DMV
Washington, D.C.
Maryland
Virginia
Transformation Through Bold Engagement
Transformation Through Bold Engagement
AVP got its start in Maryland in 1988, thanks to the initiative of Felisicimo Martin and John Huffington, men who were at the time incarcerated at the now closed state penitentiary in Baltimore, and the support of outside facilitators from Maryland, New York and Virginia. The two men, with growing outside support, notably from facilitators at the Adelphi Friends Meeting, then launched workshops at the Maryland House of Corrections in Jessup, where a Johns Hopkins study was conducted on the effectiveness of AVP. Indeed, AVP's impact was credited with avoiding a riot in 1997 by the warden at Jessup Correctional Institution, where numerous men had taken AVP workshops and become facilitators since 1990. AVP-MD's westward movement began at the Maryland Correctional Institution in Hagerstown in 1991. The Youth Detention Center in Baltimore became our newest program in 2018, championed by its correctional staff. Today, the pandemic notwithstanding, AVP-MD runs 8 programs in 7 institutions, for men, women, and youth. AVP-MD also runs workshops outside of incarceration facilities. Our first virtual workshop was a Basic to support the launch of AVP-DC in 2020. We are delighted to co-host this gathering with AVP-DC and share the love of the DMV!
Since the spring of 2020, Gerry Fitzgerald, an elder of Friends Meeting of Washington who had carried his AVP experiences from Ireland with him for years, connected with others at the meeting to pass on the spark of his enthusiasm. In July 2020, AVP-DC became an official Taskforce under the Peace & Social Concerns Committee of the Quaker Meeting. Despite the pandemic forcing all activities into virtual mode, we continued to grow and build momentum as a new chapter. Having started with virtual workshops, we continue to appreciate the support of nationwide facilitators. It really does take a community and AVP-DC is honored to have facilitators from Maryland, Oregon, New York and California support the blooming facilitator foundation in DC. The growing group would like to create opportunities for youth to learn and become involved with AVP. We are focusing on creating relationships with other community groups committed to peace and justice. We look forward to hosting, with AVP Maryland, facilitators in our home of Washington DC.
Catholic University of America (CUA) is one of D.C.'s largest and most beautiful college campuses. Located in the heart of the Brookland neighbor, CUA is surrounded by green space, bike trails, restaurants, arts and more. A quick hop, skip and jump away from downtown D.C., CUA will be a welcoming location for AVP-USA's National Gathering.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) is very robust with accessible options to get to and around D.C. You can find their handy trip planner to plan your route and see fares here.
Metrorail
CUA campus is right on the Red Metro Line at the Brookland-CUA stop.
Bus
There are multiple bus lines that service CUA, including the H1, H2, H3, H4, G8, and 80 Metrobus route.
Find more detailed information on transportation including accessibility on the Transportation Page!
The COVID pandemic has changed how we operate in our communities. With a constantly evolving context and changing information, we urge all attendees to be proactive in staying up-to-date with federal and local guidelines.
Please check out https://coronavirus.dc.gov/ for the most up-to-date local information for Washington, D.C.
As of January 2022, Washington, D.C. has started requiring vaccination for entrance to many indoor establishments and facilities. AVP-USA will continue to monitor the situation to ensure a safe gathering for all. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to us at conferences@avpusa.org.
Find more detailed information on AVP-USA's COVID protocols for the Gathering on the Registration Page.
Care for others and ourselves are a central component to AVP's Transforming Powers. As we continue to transform boldly as local groups and a national grassroots organization through the pandemic, we are reimagining how we create community. We are excited that this year we are piloting virtual and in-person opportunities for the Annual National Gathering. The conference committee wanted to make the gathering accessible while also keeping the current CDC best practices in mind. In this video you will hear the precautions we are taking for the in-person gathering, the options on how to attend and how to upload proof of vaccination.