Tour de Force Foundation — The Spark | May 2026
- tourdeforcedc
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Tour de Force Foundation Newsletter
This month, we’re looking at art, archaeology, and the stories waiting under our feet. Through Archaeology in the Community and artist Justine Swindell, Tour de Force Foundation is supporting a project that helps young learners connect with DC history through public education, visual storytelling, and hands-on discovery.
History under your feet
The past isn’t always far away.
Sometimes it’s in a neighborhood. In a classroom. In a fragment. In a question a student didn’t know they were allowed to ask.
That’s part of what makes this month’s grantee project so compelling. It brings together archaeology, art, and public history to help young people look at Washington, DC differently. Not as a distant timeline, but as a living place filled with clues, stories, and layered histories.
This month, Tour de Force Foundation is proud to support work that invites young learners to notice more, ask better questions, and understand that their own communities are part of a much larger story.
May Grantee Spotlight: Archaeology in the Community and Justine Swindell
Tour de Force Foundation is proud to support Archaeology in the Community, led by Beth Pruitt, in collaboration with DC artist Justine Swindell.
Archaeology in the Community is a Washington, DC nonprofit that promotes public understanding of archaeological heritage through education, community programs, and partnerships with schools, cultural organizations, and local communities.
For DC Archaeology Month in June, AITC is developing an educational poster that tells the story of the Middleton Estate in Brookland. The 2026 poster will be designed by Justine Swindell in collaboration with archaeologists and historians, then shared with local teachers for classroom use.
The project also connects to AITC’s Message to an Archaeologist program, where students can mail questions and receive handwritten responses from professional archaeologists.
That detail is small, but powerful. It turns learning into an exchange.
Inside the project
Beth Pruitt
Archaeology in the Community
Beth Pruitt is the Director of Education at Archaeology in the Community. Her work helps young learners connect with the past through archaeology and see how small clues can become important stories about their own neighborhoods.
“It’s our shared history, and they are part of it.”
Justine Swindell
Artist
Justine Swindell is a DC artist whose work for this project will help translate archaeological history into a visual form that can live in classrooms, schools, and youth programs.
“Archaeology, like art-making, is a form of storytelling, one that unfolds through careful observation and thoughtful discovery.”
A wider reach
AITC’s work extends beyond one poster or one festival day.
In 2025, the organization reported:
👉🏽 1,400+ K–12 students
👉🏽 served 45+ student programs
👉🏽 118% increase in students correctly defining archaeology after a program.
Those numbers point to something important: place-based education can change how young people understand the world around them.
A small clue becomes a larger story.
A classroom poster becomes a way into local history.
A student question becomes a conversation.
June dates to know
DC Day of Archaeology Festival
Saturday, June 6, 202610 AM to 3 PM
Catholic University of America
University Lawn outside the Pryzbyla Center
620 Michigan Ave NE, Washington, DC 20064
A free, family-friendly event organized by Archaeology in the Community as part of DC Archaeology Month, with hands-on activities for all ages.
Slamtastic Youth Poetry
June, 6
6 PM to 8 PM
Busboys and Poets on 14th
A youth poetry event and another way to see young people, language, and public expression moving through the DMV arts ecosystem.
Thinking about applying?
Tour de Force Foundation supports artists and educators building meaningful projects in their communities.
If you’re working through visual art, performance, public history, education, storytelling, or community engagement, this is your moment to apply.
The grant portal is closing on July 15.
Support what comes next
Small grants can help turn ideas into public experiences.
Your support helps artists and educators bring creative, community-rooted work into classrooms, festivals, galleries, public programs, and neighborhood gatherings.
Join the conversation
What stories are waiting to be uncovered where you live?
We’d love to hear your thoughts. Comment in the comments section at the bottom of this post.
Enjoying stories from the Tour de Force community?
Share The Spark with an artist or educator who might be inspired to apply.
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