On March 11, 2015, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced a series of tech initiatives during an event at Howard University.  One of the initiatives involved a unique fellowship program sponsored by Code For Progress, a social justice organization committed to helping underrepresented communities in to the coding field.  

Code For Progress' year-long fellowship starts with a three to five month residency in the District of Columbia in which fellows learn coding skills.   All Code for Progress fellows receive a monthly stipend and housing allowance. Code for Progress assists fellows in finding employment in the tech sector as junior developers, database managers, and innovation specialists. 

Bowser's announcement was that the District via its program Connect DC would sponsor 3 fellows in this year's cohort.  A key requirement of the collaboration is that Connect.DC-sponsored fellows must be DC residents from Wards 5, 7, or 8.  The fellowship is a valuable opportunity for residents especially those living in Ward 7.  Ward 7 folks who are interested in applying for this fellowship, should check the Code For Progress site.  The deadline is March 31.

RightRides DC expands East of The River

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  Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), a DC group, empowers people in the DC metropolitan area to build a street harassment Washington, DC. CASS recently announced it was expanding its popular RightRides DC program to wards 7 and 8.  The project, which is currently in its pilot phase, is done on a quarterly basis on specific dates. The next service date will be March 27. 
  
  
  First launched on Halloween 2014, RightRides DC is a non-profit service that provides free, safe, late-night rides home for women, LGBTQ and gender non-conforming people (“Riders”). These populations are most vulnerable to experiencing sexual harassment and assault in public spaces. The RightRides DC program is possible because of the hard work of CASS volunteers—Drivers, Navigators, and Dispatchers, as well as a partnership with Zipcar, who donates driving time in the cars CASS uses. To participate in Right Rides, volunteers complete a training, must pass a background check, and then set out as a driver-navigator team in Zipcar provided vehicles.

• On March 27, riders in D.C. can call or text this number 202-556-4232 from 12 midnight to 3:30 AM to receive a free, safe ride home from CASS volunteers. The program is 100% volunteer-run and depend on volunteers, grants, donations and sponsorships to make this service possible.  Riders must both be picked up and dropped off/going home within Washington, DC. For more information, check CASS' web site at: http://www.collectiveactiondc.org/programs/rightridesdc/

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Food Dessert? D.C. Urban Greens grows food in Ward 7's backyard

Soil blocks of DC Urban Green seedlings 

Last year, I started my first backyard garden in the District. Almost every day, I enjoyed stepping out into the back to grab turnip greens or lettuces for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I also enjoyed sharing the bounty of my two garden boxes with friends and family.  With the popularity of urban agriculture, I found it hard to locate inexpensive seedlings and plants when I missed out on starting my plants from seed. I ended up going to Capitol Hill for summer plants and found myself blowing nearly $100 on plants!  Luckily, I later found out about a gem of an organization in Ward 7. It's called D.C. Urban Greens.

Neighborhoods east of the Anacostia are in a food desert. Ward 7 is no exception especially if you do not have a car or strong legs to bike.  D.C. Urban Greens has been doing its part to address a critical need for healthy food options by offering Ward 7 residents access to fresh and affordable vegetables. It does this by teaching folks how to grow their own gardens through its volunteer program at its Fort Dupont farm. They also maintain the Fort Dupont garden from spring through winter, enabling volunteers and residents to learn about the cultivation of seasonal food options.

Soil Press

To kick start your garden, you can order seedlings and soil from them directly.  You can also make purchases for vegetables at their vegetable stand. The prices for seedlings and vegetables are definitely affordable.  

The urban farmers at D.C. Urban Greens grow seedlings in 1.5-inch soil blocks, using a soil press to make the blocks. Each block contains one plant about the same size that you would find if you purchased a flat at the garden store.  The farmers can cultivate spring seedlings such as red Russian kale,  broccoli, onions, parsley, leaf lettuce, garlic and dill. They also do warm weather crops such as basil and tomatoes. If you want to grow a particular crop, they will seed and grow specific plants you may want.  You have to contact them to see what's available. 

You also may want to buy the fruits of their labor, which is a great way to support them. Visit them at their vegetable stand on Ely Place.  The farm stand is open between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM on Wednesdays and Sundays behind the Fort Dupont Ice Arena located at 3779 Ely Place SE Washington, DC 20019.  Contact them at info@dcurbangreens.org.  Follow them on the D.C. Urban Greens Facebook page and on their twitter page.