GirlsRockDC takes the stage at the 9:30 Club. Photo by Jeff Martin.
By DCist Contributor Caroline Baxter
Summertime in D.C. is strange. Schools are out, but you still have to work; Congress is out, but you still have to work. The city empties out from people fleeing to the beach only to be filled by out-of-town tourists clogging Metro escalators (standing on the left) and trundling four abreast down the sidewalk.
Not to worry, sweat-shocked masses! Not only are there groovy music and art things going on, but you can do more than be a spectator—you can channel your love of the arts through some awesome local non-profits and centers that benefit the lives of our neighbors. Unsure where to go? Look no further: we have rounded up some of the best volunteering opportunities in the city.
Volunteer year-round with Girls Rock! Girls Rock! DC, founded in 2007, is an awesome organization that builds girls’ self-confidence through music education and jam sessions. During a week-long day camp every summer, girls learn how to play an instrument of their choice, be it electric guitar, bass, drums, keyboard, turntables, digital music, or vocals. While they learn about music, they also learn about women in rock n’ roll history, band management, and the music business. They then form bands and write either an original song or compose a DJ set. Although their summer rock camp is about to conclude, there are a wide variety of opportunities that take place throughout the year, like after school programs and fundraising.
The Sitar Arts Center, founded in 2000, provides a curriculum-based approach to arts—including dance, visual arts, creative writing, and music—to underprivileged children in D.C. The Center works with over 800 students each year, with 80 percent of its kids coming from low-income households. Sitar depends upon volunteers in order to support the immense demand for arts education, and there are many opportunities to do so. Teachers can give their time and teach classes in their area of expertise; non-teachers who still love the arts are also needed to help keep the Center up and running.
826 D.C., co-founded by David Eggars, works with D.C. kids, ages six to 18, on creative writing skills through a variety of programs, many of them after school and on the weekends. Volunteers work with kids one-on-one to help them with specific writing projects based on a theme. Workshop themes can vary, and volunteers can also lead their own. Previous workshops have included making your own comic book, writing a mystery story, and modern mythology.
The brand-new Project Create Art Center in Anacostia, which opened just over a week ago, works with kids and their families who are currently homeless. The Center offers classes in visual and performing arts—hip-hop, capoeira, cooking classes, and mixed media are recent courses—and are taught throughout the District, either at the Center’s location or in middle schools. Volunteer opportunities include event volunteers, field trip chaperones, and classroom assistants. No good deed is too small.
Finally, Thrive DC, a homeless services program in Columbia Heights, is currently looking to find a person to fill a specific volunteer vacancy—someone to help them maintain their incredibly grooving jam music group, which includes both people brand new to their instrument and long-time players. Thrive needs someone who has a musical background and appreciates of a wide variety of genres to lead not just jam sessions but also group discussion. There are, of course, several other volunteering opportunities within Thrive for folks with all types of skillsets. So hop to it!
