Register |

| Forgot Password?

Investigating Where We Live

Outreach Program

Overview

Created by the National Building Museum in 1996, Investigating Where We Live (IWWL) is a summer outreach program designed for middle school and high school students ages 12-16 from the D.C. metropolitan area.  IWWL participants learn to use creative writing and photography as a means of understanding and describing D.C. neighborhoods.  At the end of the program, participants have an opportunity to show what they have learned by creating a museum exhibition that features their insights and work.

Program Goals

In IWWL, participants will: 

• Develop photography, writing, and design skills
• Define neighborhoods and examine what influences their appearances
• Learn neighborhood histories
• Collaborate with peers and staff as part of a team
• Create a museum exhibition

In addition to developing these skills, IWWL students enjoy a number of other benefits. In return for their commitment to the program, participants:  

• Receive a digital camera
• Develop relationships with professional photographers, designers, museum staff, and fellow participants
• Keep photographs for use in future projects, portfolios, or high school and college applications
• Fulfill community service requirements for school

How does the program work? 

IWWL is a 12 session summer program that takes place from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for four weeks. Up to 30 participants are selected each summer.  

At the beginning of the program, participants are given an overview of photography before being assigned to three teams. Next, in a series of site visits, each team investigates one of three neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Documenting its landmarks, major thoroughfares, and commercial and residential areas through digital photographs and writings, students work to gather information about the community’s history and identity. Participants spend the rest of the summer assembling this information to create a Museum exhibition of their own design. This exhibition, which is displayed in one of the Museum’s galleries, showcases student photographs, poems, and narratives, and offers their fresh interpretations of the unique character of the city’s communities. 

All participants use a digital camera to document the neighborhoods during their trips in the field. Upon successful completion of the program, students keep these cameras for personal use, and may also keep any photos they produce.  

Online applications for the 2009 IWWL program will be accepted beginning April 2009. 

 

Volunteer

The Museum seeks professionals and college or graduate students in the fields of photography, design, architecture, urban planning, creative writing, and education to share their expertise with our participants. Volunteers may receive college credits or professional development points for their time. Click here to learn more about volunteering at the Museum.  Volunteers for teen programs must be 18 years of age or older.

Intern

Students or recent graduates who are interested in a greater commitment to DAP are invited to apply for an intern position in the outreach department. Interns act as volunteer instructors and assist with the administration of the program. Click here to learn more about internships at the Museum.                                

Sponsors

Major funding for Investigating Where We Live is provided by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts; the Neighborhood Investment Fund, District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; and The Beech Street Foundation.  Additional support for outreach programs is provided by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; The Capital Group Companies; The Clark Charitable Foundation; the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation; The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation; and Joseph F. Horning, Jr., among others.