Martina V. Johnson

WETA Hometown Hero April 2007. Martina V. Johnson is a founding member of Soaring Towards Educational Enrichment via Equine Discovery.

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Martina V. Johnson, a founding member of the Board of Directors for Soaring Towards Educational Enrichment via Equine Discovery Inc. (STEEED), is the focus of a month-long WETA Hometown Heroes profile airing in April on WETA TV 26.

WETA selected Johnson for her commitment to educate youth on environmental issues through educational and equestrian programs in the District.

Johnson, managing business consultant at IBM and a resident of Washington, D.C., spends her time away from home and work volunteering at STEEED. Johnson ensures that STEEED offers quality service and an educational and recreational curriculum for youth and families including equestrian, ecological and environmental science enrichment activities. STEEED is located in Southeast D.C. and serves students in communities east of the Anacostia River.

“The best part of working at STEEED is watching the kids grow and learn,” said Johnson. “Particularly being with them and being able to talk with them about various topics such as life and school. The skills they learn are life skills. Whether it’s the importance of nature and animals or volunteering and service, it all comes down to making the students well-rounded individuals.”

One of STEEED’s objectives is teaching students about protecting the environment. Under Johnson’s leadership, STEEED has developed an extensive environmental education program that takes place in classrooms and out on the field. STEEED’s programs serve approximately 60 students a year. Students receive lessons on nutrient cycles, the impact of litter on local waterways, bio-technology, overuse of pesticides, the effect of acid rain on gardening, the greenhouse effect, and global warming. STEEED offers a wide array of programs after school, on Saturday mornings, and at summer camps.

STEEED's after-school program opens its doors to selected third, fourth and fifth graders from Kimball and Benning Elementary Schools and serves as a safe haven for students to participate in environmental education programs. The curriculum exposes urban students to such subject matters as nature, horses, urban horticulture and the environment.

Students are first given an hour of tutoring and homework assistance followed by an hour of programming related to STEEED’s mission, such as lectures and hands-on projects related to horse care and riding, horticulture, barn management, environmental awareness, and natural resources. The final thirty minutes are designated to outdoor recreational programs or horseback riding lessons.

One of the projects launched by Johnson is the STEEED Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. With this project, students are involved in an annual litter and trash pickup around STEEED’s partner schools. According to Johnson, this project utilizes the holiday to serve the community by ridding it of trash and matter that could potentially become pollutants in local rivers and streams, while also encouraging youth to take pride in their community and environment.

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