Joshua A.

About Joshua

Hello! My name is Joshua and I am a recent graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.. Throughout my college career, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with children and youth ranging from ages 3 to 15, in both instructional and leadership roles. I began as a classroom instructor in a public afterschool program, designing age-appropriate lessons and activities for preschool students that supported their development while also building strong, trust-based relationships with students and their caregivers. Eventually, I transitioned into managing the entire afterschool program, where I worked with students across all age groups and led large-scale programming. These experiences taught me how to form deep, adaptive relationships with children of diverse backgrounds, temperaments, and abilities—including those with disabilities and varied life experiences. I came to understand that my most effective way of supporting children and their families is through meaningful connection, not just the application of standardized “best practices.” When conventional approaches fall short, I remain creative, persistent, and responsive, tailoring my support to each child’s individual needs. This approach deepened further over the summer, when I worked in a middle school facilitating a civic engagement program. In this role, I guided students in exploring issues affecting their lives and communities and supported them as they developed the confidence and capacity to take action. Rather than providing direct solutions, I helped them reframe challenges, identify their own strengths, and tap into available resources. This experience sharpened my ability to support children through appropriate levels of challenge, encouraging self-determination, resilience, and conflict resolution, while also reinforcing the importance of community support. I hope to work more closely with a family to collaboratively approach support and care for the children I work with. Partnering with a family in this capacity allows me to engage more personally and meaningfully with the child/children to create more space for appropriate, responsive, and relevant care. This aligns with my continuing education goals of child development, and allows me to further gain experience on professional and family partnership, where I can build mutual trust and work together to uplift each child.