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East Capitol Campus
The East Capitol Campus is WTEF’s state-of-the art
community, education and tennis center in Ward
7 that opened in November of 2012. The center
features six indoor and nine outdoor tennis courts,
three spacious classrooms, a 50-station computer
lab and fitness room. It also has a 1,500 square foot
community room, offices for staff and an advanced
security system that includes cameras, key-card access, and gated outdoor courts. The center is helping to transform the Ward 7 Community.
Northwest Campus
16th & Kennedy Streets, NW
Washington, DC 20011
(202)-291-9888
East Capitol Campus
200 Stoddert Place, SE
Washington, DC 20019
(202)-575-0808
www.wtef.org
@WTEF_DC
Washington
Tennis &
Education
Foundation
About WTEF
WTEF is a premier educational and tennis organization serving underserved children, providing the
best quality instruction, resources, and mentorship
to build life champions. We seek to keep children
off city streets during out-of-school time, in a safe
environment they can trust; to engage them in
productive activities that teach discipline, build
confidence and encourage a healthy lifestyle.
WTEF is an awardwinning organization
and has been recognized locally with the
prestigious Washington
Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit
Management and by
the Catalogue for
Philanthropy: Greater
Washington as one of
DC’s best small charities. The USTA has
given WTEF national
community awards, including Organization of the Year and Tennis Association of the Year. WTEF Executive Director Eleni
Rossides has been honored for excellence in Chief
Executive Leadership by the Center for Nonprofit
Advancement and most recently was awarded a
Washington SmartCEO Brava 2013 Award. She
is one of five nonprofit leaders granted this distinction. The Brava! Awards program celebrates
top female CEOs who combine their irrepressible
entrepreneurial spirit with a passion of giving back
to the community. WTEF Program Director Willis
Thomas has been named a WETA Hometown Hero
by Washington’s PBS station and a Washingtonian
of the Year by Washingtonian magazine.
WTEF’S PATHWAY OF
PROGRAMS
www.wtef.org
WTEF Programs
WTEF transforms children’s lives throughout
the District of Columbia through a unique
combination of individualized academic support,
life skills and tennis training. A pathway of
programs serves an estimated 1,200 children
annually, starting at preschool and continuing
through high school. WTEF provides these services
to underserved children, most of whom reside in
Ward 7, which includes some of the city’s poorest
neighborhoods. WTEF features campuses in
northwest and southeast. Core programs are:
Tennis Tots
WTEF’s newest initiative,
the Tennis Tots program,
offers free tennis
instruction to more than
400 children, ages 2 to 5,
who attend early learning
centers near WTEF’s East
Capitol Campus. Weekly
lessons use techniques and equipment designed for
small bodies and hands. This first step on WTEF’s
pathway is designed to lead to a lifelong interest in
tennis and fitness.
Arthur Ashe Children’s Program
Continuing on the pathway, the AACP is an
afterschool program for elementary and middle
school-aged children conducted four days a week
at 24 of the city’s public
schools. More than
400 children spend two
afternoons a week on
the tennis court and two
afternoons on academic
enrichment. AACP uses
a competition-based
curriculum, taught by
public school teachers, where students incorporate
what they learn into student-produced plays and
special academic, life skills and tennis competitions.
Our Students
“Stacey,” a third grader and a newly enrolled student
in the CFE, was performing poorly in math and had
recently received a failing grade on a test. WTEF
provided one-on-one tutoring and Stacey made an
“A+” on a similar test a few
weeks later. When asked
what the teacher said, she
replied, “The teacher said
that must be an amazing
school.” Her mother also expressed excitement, saying
her daughter’s self esteem was greatly improved.
“Harvey” was struggling academically resulting from
a combination of poor study habits and time management skills. He had done poorly in school for so long
that he lacked confidence in his ability to do better.
Harvey received one-on-one tutoring with WTEF’s
Math and Reading Specialist and also worked with
a teacher or volunteer every day while doing his
homework. The CFE
Counselor talked with
Harvey individually
at least three times a
week to provide encouragement and support. Harvey brought
in a certificate from his
school indicating that he had earned a B+. He was very
proud and made sure that all the teachers and staff saw
his certificate.
WTEF Programs
The Center for Excellence
Accenting WTEF’s pathway, the CFE is an intensive
year-round program that serves 92 students in
grades 1 to 12. From September to June, CFE
runs five days a week from 4 to 7 p.m. Program
time is divided between academic activities and
tennis instruction. Academics include homework
assistance, tutoring and individualized math and
reading skills instruction. Life skills training,
individual
counseling and
mentoring are
also offered. The
program is run
by experienced
educators and
recreational
professionals.
During the summer, CFE expands its hours to
five days a week, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Students
learn and play tennis in addition to participating
in reading and math programs to help prevent
summer learning loss. Each summer CFE
students participate in the ATA National Tennis
Tournament, where they travel to host cities, play
youngsters from across the country and visit area
colleges.
Community Programs
Expanding the pathway to include the community,
WTEF utilizes the center during daytime hours for
the new Tennis Tots program, serving area nursery
and daycare programs. WTEF also provides court
time for seniors, space for monthly ANC and local
homeowner meetings, hosts adult exercise classes
and partners with the SEED Charter School to
provide tennis instruction for their students. The
Community Programs serve approximately 550
children, youth and community members annually.