• Reducing storm water pollution: e.g., “Only Rain Down the Drain”
• Environmental Protection: e.g., “Trash Free DC”
• Water Cycle: e.g., “Water is Life”
• Local Ecosystems: e.g., Local wildlife and natural beauty.

Target Audience:

• Residents of the Anacostia neighborhood – the residents of the Anacostia neighborhood will be engaged through their elected ANC and through the murals, themselves. The neighborhood residents will learn of the connection between roadside storm drains and their local waterways, and they will be empowered to take measures to reducing runoff pollution in their own neighborhoods.
• Teens and volunteers of DCFYI – the teens and volunteers of DCFYI will be engaged on the day of painting through the actual painting of the murals as well as the opportunity to talk with both the artist and AWS representatives about possible careers in the arts and the environment. Many of these teens and young adults are not aware of the opportunities within the local economy, and the more exposure they have to professionals from a variety of backgrounds, the more informed their own career plans can be.

Project Timeline:

• Week 1 – David will complete project proposal and plan. David will discuss design themes with Evan and provide storm drain dimensions to Evan.
• Week 2 – Ariel will contact the local ANC to apply for a construction fee waiver and permit. Evan will work on design. David and Susan will identify volunteers and teens from DCFYI to participate and begin handling logistics.
• Week 3 – Evan will continue to work on design with input from David and/or Ariel, as needed. David will identify and secure a nearby location to have lunch on the day of the event.
• Week 4 – Evan will continue to work on design with input from David and/or Ariel, as needed. David and Susan will continue coordinating logistics with the teens and volunteers.
• Week 5  – Evan will submit designs to David and Ariel for review, suggestions, and ultimate approval.
• Week 6 – Ariel will coordinate with David to plan for the delivery of materials on time.
• Week 7  – Final logistics with DCFYI will be determined the week of the event to deal with volunteer and/or teen cancellations or late registrations. DCFYI will provide lunch for after the painting is complete. 

1. Don't hesitate to follow up over and over again, especially with governmental agencies that are likely overburdened.
2. Have very clear guidelines for payments of contractors, as there were several hiccups with processing artist payment.
3. Engage youth early and consistently. We had an additional two teens that participated in painting a rain barrel on one of the days that we had hoped to paint the stormdrain who unfortunately couldn't participate in the storm drain painting. Additional engagement may have encouraged more follow through.
4. Relax and have fun! Planning events is a lot of hard work, and it is easy to get swept up in the details and issues, but stepping away and painting a butterfly or egret was a great way to deal with some of the stress of the day.