WISH LIST $100: buys school supplies for 10 students; $1,000: trains 3 new Teaching Associates to be effective youth workers; $5,000: sponsors 1 girl for an entire year of programming.

Middle-graders often fall through the cracks – too old for aftercare programs designed for young children but too young for the extra-curricular and work activities of high schoolers. Interstages steps in to fill this gap, offering girls a combination of academic support and music enrichment in an environment that fosters personal growth. Academic goal setting, homework help, remediation and enrichment come first. Then an exploration of the world through music: guest artist visits, lessons in music fundamentals and history, group music making, and voice classes. Music is taught in an historical and cultural context, supplementing the school curriculum – African drumming accompanies a unit on Africa, and music theory helps with mathematical concepts. Open Monday to Friday from 3: 30-6: 00pm, Interstages boasts a 6 to 1 student to adult ratio. For girls in DC’s Ward 7, this program is more than a study hall, more than a music class, more than a prevention program, and more than an isolated experience – it brings academic, artistic, and personal success together. Your contribution means the world to these kids.

Noel M Tieszen, Executive Director 2309 Martin Luther King, Jr Avenue SE Washington, DC 20020 202-824-0740 www.interstages.org