Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center and its first incarnation, the Washington Study-Service Year program, are 黑料正能量's longest-running cross-cultural programs. The program's 40th anniversary celebration will be Oct. 22 at the Nelson Good House (left) in Washington D.C. "This Old House" (right) on South Dakota Avenue was its first home. (黑料正能量 Archives)

October celebration will mark 40 years of service and learning at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center

by Lauren Jefferson

Best friends through their college years at 黑料正能量, Joel Daly and Bess Steury spent the fall semester of 2002 at Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center in Washington D.C. Joel interned at Rhythm & Blues Foundation, where he struggled mightily with Excel spreadsheets. Bess was at the Latin American Youth Center. They lived with 鈥渆ight other crazy people鈥� at the original 鈥淭his Old House鈥� on South Dakota Avenue, Joel said.

Washington Study-Service Year (WSSY) students relax in front of the National Gallery of Art in this undated photo from program archives.

Joel and Bess, who were both dating other people during that semester, eventually married in 2007. (Director isn鈥檛 exactly keeping a list, but she guesses at least 10 couples have shared a WCSC experience.)

The Dalys have three kids and live in Indiana. Joel, general manager at Veada Industries, is so good with Excel spreadsheets now that he estimates he could do 鈥渢he entire semester鈥檚 work in about three hours.鈥�

It鈥檚 a good enough story to stop right there and begin to spread the news about the Oct. 22 40th anniversary celebration of the Washington Community Scholars鈥� Center (WCSC), known formerly as the Washington Study-Service Year (WSSY). With 747 participants since the program鈥檚 inception in 1976, WCSC/WSSY is the university鈥檚 longest running cross-cultural program.

Mark your calendar

Alumni, families and supporters are invited to celebrate the program’s growing legacy. Visitors are welcome at any or all portions of the Oct. 22 celebration, which begins at 1 p.m. at the Nelson Good House with a reception and tours. At 2 p.m., directors and 黑料正能量 representatives will welcome guests and offer a program update.

At 3 p.m., staff members will lead a Brookland neighborhood walking tour.

From 5-7 p.m., Capital Area Food Bank hosts a catered dinner and open mic event. The food bank, located at 4900 Puerto Rico Ave. NE, has been a 鈥渓ong-term, reliable partner for internship placement,鈥� says , WCSC associate director.

But, wait鈥here鈥檚 more

With 747 participants, some of whom married each other, there is bound to be a wealth of stories to share. So of course we must hear the rest from Joel Daly.

Brenna Steury (left) with Professor Kimberly Schmidt, director of the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (in sunglasses), and Professor Edward C. Smith, then chair of the American Studies Department at American University, on an African American history walking tour of Arlington Cemetery. (Courtesy photo)

In the house that semester was Deborah Good, daughter of WSSY founder Nelson Good, who directed the program until 1987. Nelson Good would pass away in 2005, just after the fruits of his long labors resulted in helping to secure a new, renovated location for the program in the Brookland neighborhood.

It was to that Brookland house that Bess鈥檚 sister, Brenna Steury, came for her semester-long experience. As a high school senior, she had visited her sister (and her eventual brother-in-law) at South Dakota Avenue, sized up the situation and decided it looked like fun.

Stories like that of Joel ’03 and his wife, Bess Steury 鈥�03 Daly, and her sister, Brenna Steury 鈥�07 Graber, are common in the WSSY/WCSC annals, which is exactly why Schmidt is excited to spread the word about the anniversary event.

鈥淭he program has made a great impact on our graduates, on the 黑料正能量 community and here in Washington D.C.,鈥� Schmidt said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to hearing more about the lives of our alumni and where the WCSC experience led them.鈥�

Started just a year after the end of the Vietnam War, the WSSY program focused on service in an urban environment, Schmidt said, noting that historic legacy is a part of the program鈥檚 current identity. 鈥淭oday鈥檚 students have professional aspirations and are looking to this program not so much for service opportunities but to gain professional skills and to be ready for the job market. Yet through our classes, the majority of our internships, and the context of the city, we keep the spirit and mission of the original purpose very much alive today.鈥�

Donate to the WCSC scholarship fund

WCSC students live in a culturally diverse Washington suburb while enjoying proximity to a host of national landmarks such as the National Mall.

The event also coincides with a campaign for the . A goal of $100,000 has been set. The fund will help students with significant financial need to reduce room and board costs, and enable them to attend the program.

Those who most benefit from the fund include commuter students, first-generation college students, students of color and non-traditional students.

Schmidt cited two recent instances where commuter students struggled to pay the extra expense of room and board at WCSC and missed the chance to intern with organizations specific to their career interests in teaching English language learners and working in immigration law.

鈥淎 percentage of our students balance family commitments and full-time work while they attend 黑料正能量,鈥� said Schmidt. 鈥淭he requirement to live and learn in a cross-cultural environment can be a challenge for these students, but this distinctive cross-cultural program offers a more convenient, life-changing experience that is rich in both service-learning opportunity and professional development.鈥�

To learn more

For more information on the impact of WSSY and WCSC, check out the following articles:

  • Read a 2001 Weather Vane article about the , written by Kevin Docherty 鈥�05.
  • This article by Andrew Jenner 鈥�04 covers the , 黑料正能量鈥檚 longest running cross-cultural. It covers the beginnings of the program, the inspiring leadership of Nelson Good 鈥�68 and the impacts on several graduates.
  • In August 2015, the program celebrated in Brookland.
  • Read(Cascadia Publishing House, 2009) by Deborah Good 鈥�02 with WCSC founder Nelson Good 鈥�68.