The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the goal of using the sports of baseball and softball as vehicles to foster positive character development, academic achievement, and improved health among youth from underserved communities in Washington, D.C. Operating out of a state of the art, nine-acre education and recreation campus in Ward 7’s Fort Dupont Park, the Academy offers an enduring environment for children to receive high quality, holistic youth development programming. The facility at the Academy features an 18,000 sq. ft. education center complete with 7 classrooms, a full teaching kitchen, and multi-purpose training / education space, as well as grounds that include 3 baseball/softball diamonds and a teaching garden. The culture at the Academy is grounded in the positive values of sports – instilling a love of physical activity as well as the qualities of determination, resiliency, teamwork and goal setting in the young scholar-athletes we serve. We do this through committed coaches – trained in positive coaching methodology – as well as one-on-one involvement of academic tutors and mentors who combine to support youth in developing the skills necessary to overcome the challenges of poverty, reach their full academic potential, and lead long and healthy lives.