 Served by and Serving the Greater DC Diaper Bank
Having partnered with FCPS for six years, the Greater DC Diaper Bank is a powerhouse organization.
Last year at Bryant High School alone, they provided 23,800 diapers and baby and nursery products valued at $23,355.25 to pregnant and parenting teens.
Meet the students receiving from and giving back to the Greater DC Diaper Bank in this “make you smile” 4 minute video.
Florence “Pipi” Harrison, featured in the video, was recently awarded the 2024 ‘You Make A Difference’ Award from the Mount Vernon Rotary Club.
Congratulation Pipi. Thank you, Greater DC Diaper Bank.
Video en Espanol.
 Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation Event Yields Engagement Data
Business executives from C-suites across Fairfax County gathered in late May at Leading for Tomorrow’s Innovation. The goal of the event was for business leaders to learn about and explore ways that their businesses can positively impact education — their talent pipeline.
Impactful educational innovation begins with a plan. This event was framed to encourage business leaders to help Fairfax County Public Schools and our partners Educate Fairfax and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority to re-imagine K-12 education and their roles in it.
Tiffany Park, a 2024 graduate of Woodson High School served as an inspirational speaker, persuading the leaders to think creatively by asking them questions including, “What if every high school student could take part in a paid internship and receive course credits?” and “What if there was a class where we had to be the AI detectives finding and correcting AI’s mistakes?”
A panel discussion including Superintendent Michelle C. Reid and several business and community leaders who are already partnered with Fairfax County Public Schools helped attendees envision their future engagement by learning about effective activities already in place. |
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Rounding out the morning was a facilitated exercise where collaborators put pen to paper and helped design education's next iteration.
Reviews of the data collected indicate that business leaders welcome engagement with students. Participant suggestions for innovation included:
- Increased sharing of emerging business trends
- Ensuring that every high school student has a professional mentor
- Making it possible for every student to participate in a work-based opportunity
- Coursework on appropriately using artificial intelligence or AI
An additional theme during the table discussions centered around engagement confusion. Our own AI analysis of the notes listed the most common phrases used by participating leaders as “There needs to be a better…,” “How do we…,” and “We don’t know how to…” all referring to the need for more guidance on how to engage Fairfax County Public Schools. |
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The event was hosted at Apple Federal Credit Union’s headquarters. The conveners were Fairfax County Public Schools; Educate Fairfax, our 501c3 not-for-profit; and the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority who have already met to discuss next steps.
Thank you to the business community for your involvement, ideas, and suggestions. If we do this properly, the return on investment is that you’ll continue to help direct the bold innovation needed for FCPS to stay one of the nation’s preeminent school divisions, with alignment to the jobs of the future and your talent pipelines.
   The companies and not-for-profits represented on the panel included Capital One, Think Big for Kids, Apple Federal Credit Union, Harraseeket Foundation, and Genesys Works.
Learn more about partnering with Fairfax County Public Schools.
 Congratulations Genesys Work Class of 2024
Genesys Works of the National Capital Region (GWNCR) recently hosted their Breaking Through Awards and Gala, an event where members of the class of 2024 were enthusiastically celebrated for graduating from the program and completing their 1-year work-based internships.
Genesys Works’ mission is to provide pathways to career success for high school students through skills training, meaningful work experiences, and impactful relationships.
2023-24 By the Numbers:
- 300 Students Applied (Regionally)
- 80 Students Accepted
- 60 Received Paid Internships
- $800,000 in Scholarship Funds Will be Distributed
Congratulations to two FCPS students:
- Herndon High School Senior Susy Hernandez-Reyes, who interned with the Smithsonian Institution, was named Intern of the Year
- Falls Church High School Senior Ashley Lara, a marketing intern at ATCS, won the College and Career Curriculum Champion Award.
Thank you to Genesys Works NCR for being a leader in high quality work-based learning experiences for students of Fairfax County Public Schools.
  
 Partners Support FCPS Summer Extravaganza
A host of FCPS partners joined the fun on Saturday, June 1 for the first FCPS-wide Summer Extravaganza. The event was created to help parents and caregivers discover exciting summer learning ideas, activities and opportunities.
Representatives from community organizations including Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services, Fairfax County Public Library, and the Fairfax County Park Authority participated alongside local not-for-profits. Together they offered learning opportunities, fun games, youth engagement tips and strategies, plus helpful information for families about registering their children in activities that keep the learning going.
Attendees agreed that the Extravaganza was just that, “an elaborate and spectacularly entertaining production.”
  
School Board Adopts Fiscal Year 2025 Approved Budget
The Fairfax County School Board voted in late May to adopt Fairfax County Public Schools’ (FCPS) Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Approved Budget. The FY 2025 Approved Budget totals $3.7 billion — a net increase of $233.2 million or 6.6% over the previous year.
The FY 2025 Approved Budget focuses on providing educational excellence for all students and ensuring that employees’ hard work and dedication are acknowledged through competitive compensation. Both of these efforts fully align with the FCPS 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
Nearly 86% of the Approved Budget is targeted at instruction. Key budget highlights include funding to maintain existing class size formulas; expanding athletics offerings, additional athletic trainers, and enhanced stipends for fine and performing arts; and a 4% compensation increase for all employees. Read the approved budget news release.
 Student Bus Passes Offer Free Transportation All Year
Any Fairfax County middle and high school student can get a free Student Bus Pass SmarTrip card to ride the Fairfax Connector and Fairfax CUE buses. With the pass, fares are free from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, all year. Children 12 and younger ride for free on the Fairfax Connector with a paying adult.
Learn more about the Student Pass then complete the application and return it to your school office.
Students at Justice, Annandale, Falls Church, and Marshall high schools, and Davis Center can ride Metrobus for free, in addition to the Fairfax Connector and City of Fairfax CUE. Visit the Fairfax County website for details and approved Metrobus routes. Complete the application and return it to your school office.
 Calling All Alumni and Friends!
Educate Fairfax is proud to introduce FCPS Alumni & Friends, an online network of alumni, teachers, parents/caregivers, and community members with ties to Fairfax County Public Schools. Whether you are a recent FCPS graduate or you’ve returned to Fairfax to work or raise your own family, this network will celebrate our alumni and friends of FCPS through stories, news and events, reunions, homecoming, and other activities. It’s also a great way to rekindle old friendships and build new ones. Join FCPS Alumni & Friends today!
 She’s a Donated Beaut!
This 1948 Studebaker Land Cruiser made in the U.S.A. by the Studebaker Corporation recently was donated to Fairfax County Public Schools by a generous and thoughtful resident, who selected to stay anonymous, knew FCPS students could learn from restoring her.
She’s a peacock green, four door sedan, with 58,211 miles on a straight six engine and manual transmission. The car was last driven in 1966 but has been covered by a tent since and came with a clean title and keys.
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The donor has requested that the car go to Marshall High School Academy. Marshall, Automotive Sales Teacher, Lyman Rose, working with the Foundation for Applied Technical Education or FATE, sent a tow truck to move the car in late May so now she’s the community’s car. |
The plan is for the Studebaker to become a learning tool, housed at Marshall, but periodically moved to other schools within our Trade and Industrial Education programs so that students can learn about automotive history, and restore her.
Rose, the Automotive Sales Teacher at Marshall says, “There’s a lot to learn from a car like this. My thought on the vehicle is to do a full mechanical restoration and leave the body the same. The way it looks and presents it tells a bigger story.” If it’s decided that they should restore the car’s interior and body, Rose says, “The timeline would depend on parts availability and the time the students get to actually work on it.” Adding that for any body work, it would go to Edison or Chantilly academy.
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The lessons that can be taught through an antique like this are many and include lessons in U.S. Manufacturing; vehicle efficiency changes like aerodynamics, fuel consumptions, and weight; and engineering and mechanics. Rose says the car serves an ancillary function as well, “It’s another great recruitment tool for auto programs.” |
Fairfax County Public Schools regularly accepts vehicle donations through the FCPS Donations Portal. Along with antiques, there’s a need for newer model cars because the students who work on and learn from them, need to learn about what’s currently on the road too.
Thank you again to the donor for this unique donation.
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