Washington Tennis & Education Foundation

Registration is open for Session 6 of our junior and adult tennis programs, kicking off June 22 at our East Capitol Campus.

Junior programs follow a structured, competency-based pathway from Red Ball I for our youngest beginners through Orange, Green/Yellow, Intermediate/Advanced, and invite-only Performance training for serious competitive players. Every level builds technical skills alongside character development.

Adult programs run the full range as well. Let's Get It Started 1.0 is designed for absolute beginners or players returning after a long break. Let's Get It Started 2.0 helps players with some experience sharpen their technique and tactical game. And Live Ball 3.0/4.0 brings high-energy continuous play for experienced players who want a real workout with no downtime between points.

All programs run 8 weeks through August 15, with no classes on July 4. Spaces are limited across all levels, so register soon. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions.

Our Arthur Ashe Children's Program students from Perry Street Prep Public Charter School finished first place in DC in the fall session of the Stock Market Game—and last week, they celebrated by taking a trip to NYC for a guided tour of the New York Stock Exchange, and standing on the floor to witness the closing bell in person.

The middle schoolers also toured NASDAQ and visited the offices of SIFMA Foundation (the organization behind the Stock Market Game). The trip connected classroom learning to real-world experiences, giving our students a firsthand look at the industries and careers available to them.

AACP operates across 14 DC school campuses four days a week, for two hours after school. Students receive homework support, a snack, and structured coaching as they engage in academic competitions and tennis matches against other AACP schools. Finishing first in DC in the Stock Market Game is exactly the kind of achievement that shows what our students are capable of when they are given the resources and the room to compete. A huge thank you to SIFMA for making this trip happen–we couldn’t have done it without you!

We had a great time at our second annual Harris Cup at Army Navy Country Club in Arlington on June 6. We especially enjoyed seeing the legendary John Harris himself!

Named in honor of longtime WTEF champion and Mubadala Citi DC Open co-founder John A. Harris, the round robin tournament brought together nine regional clubs and one WTEF team for a full day of men's, women's, and mixed doubles play. Competing clubs included Army Navy Country Club, Belle Haven Country Club, Chevy Chase Club, Congressional Country Club, Country Club of Fairfax, River Bend Golf and Country Club, Springfield Golf and Country Club, Washington Golf and Country Club, Westwood Country Club. Congratulations to our winners–for the second year in a row, the Army Navy team is going to our Harris Cup finals in August alongside first-time finalists River Bend!

A sincere thank you to Army Navy Country Club for hosting and for making every player and spectator feel so welcome from the first match to the last. This event exists because of the generosity of clubs like yours and the competitors and family members who show up year after year to support WTEF's mission. Thank you for joining us this past weekend. We loved seeing you all.

📸: Christine Halsey Photography

Applications for our Center for Excellence school-year program are now open!

CFE students come to our East Capitol Campus four days a week from 4 to 7pm during the school year. Every session includes 90 minutes of individualized reading and math instruction, homework support, and 90 minutes of on-court tennis training. Through our partners, students also access STEM, nutrition education, social-emotional learning, college prep, and scholarship guidance—all at no cost to families.

If you know a family whose child would thrive here, now is the time to apply:
https://form.jotform.com/80720879584166

We just launched new Doubles packages for our Share the Love Gala on Friday, July 24! Get yours today to enjoy two tickets to the Gala, two tickets to the VIP reception, a Mubadala Citi DC Open ticket bundle, and an overnight stay at the Ritz-Carlton the evening of the Gala. Join us for an evening to celebrate the kids who show up to our courts every day.

Our kids are learning to face hard things and keep going, and they deserve a community in their corner. Every ticket purchased helps fund the tuition-free programs that make their work possible. Ticket and sponsorship packages are selling quickly. Grab yours before they're gone: wtef.org/share-the-love-gala

Students growing up in Washington, D.C., traveling to Abu Dhabi to work behind the scenes at a world-class professional tennis tournament. That is the reality of the Mubadala/WTEF Global Internship, part of our Alumni Bridge Program. This week, some of our former interns came back to sit with our middle and high schoolers and share firsthand what it looks and feels like to work at the Mubadala Citi DC Open last summer and the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open in February, two of the most prestigious events on the professional tour. For our AACP and CFE students, it was a chance to see their own future reflected in someone just a few steps ahead of them. 🎾🌍

Our youngest players are only two years old. And are oldest players are…, well, we’ll keep that to ourselves.

Our programs are designed to follow our players at all stages of their life. Tennis Tots introduces children as young as two to tennis through partnerships with local child development centers.

Next comes the Arthur Ashe Children's Program (AACP) and Center for Excellence (CFE), which serve students through elementary, middle and high school. Our Alumni Bridge Program supports students and alumni ages 16 to 26 with college readiness, career workshops, paid internships, and financial literacy. Every step of this pathway is tuition-free.

And once our students become adults, they can come back to participate in our adult community tennis programs.

We're able to do this because of a community of donors, partners, and supporters who believe it matters. Our annual Share the Love Gala on July 24th is where that community comes together.

We'd love to see you there.

We are thrilled to announce that Trustar Bank (Member FDIC) is the Presenting Sponsor of our Share the Love Gala on July 24.

Trustar Bank is one of the Washington Business Journal's
top corporate philanthropists in the DC Metro Area, and their Trustar Youth Foundation has a long history of investing in children and the organizations that serve them.

Trustar’s CEO, Shaza Andersen, chaired our 2025 gala before stepping into our Board Chair role in 2026, and their team has shown up for our kids over the years with books, resources, and genuine belief in what we’re building here. Their support empowers our kids to become life champions and grow into who they were always meant to be.

We are so grateful for Trustar Bank and everyone who makes this work possible. Join us July 24th - there are still a few packages remaining! https://www.wtef.org/share-the-love-gala/

This weekend, 27 of our Center for Excellence (CFE) and Arthur Ashe Children's Program (AACP) students stepped up to the mic to compete in a public speaking competition. The event brought together elementary and middle school students, who each delivered a speech on one of these topics: what WTEF taught them about life, a moment when someone believed in them, how tennis is preparing them for the future, or why they hope WTEF is still here for the next generation.

These students have been building their public speaking skills all year with our partner Highest Speak, and it showed. Six winners were selected, and they will all take the stage at our Share the Love Gala on July 24th: Ava Thomas, Phoenix Howell, Roshan Mak, Mina Clarke, Arianna Ndifor, and Jeremiah Fuller.

If you want to hear what these young people have to say, that's the place to be. We'll see you there!