Serve DC funds the following Learn and Serve Homeland Security programs that operate in the District of Columbia.

Elsie Whitlow Stokes Public Charter School manages “Operation Safe and Secure” to provide opportunities for 250 kindergarten through sixth grade students to develop, learn, and teach parents, faculty, staff and community members ways to increase their personal, school and homeland security through workshops and demonstrations; newsletters; website postings; and community meetings with District of Columbia and private agencies that provide homeland security preparedness services. The goals of the project will be to strengthen students’ academic skills, including fluency in English, French and Spanish, by using service-learning instructional strategies; to increase all program participants’ awareness of their personal, family, and community safety needs and to enhance their capacity to employ safety strategies learned through the project; and to strengthen students’ ethic of service and civic responsibility as a way of life. 

Friendship Public Charter School located in Ward 7, trains its service-learning participants in CPR, First Aid and emergency preparedness through school’s Leadership Development Academy (LDA). LDA is a before, during, and after school program that empowers students to become active agents of change through service-learning and character development. LDA also exposes students to careers in law, health, and protective services. The youth participants assist their school’s security guards with morning bag check and they give presentations on emergency preparedness to school and community members. Additionally, students in the homeland security program have been trained in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). 

IDEA Public Charter School located in Ward 7, trains its service-learning participants in CPR, First Aid and emergency preparedness. The youth participants then give presentations on these topics to their peers, IDEA faculty and staff, elementary school students, and community members. Students in the program have been trained in CERT (Community Emergency Response Team). The school is organized on the Department of Defense’s JROTC Career Model Academy with the mission of helping young people become better citizens.  

Young America Works Public Charter Vocational High School, located in Ward 4, requires that all Allied Health graduates are trained in CPR, First Aid and emergency preparedness through the health careers curriculum. A school-wide community food distribution program in partnership with the Washington Area Food Bank is held the third Wednesday of each month. Literature and demonstrations on food preparation, nutrition, and kitchen safety is also provided. As part of  the History, Science, Math and Art curriculums, students are required to identify issues concerning the school and home communities and present during school assemblies, parent forums, and community meetings for potential action and solutions. We have an annual Round Table for elected government officials, community stakeholders, parents and students to discuss how resources and services can meet unmet needs. Our overall school program integrates rigorous academics and vocational technical skills in a positive learning environment. Upon graduation, students are ready for work, ready for college, and ready to give back to the community.