WorldStrides Updates

Envision by WorldStrides Announces Scholarship Program with Horton’s Kids to Provide Life-Changing, Career-Focused Experiences

We are thrilled to partner with Horton’s Kids, an award-winning DC nonprofit serving children and families in Ward 8, to provide three K-12 students with full scholarships to pursue life-changing, career-focused experiences in 2024.

Horton’s Kids empowers children growing up in DC’s most under-resourced communities so that they graduate from high school ready for success in college, career, and life. The organization serves 600 children and families living in Southeast DC neighborhoods that have been profoundly impacted by decades of disinvestment and barriers to opportunity.

The impact is dramatic: children in Horton’s Kids are twice as likely to graduate from high school.

The scholarship program is a beautiful extension of our relationship with Horton’s Kids. What began as a volunteering program led by our Black Organization for Leadership & Development (BOLD) resource group has evolved into a strong partnership united by a common goal: empower youth to graduate and succeed in life by providing students with experiences to see beyond the classroom, to see the world – and themselves – in new ways.

As an organization founded and run by volunteers for its first 15 years, volunteerism is rooted in the DNA of Horton’s Kids. We are proud to partner with Horton’s Kids and excited for three K-12 students to test-drive their career passions with WorldStrides next year through experiential learning outside of the classroom.

And now… introducing the scholarship recipients and the career-focused experiences they will pursue with WorldStrides in 2024!

Na’Kari Bennaugh (fifth grader), National Young Scholars Program in New York

Na’Kari is interested in creating a better future for his family, friends, and himself. He is excited about this opportunity because he has always wanted to travel the world, meet new people, and learn more about himself, the world and how it works. Na’Kari thinks the NYSP is a great opportunity to accomplish some of his goals and be a better person. He has never traveled before but has always dreamed of going to New York and seeing the big buildings and the bright lights. When he grows up, Na’Kari wants to be an artist because he can use his creativity to make people smile and share his talents with the world.  Drawing and painting is something that makes him happy and he want to be happy in life.

Imagee Jackson (sixth grader), National Youth Leadership Forum Explore STEM in Atlanta

Imagee is excited to go the program in Atlanta because he would like to learn and have hands on experiences with robots. He loves math, so this trip will give him the opportunity to put his math skills to the test and the trip will give him more knowledge about robots. When Imagee grows up, he has a dream to be a firefighter.

Zionna Cooper (ninth grader), National Youth Leadership Forum Law & CSI at the University of Maryland, College Park

Zionna is very interested in going to the NYLF Law & CSI program at the University of Maryland. She is excited to be part of the program because she has an interest in law and hopes this program will teach her what type she would like to be. She is interested in law as a career because she wants to help better people’s lives. Being a part of this program would give her the chance to learn more about Law.

We look forward to hearing from Na’Kari, Imagee and Zionna about their experiences in New York City, Atlanta and College Park. Watch this space for part two next year!