The D.C. Office of Motion Picture and Television Development is pleased to recognize the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, located in the heart of Ward 8’s Washington Highlands neighborhood, as the January 2015 Location of the Month.
The Southeast Tennis and Learning Center (SETLC) was established in 2001 through a partnership between the Recreation Wish List Committee and the District of Columbia’s Department of Parks and Recreation. Since then, more than 10,000 children and teens — mostly from Ward 8 neighborhoods — have been drawn to the Center by its tennis programs, and have benefited from its education programs.
The Center is a state-of-the-art facility that includes both athletic and educational amenities. With its four indoor and six lighted outdoor tennis courts, a fitness room to strengthen physical conditioning, locker rooms and pro shop, it has become one of the largest and finest tennis facilities in the region. In addition, the Center’s educational wing features the Round Room — a unique meeting space that holds up to 150 people — a library and classrooms, as well as a computer lab with multiple workstations.
Programs offered by SETLC include the award-winning program Blacks in Wax, an annual living history program; Sew N Know, a sewing entrepreneurship program; and S.E.T.U.P. (Strengthening Education Through Upgraded Programs), a 6-week curriculum based summer program that helps students maintain and develop new academic skills that will help them succeed in school. The SETLC recently received an Office of State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) grant for an after school program called Boost Academics, which offers homework assistance, computer science classes and tennis lessons.
The Center recently underwent an $18 million renovation, which includes a 48,000 square foot indoor arena, six tennis courts and a mezzanine level the length of the building that will seat more than 300 spectators. The court was transformed into a beautiful ballroom for the Center’s Renovation Celebration in November and most recently hosted the 7th Mayor of Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Inaugural Kids Party.
Other features of the new Center include a glass encased fitness and conditioning room with modern equipment, an expanded kitchen, enhancement of the education and computer areas, and an expansive new entry way. Additionally, the Center will feature brand new USTA tournament quality outdoor courts that feature a practice clay court.
The new facility interior is designed by V Starr, the exceptional full service design company owned and operated by tennis phenomenon Venus Williams. The design is created to provide children and youth with meaningful visual inspiration, information, and will be used in the Center's curriculum.
In 2011, the D.C. Film Office launched the Location of the Month to bring attention to the wide range of varied, cinematically compelling locations that are available to film and television productions. Former Location of the Month recipients include Arena Stage in Southwest, the Franciscan Monastery in Northeast, the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Northwest, and Hill Center in Southeast.
To learn more about the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center and to view photos, please visit the Location of the Month feature on our web site. If you are interested in using the Center as a future filming location, please contact us at [email protected].