The Greenbrier Learning Center’s mission is to support the children, youth and families of south Arlington through needs-based after-school enrichment programs, teen leadership programs, and parent programming, as well as networking with community partners. Our goals are to provide academic enrichment and tutoring to improve our student’s academic performance; to foster responsible decision-making and develop inter-personal, social and leadership skills in our youth and families; to increase parental involvement in their children’s education; and to promote the needs of our community. As a community-driven organization, GBLC continues to expand our programs and services in order to meet the growing and changing needs of south Arlington.

Description:
The Greenbrier Learning Center has worked with the youth of the Columbia Heights West Neighborhood since 1994. Working with children from Carlin Springs Elementary, GBLC provides academic support through tutorials, homework help, and other activities that challenge the children to learn and explore new subjects. The program also focuses on strengthening the interpersonal skills of the children and giving them hands-on experience with technology. The children are exposed to other experiences through guest speakers and field trips outside the neighborhood.

The Virginia Gardens Learning Center (VGLC) is a collaborative program with AHC Inc., a provider of low-income housing in Arlington, and is located on a property they own and manage. The VGLC works with AHC staff and the staff at Randolph Elementary School to provide relevant and necessary services for the children and their families.

The Kenmore Program has three focus areas: homework tutoring and assistance, college preparatory assistance, and career exploration. This program is located inside Kenmore Middle School and benefits greatly from the resources the school provides. The location allows for close contact with teachers, counselors and administrators.

Teen Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) works with 10 high school students of the neighborhood to help them improve their leadership skills, put their skills into practice, and give back to the community. Teen LEAD is a comprehensive program that lasts the entire school year. The fall program has the youth participating in weekly workshops that have the youth focus on themselves, group dynamics, and leadership skills. The youth learn the importance of shared leadership and facilitation. During the spring the youth are placed in internships with neighborhood afterschool programs and continue with weekly meetings. The youth work 5 hours each week and learn different strategies to work with elementary age youth. They are also required to plan and implement several activities to lead with the children during the spring.

Over the summer we offer a summer camp that consists of three sessions. The first session takes place just after school ends and is composed of educational field trips and a three-day camping trip. The second session runs for the entirety of summer school. It provides a safe, quiet place for children to do their homework and participate in academically enriching activities, as well as computer time and recreation. The third session consists of full day programming for the two weeks in-between summer school and the school year. This session also offers field trips as well as time at the center.

For ten years Greenbrier has successfully provided educational after-school programs for youth. Although we recognized the need for parent programming to supplement this, we did have the resources to develop a formal parent outreach program until Fall of 2004. The few workshops offered prior to last Fall were based on random topics which resulted in unpredictable attendance and inconsistent outcomes. We have found that parents and caregivers respond well to regular programming with topics that stem from their requests, needs, and interests. Planning with intention has given new life to our workshops, and has allowed us to fully meet the diverse needs of our population.

The Parent Connection at VGLC and Greenbrier at Night at GBLC provide an opportunity for adults to engage in workshops and community meetings. Our workshops fall into four main categories: Healthy Lifestyles, Positive Parenting, Education, and Community and Safety. The topics include nutrition, exercise, hygiene, parenting, gang prevention, school relations, parent/teacher conferences, career/college, financial planning, home ownership, neighborhood watch, personal safety, building community, immigration rights, workers rights, and more. The topics are determined by the needs and interests of the participants, and evaluations are done regularly. The response from the participants has been overwhelmingly positive. Although the parents of children in the programs are strongly encouraged to attend, these programs are open to the community.

The Arlington After-school Networking Group is a coalition of organizations, agencies, and individuals who collaborate to improve the opportunities for Arlington youth during after-school hours. The goals of the group are to increase awareness in the Arlington community of the importance of after-school programs, and share curriculum ideas and best practices among service providers.

History:
Originating from the requests of parents, teachers, and community members seeking after-school, academic tutoring for the children of our neighborhood, the Greenbrier Learning Center (GBLC) opened its doors in 1994. The Arlington Community Foundation, the Greenbrier Baptist Church, and several local corporations partnered to create GBLC, which found a home in the centrally located Greenbrier Baptist Church. While GBLC is not a faith-based organization, the use of the church for one of the elementary programs and our main office has given us both visibility and credibility in the community.

Contact person: Lauren Cranman, Director, Community Outreach, (703) 379-6488 , x.101, (email)
Main office number: (703) 379-6488
Office fax number: (703) 379-2996

Address:

5401 S. 7th Road Arlington, VA 22204 (See a map)

Directions:

GBLC is located on the 3rd Floor of the Greenbrier Baptist Church. We are at the corner of S. Greenbrier St. and S. 7th Road near the intersection of S. 7th Road and S. Carlin Springs Road.   Nearest Metro/Subway Stop: Ballston,   Walk distance (in minutes): 30 min.   Nearest Bus Stop: Bus 25 from Ballston, 5 minute walk