Author: Elizabeth Murphy

The AVID program in FCPS is an academic mentoring program and an elective class designed to support certain students in preparing for college. Students from under-served populations who have the capacity to attend college are identified to participate. In the elective class, these students are supported and encouraged to increase their rigor of coursework and set high goals, and ultimately attend a post-secondary program after graduation. In the 2018-19 school year, a grant from the Foundation for FCPS enabled AVID students at Annandale High School to explore career options available through either certification programs or an associate’s degree from Northern Virginia Community College. Students took two field trips, to NOVA’s Medical Education Campus and NOVA’s Annandale Campus, to explore the varying qualifications required to work in health care or tech. At the Medical Education Campus, students were intrigued by the simulators of pregnant women and babies, and were able to draw blood from a mannequin. All of the students improved their research and language skills in preparation for the field trips, as they studied different career possibilities and the educational work needed to achieve them. Teachers were impressed by the impact of taking students to these outside experiences, expanding their awareness of multiple opportunities. In the coming year, the teachers are planning even more field trips, to career fairs and colleges, to continue to show students their path to success. 

The Foundation for FCPS announces that 44 teachers across the county have been awarded classroom grants of up to $2,500 for the 2019-2020 school year. Winners were selected from nearly 115 submissions, and were evaluated by members of the Foundation’s board. Grant awards were evaluated on innovation, number of students impacted, and the connections to work-based learning and future career exploration. Congratulations to all of our winners! Read about their projects at this link.

The Foundation for FCPS invites teachers to apply for its discretionary grant program for the 2019-20 school year. This grant opportunity was created in 2018 to support classroom initiatives that focus on developing or enhancing work-based learning, career exploration, or workforce readiness opportunities for students. Grant awards will range between $1,000 – $2,500 and be given to projects that are innovative and creative, enhance the standard curriculum and teaching methods, and have connections to Portrait of a Graduate. The application period will open on March 1 and close April 12, with funding provided to the schools in August, 2019. A link to the application can be found here.

More information about the grant program, past award winners, and a pdf of the application form for the 2019 grant program can be found on the Foundation’s website.

Additional information or questions can be directed to the Foundation office at 571-423-1031 or foundation@fcps.edu.

On November 26, Hayfield Secondary School held a “Bridging the Gap” ceremony to donate refurbished laptops to wounded warriors and soldiers from Ft. Belvoir. Students in the Advanced Information Systems class work through the Virginia Student Training and Refurbishment Program (VA STAR) to provide refurbished laptops for free to those in need in the community. Students learn how to rebuild and reset used computers, and then select community members to receive these machines. here.

On Tuesday, November 27, over 300 business and community leaders gathered to celebrate FCPS and the Foundation. The event featured a key-note address from Dr. Stephen Jones, new CEO of Inova Health System, who spoke of the importance of Inova’s work in FCPS to help students identify their future career path. Attendees heard from one of the teachers who received a grant from the Foundation for FCPS, and the awards were presented to the Business, Community, and Workforce Development Partners of the Year. Best of all, over $55,000 was raised to be used for the 2019 Teacher Grants! More information can be found here. Thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters, whose information is located on the Foundation’s .

The Foundation for FCPS launched its inaugural Teacher Grant program in spring 2018, aimed at developing the workforce of the future. More than 70 creative and innovative proposals were submitted. The Board of Directors selected 28 projects for funding. Grant amounts ranged from $500-$2,500, and total amount to be distributed is $45,500. The grant program supports classroom initiatives that focus on enhancing work-based learning, career exploration, or workforce readiness opportunities for students in grades K-12. Proposals will be implemented in the 2018-19 school year. For more information, please visit our Teacher Grant page. 

The Foundation for Fairfax County Public Schools is the recipient of the first grant from newly established Environment Fund at the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia. The Foundation for FCPS received $25,000 in support of Get2Green, the environmental stewardship program within FCPS. The program’s goal is to integrate environmental stewardship into the PreK-12 curriculum throughout the entire school system. The grant will support a countywide implementation of new and continued environmental projects in over 30 schools, including expansion of Eco-Schools (a partnership with the National Wildlife Federation). Eco-Schools work toward awards through addressing specific environmental pathways at their schools, including Resource Stewardship, Schoolyard Gardens, and Community Stewardship.

“We are honored to be the first recipient of a grant from this new fund, especially as FCPS has a systemic commitment to energy reduction and conservation. This grant from the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will enable more schools to participate in the Eco-Schools program, and increase student learning and engagement around the environment,” said Elizabeth Murphy, Executive Director of the Foundation for FCPS.

To find out more about Get2Green, visit their website, http://get2green.fcps.edu/.

When students at Julia Turnbull’s voice studio learned about the music therapy program at the Kilmer Center, they wanted to help. They held a charity karaoke hour at Jammin’ Java in Vienna, VA, and unanimously voted to donate all proceeds to music therapy.  The students felt so strongly about giving to the Kilmer Center that they also held a bake sale, to offset the rental fees at Jammin’ Java, so that their contribution to Kilmer could be as large as possible. A huge Thank You to these dedicated musicians, who raised money through their own talents to help others in FCPS have the joy of music!

The Inova Health System presented the Foundation for FCPS with a $15,000 grant award on 4/19/18. Funds will support the Providing Access to Vaccines for Everyone (PAVE) Program. Through a unique partnership with George Mason University’s Mason and Partners (MAPS) Clinics, FCPS has established a primary care access point for families at the Dunn Loring Central Registration Site. The clinic provides access to basic medical care in order to expedite school entry. Since opening in July, 2017, FCPS and the MAPS Clinic have served over 750 students. Beginning in April, 2018, FCPS began offering free immunizations to students in order to remove barriers for school attendance. Funding from the Inova grant will support a registrar position, who will serve as a liaison to the families and provide translation services as needed. Thank you, Inova, for helping FCPS find creative ways to support some of our most vulnerable students!