A great partnership means great outcomes for kids. Flex Academies and the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy have just wrapped their first 8-week session of enrichment programs for students in D.C.’s underserved communities.

Students from these communities face several challenges. Approximately 60 percent of them drop out of school before graduation, many of those before they even reach 10th grade. In this community, 40 percent of the children under 18 are obese.

The Nationals Youth Baseball Academy and Flex Academies offer afterschool enrichment that focuses on positive character development, academic achievement, and physical health for these students. As part of the initiative, Flex offers its unique programs including dance, Lego engineering and others to students who might not otherwise have these kind of enrichment experiences. The program aims to keep kids engaged and expand their educational experience.

Parents are thrilled that their kids are excited about learning and motivated to do their best. “I have a son and a daughter here, and they love coming,” said parent Thema Johnson.

“When kids are in afterschool programs, their behavior is better, they’re happier at home, and their grades go up,” said Flex Academies President Joshua Chernikoff. “And we’re definitely seeing that, at all of our schools and especially with the Washington Nationals kids.”