"Jackson Nine” student band from the Aspire Afterschool Program

A rock band, the "Jackson Nine” was formed by students in the Aspire! Afterschool Summer Program, They performed for parents and supporters in the courtyard of the Arlington Mill Community Center. Adult bands -The Stacks, Angel Roads, and APM - played  alongside the Aspire band, and there were local vendors, food trucks, and art made by students available. It was a happy occasion for all attendees and performers..

“Aspire students have a vested interest in making sure we can continue providing our daily holistic academic afterschool and full-day summer program. They want Aspire to grow so their friends can also have access to a program that means so much to them, bridges the learning gap, gives them a safe place, and where they plant the seeds where their future dreams grow. They came together to find ways to support Aspire and their community. This music festival is a testament to their leadership, generosity, and the critical role Aspire plays in their lives,” said Paula Fynboh, Aspire’s CEO.

Aspire Afterschool Learning (formerly the Greenbrier Learning Center) is a non-profit organization based along Columbia Pike. According to their mission statement, Aspire! "provides robust, holistic, and high-quality afterschool and summer academic enrichment to historically underserved students in third to eight grades."

Photography by Lloyd Wolf.