The Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation (Trust) is gearing up the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) for the 2012-13 school year. We invite all Non-profits and Community Based Organizations to learn how DC parents can apply for scholarships for grades K-12 to be used at District private schools.

Our goal is to provide information about quality educational options to every family interested in sending their child to a D.C. private school. Your ideas, along with the trust your organization has earned with District families, will help us tremendously in getting the word out about the OSP. Also, with more than 1,600 children currently participating in the OSP, we want to inform our families of the vast array of services available by your organization.

Please join us for an exciting meeting to learn more about the families your organization serves and how we can help expand their education options for the upcoming school year.

• What: Community Engagement and D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program Outreach 
• When: Monday, January 9, 2012 from 10am – 12pm
• Where: Trust Office (1400 16th St. NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC)

Space is limited, so please RSVP with the name(s) of those attending no later than Friday, January 6^th 2012 to walopez@cyitc.org.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at 1-888-329-6884 or by email (walopez@cyitc.org). I look forward to seeing you on the 9^th and working with you in the New Year.

While processing applications and renewals is our bread and butter, working directly with the families of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) gives me the most joy. It is easy to get lost in the shuffle of numbers and eligibility guidelines and lose the true spirit of the work we do behind a computer screen. Often though, it is the traditions of the holiday season that brings me back to the root of why we do the work we do.

One of our steadfast traditions at the OSP is to host our Annual OSP Family Holiday Party. Earlier this month, the Trust was able to do just that with the help of many friends and partners. The evening’s events and entertainment, complete with a visit from Santa, brought everything full circle. It was incredibly heartwarming to see all the children, still in their respective school uniforms, enjoying the crafts and gifts that were laid out on each of the tables. Watching as our guests ate and laughed together, we saw strong bonds being formed between neighbors, between families, between parent and child. As the events of the evening continued, we saw a community form.

As the carols filled the air and the families turned to enjoy the festive music played by our very own OSP students, we saw a community of people coming together to celebrate another year of success. As a young girl stepped to the stage and played “The First Noel” on violin we saw a community of talent. As a father helped his young son twist the pipe cleaner decorations into a Santa hat, we saw a community of support. When each of the entertainers, from the choir to the djembe performers, explained the significance of their art, and the audience listened with rapt attention, we saw a community of tradition. And when the music stopped after each performance and the audience erupted into applause, we saw a community of appreciation.

We left that evening not only wrapped in the warmth of a successful event, but in the warmth from all the hugs and thank you’s we received from our wonderful guests. In return, we want to thank each and every one of you for being part of our motivation, for being part of our traditions, and for being part of our community.

-Sarrah Abulughod

Parents of students who will be transitioning to high school next year have a lot on their plates at this time of year. Not only are they busy helping their students fill out applications, they are also looking for more resources to pay for a private high school education.

On November 10, 2011 at the Trust office, the OSP teamed up with representatives from the  Capital Partners for Education, the Latino Student Fund and the Black Student Fund to provide a successful Financial Aid & Resource Workshop for the families of 8th graders transitioning to high school.

Over 40 parents and 16 youth got a head start on planning for next school year. Not only did they hear of resources and academic support services, they also had the opportunity to start filling out financial aid applications with help from our family support specialists. In order to support families though the process, staff led eager parents through the paperwork step by step and addressed their questions along the way.

You can learn more about these partners and other organizations that provide similar resources by checking out our list of partners and resources.

Big things are happening with the program and we are excited to share with you some great news. Not only was the OSP reauthorized last April for another five years, which means we will be able to award even more scholarships to families, we’ve also rolled out a brand new website with a new layout, design and features.

We hope that you will now have better access to the information you need to help your child be their best. Here you will find useful information and updates such as our current list of OSP participating schools, details on how our program works, current updates and steps to get started on applying for an upcoming school year. Please make sure to check the OSP site often.

We are also open to suggestions to make this site more useful for you! If you feel that the site is missing a component that would be helpful, please let us know and we will try our best to incorporate it. Stay tuned for more from the OSP and we look forward to the possibilities that this forum can create for all of us. Thanks for visiting our new blog!

….our new website, that is! Be on the lookout for the launch of our very own D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program website in the coming days!