A group of 30 District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) teachers, parents and central office staff launched a taskforce to create “The City As Our Classroom” curriculum to support student learning. The task force reviewed the K-12 literacy, math, science, and social studies curriculum and developed a series of appropriate, meaningful experiential learning opportunities that correspond to the DCPS units of study and align with the Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and DC social studies standards.

“Our city is filled with history, culture, experiences and sites that correspond with what our students are learning in their classroom,” said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. “I want our teachers to know that this city can help them bring their lessons to life for our students. DC has so much to offer – I am excited that this task force is going to create a comprehensive and living document to help us leverage the unique  cultural and natural resources of the District and beyond.”

The City As Our Classroom is an exciting approach that will move our students out of the classroom and into the greater community of Washington, DC. The City As Our Classroom is comprised of 65 experiential learning opportunities for grades K-12, and is accompanied with supplemental resource documents for each individual grade. These resources will provide educators with the tools they need to provide a truly unique and interactive school experience between our students and surrounding community.