Dance Exchange Receives City of Takoma Park Funding to Support Moving Field Guide Outdoor Learning and Aftercare program
Expanding access to creative learning, outdoor exploration, and meaningful afterschool experiences for local children and families.
Dance Exchange is pleased to announce that we have received funding from the City of Takoma Park through its FY2027 Community Quality of Life Grant Program to support our new Moving Field Guide Outdoor Learning & Aftercare Program, an initiative that brings together movement, creativity, environmental exploration, and community connection.
Rooted in Dance Exchange’s Moving Field Guide practices, the program invites elementary school students to discover new ways of learning through their bodies, their imaginations, and the natural world around them. Through dance, storytelling, outdoor exploration, and collaborative activities, young people build creative confidence, strengthen relationships, and develop a deeper sense of connection to themselves, one another, and the places they call home.
The program also responds to a critical need for accessible, enriching afterschool opportunities for working families in Takoma Park. By combining creative education with dependable care, Dance Exchange is exploring how arts organizations can play a meaningful role in supporting both youth development and family well-being.
Equity and access are central to this work. We recognize that opportunities for high-quality arts education, outdoor learning, and afterschool enrichment are not equally available to all families. Through community partnerships, accessible enrollment options, and culturally responsive teaching practices, we are working to reduce barriers and create welcoming spaces where young people can learn, move, and thrive.
This initiative builds on nearly three decades of Dance Exchange’s presence in Takoma Park and our longstanding commitment to expanding who gets to dance, where dance happens, what dance is about, and why dance matters.
We are grateful to the City of Takoma Park for investing in community-centered approaches to youth enrichment and for recognizing the role that creativity, movement, and connection can play in building a more equitable and resilient community.
Registraton is open and enrollment has begun for Fall 2026 (September - December) and Spring 2027 (January - June). For more information and to register, please visit: https://www.danceexchange.org/mfg-aftercare
As Dance Exchange celebrates 50 years of artistic and civic engagement, this investment supports an important part of our future: creating opportunities for the next generation to experience the transformative possibilities of dance, creativity, and community.
50 Years of Exchange. A Future in Motion.