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Educate Fairfax - Supporting our Students, Celebrating our Community

Dear Educate Fairfax Supporter:

Thank you for your continued support of Educate Fairfax!

As the 2024-2025 school year wraps up we wanted to congratulate all of the 2025 graduates and highlight some special moments from this past month.

First, meet FCPS alum and Hall of Fame inductee Karen Joseph. Karen started a grassroots campaign in 2014 to help middle and high school students who were struggling with food insecurity. That effort continued to grow over the years to what it is now; nonprofit Food for Neighbors, serving 87,000 students in three counties. Read more below.

The inaugural Beyond the Tassel - Honoring the Moment. Investing in our Future event on May 27 was a huge success!

Along with several community partners we celebrated the FCPS Class of 2025 at Justice High School. During the event, 38 students were recognized with scholarships totaling over $50,000. We can't wait to make this an annual event! Stay tuned for information on the next Beyond the Tassel event in 2026.

This month we also surprised the FCPS CARES of the Quarter recipient Amanda Alsbaugh, Oak View Elementary School Special Education Chair. Keep reading to learn more about her nomination and gift.

Finally, we want to invite you to come with us to a Nationals Baseball Game July 5! Buy special tickets, order a celebratory t-shirt and enter your child to be a finish line holder for the Presidents Race. The proceeds from t-shirt sales will go towards supporting school supplies for students where the needs is greatest.

We encourage you to follow us on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter), where we share stories from our grant recipients, along with other inspiring news about what’s happening to improve educational outcomes across our school division.

Warm wishes,

Dr. Lynette Henry
Executive Director
Educate Fairfax

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May Blog Feature: Giving Back – How an FCPS Alum is Fighting Teen Hunger

Check out May’s blog post featuring Karen Joseph, FCPS alum and Hall of Fame inductee! After seeing a need in local middle and high schools, Karen founded Food For Neighbors, which began as a grassroots effort and grew into a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending teen hunger.

Today, Food For Neighbors supports over 87,000 students at 53 schools across Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun Counties.

Read the full story by clicking the button below.

Beyond the Tassel – Honoring the Moment. Investing in Our Future

On May 27, we proudly hosted the inaugural Beyond the Tassel celebration, honoring the FCPS Class of 2025 and recognizing 38 outstanding scholarship recipients.

Over $50,000 in scholarships were awarded, thanks to the generous support of community partners including the Love Like Adam Foundation, John Lewis Leadership Program, ITServe Alliance, Think Big for Kids, The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, and the Karlgaard Foundation (Educate Fairfax Imagine! Achieve! Believe!).

The evening featured powerful stories and inspiration from: FCPS Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid; Executive Director, Educate Fairfax, Dr. Lynette Henry; FCPS Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee and Class of 1984 Robinson Secondary School graduate, Sumeet Shrivastava; FCPS alum, storyteller and event emcee Joseph Green, and FCPS alum Marjan Naderi, a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, author, performer and educator.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this event a heartfelt success. We’re already looking forward to next year!

FCPS CARES of the Quarter: Amanda Alsbaugh

Please join us in celebrating Amanda Alsbaugh, Special Education Chair at Oak View Elementary, as the FCPS CARES of the Quarter recipient!

On May 9, Amanda was surprised by FCPS Superintendent, Dr. Michelle Reid; Educate Fairfax Executive Director, Dr. Lynette Henry, Educate Fairfax Board members Cindy Anderson, Katie Knight and Jane Petty, Award Sponsor Representatives from COX-Kathryn Falk, Scott Finberg & Luis Crevoisier, FCPS Chief Experience and Engagement Officer, Lisa Youngblood Hall, Oak View Principal, Jamie Luerssen, district and school staff members and several of Amanda’s family members.

Amanda received a $500 check and a plaque in honor of her outstanding work supporting Special Education and the entire Oak View community.

Her colleague Kathryn Stevens shared:

“She brings the brains, the heart... She is the central nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system of the building and the people inside.”

Well deserved, Amanda! Read her story by clicking below.