure that the vibe is welcoming for all. You all left us speechless and that is rare for Syatt to have no words. It was something that just had to be felt! We’ve got work to do at our local national park and we continue to be committed to ensuring that Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a park where everyone truly knows that they belong. Thanks for the red carpet, fam (Akiima)!

On our last post, we shared what it was like for our Syatt Civics cohort to step inside Congress to see how elected officials fight on behalf of our community …But here’s the lesson we wanted our girls to leave Washington, D.C. with:

Not all change starts in government.

Some of the most powerful work happens right in the neighborhoods.

We took the girls to Southeast D.C. to experience real community work in action. We had breakfast at the Marion Barry Ave Market and hung out with our friends from Dreaming Out Loud. This org created an amazing market where community members have access to healthy foods and urban farmers have a place to grow and flourish! We also headed to Sycamore & Oak to experience SOAK. This event blew our minds. From the party inside of the venue to the community folks gathered in chairs around the venue making a party of their own. Black folks, Black music, Black businesses and Black joy all under one roof! True community -centered programming.
Our girls met leaders who didn’t wait for someone else to solve problems. They rolled up their sleeves and built spaces where families gather, entrepreneurs thrive, and young people can see what’s possible. That’s civic engagement, too.

Stay tuned.

Syatt Civics- Why Voting Still Matters

Let’s be real, it is easy to become discouraged by today’s political climate and that is exactly why this experience mattered so much.

The girls in our civics cohort met with Congresswoman Shontel Brown’s office to better understand how our federal government works, how elected officials represent our communities, and why their vote is so important (even when politics feels frustrating or divided).

Democracy works best when people stay engaged…and youth are best engaged through immersive learning experiences.

Shout out to the amazing and talented staff in our Congresswoman’s office. Our visit kicked off the start of an amazing learning experience!

Meeting with elected officials was only part of the story. Next, our girls experienced what happens when everyday people organize, lead, and invest in their own neighborhoods. Stay tuned.

Johnston Run Nature Corridor Loading! Huge thank you to our friends at for leading our BioBlitz today and helping to identify the amazing species, century old trees, and invasives that call Johnston Run home. Also, shout out to our Syatt Civics cohort members for getting down and dirty today as we shape this EJ project and brainstorm policies that could support and sustain this work!

A Fresh Water Weekend! On Saturday we spent time with some of our favorite high schoolers! We had our 5th session of ‘s Fresh Water Institute Fellows Program…all things EJ and Policy/Advocacy! Shoutout to our panelists…the man himself , the wonderful and the dynamic who hosted us in her ward. Thank you for your time, expertise, and energy! ❤️ On Sunday, we kept on our Fresh Water Institute hats as we hosted our second water safety class for the month of May in partnership with Buckeye Heal! 💧💦🌊