Virginia Archives - Read. Think. Act.

Skylar Johnson – Sew Fly Sky – Kitchen Table Conversations

(August 6, 2018) Catherine Read interviews 11-year-old fashion designer and entrepreneur Skylar Johnson. Skylar recently designed and stitched an outfit for Phyllis Randall, Chairman of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, to wear at her annual State of the County address.

Skylar has been hard at work learning how to sew and design clothing starting at the age of eight, when she first attended an after-school enrichment program through her elementary school. She recalls her first creation as a mint green skirt with a lace overlay. Since then, Skylar has refined her skills, taught herself how to create unique patterns and experimented to find her style, inspired by fashion trends from the 1970’s. Both her Great Aunt and her Great Grandmother were seamstresses, and she thinks her love of sewing may have trickled down to her.

Supervisor Randall learned about Skylar’s talent, and reached out to her to see about designing a special outfit for her State of the County address. After meeting with the Chairman, Skylar explored various ideas and found inspiration in fabrics that she acquired while on a family trip to California. She did not want to stitch a traditional suit, so she looked for inspiration in various fabrics and spiced up a traditional design by creating a beautiful royal purple satin shirt, with buttons up the back, paired with wide-legged, white linen pants. The outfit Skylar crafted was gorgeous, and perfect for the occasion.

Skylar was recently featured in the 10^th anniversary edition of Posh Magazine, as a young student using practical applications of STEAM curriculum who is going places. She encourages kids to follow their dreams, and talks about her clothing brand she has created called “Sew Fly Sky”. She continues to take sewing lessons and strives to learn all she can about the fashion industry.

After that interview was published, she was invited to speak at a local elementary school to younger students about how fashion design is related to the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) curriculum being taught. She walks the young students through the artistic process of creating a design, the mathematics of properly measuring fabric and creating a pattern using a variety of geometric shapes, along with the tools and technology needed to complete a project. She hopes that her talk was inspiring to the students.

Skylar is excited to continue her entrepreneurial journey, but as her mother Danyel Trammell points out, school still comes first. You can find Sklyar on Facebook, Instagram (@sew_fly_sky) or you can contact her directly at [email protected]

by Rachel Simon

Dalia Palchik – FCPS School Board – Your Need to Know

(Aug. 1, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with FCPS Providence District School Board member Dalia Palchik. Dalia speaks candidly about her background as an immigrant coming to this country at the tender age of six, and about her experience as a non-English speaking student in Fairfax County Public Schools, as well as the work she is doing to help all students in the county in her current role as School Board member.

Dalia’s family immigrated to the United States from Argentina In 1992. She, along with her mother and siblings, came to the United States to meet her father who had been working here in Virginia. They were thrilled when they were finally granted citizenship, and had the opportunity to build a better life for themselves in Virginia. As they assimilated to their new country, a new language, and a new life they worked hard to navigate the system and learn a new culture.

Dalia entered school speaking no English, and received ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) services. She is thankful for her wonderful teachers, and for having the opportunity to come to this country. As her family settled in and adjusted to life in America, it was Dalia who learned how to navigate the ins and outs of the school system and help her parents understand the culture of the school, how it all worked, and how to access opportunities. She felt as if she were the parent in their relationship at the time. Dalia eventually went on to graduate from the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School, and earned a scholarship to Tufts University, where she majored in International Affairs. Professionally, she traveled all over the world to help organizations tackle the big issues of poverty and hunger.

After a long stint away from home, Dalia returned to Fairfax County, and looked around at the ever growing diverse community here in Fairfax had an epiphany about how she could make an impact.As she is fluent in 4 languages (English, Spanish, French and Italian), Dalia became language teacher and eventually ran for School Board, in the hopes of giving all kids the same excellent opportunities that she had as a child. She strongly believes that all children in Fairfax should have access to a world-class education, no matter where you live or what your family circumstances are.

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is the 10th largest school system in the country, with almost 190,000 students walking though the doors every day. It is a culturally rich and diverse community, with a socioeconomically diverse student body. There are 48 Title 1 schools in FCPS, and Dalia mentions that it is important to understand the challenges and hurdles that these students face. She believes it is imperitive to put policies in place to make sure that these students are able to succeed. The One Fairfax policy that was recently adopted by both the School Board and the Board of Supervisors, is designed to look broadly from community services to education, to address the needs of our most vulnerable residents. Its purpose is to intentionally, comprehensively and systematically break down barriers that are creating gaps in opportunity (quote website).

As a foreign language teacher herself, Dalia spoke passionately with Catherine about the importance of teaching languages to students in FCPS, especially the elementary students. As our children are being raised in a global economy, these skills are becoming more and more important. Currently, there are only 17 language immersion programs being offered in Fairfax County, where half of the school day (math and science) is taught in the target language. Dalia notes that there are specific challenges to maintaining these World Language programs, with recruitment and retainment of staff as one of the largest obstacles, but she would like to see increased access so more students can take advantage of these programs. FCPS is also looking into dual immersion programs in certain schools where there is a majority Spanish speaking population. There are currently 25 elementary schools that fit the profile for these programs.

Dalia is also very excited about a new position that is being created this year, the Family and Student Ombudsman, to help students and families better navigate the school system. Armando Peri, a former principal, will serve as a chief problem-solver, who can review cases and help advocate for students who are experiencing issues from diversity challenges to special needs. The goal of this position is to bring parties together to come up with viable and effective solutions. Dalia continues to look for opportunities to help solve problems and bring students, teachers and parents together to make positive changes for the FCPS school system.

by Rachel Simon

Rob Paine – Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

(July 25, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Rob Paine, Director of Marketing and Outreach for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), which is run through Volunteer Fairfax. RSVP is American’s largest volunteer network for people aged 55 and older. In Northern Virginia, RSVP volunteers are making an impact by growing the capacity of public and nonprofit agencies in and around Fairfax County, Arlington County and the City of Alexandria.

RSVP is a federal government program that works in conjunction with localities to offer qualified volunteer opportunities to seniors. There are five basic areas that RSVP focuses on: veterans and military support, aging in place support for seniors, the environment, those who are food insecure, and help and support with financial literacy. RSVP works locally with over 30 organizations that have been vetted to meet the goals of the organization, and fit the requirements for their government grant.

Volunteer Fairfax offers a variety of ways for seniors to get involved. Paine notes that there are meet and greet luncheons, an online option to reach out to the organization as well as simply calling on the phone and speaking with their Volunteer Coordinator Carly Hubicki. Carly is extremely knowledgeable and works hard to make sure that the volunteers are getting placed in jobs that are a good fit. And, Paine mentions, if a volunteer job winds up not working out, Carly will work hard to find a suitable alternative so seniors can remain engaged n the community.

Paine believes strongly that we as a community need to understand how much seniors have to give to the community. These individuals have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and are excited to give back. A recent study showed that a majority of seniors said that they get more out of volunteering, than the people who they are helping. Volunteering is also an important opportunity for social interactions between seniors, especially those who are living alone. The connections that they forge through volunteer work, along with the pride they take in the work that they are doing, can greatly enrich their life.

The marquis event for RSVP this fall is the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, being held September 15-26 throughout the area. There will be 60 events in 28 locations, and there will be a need for over 100 volunteers to keep everything running smoothly throughout the course of the two weeks. There will be opportunities to learn more about the RSVP program at the following lunch and learn events:

July 31 at 10:30 in Alexandria
August 2^nd at 11am in Fairfax (Bocce lunch and learn)
August 9^th at 3:30pm in Vienna
August 14^th at 10:30am in Arlington

More information can be found on their website, or by simply calling the office at 703-403-5360.

by Rachel Simon

Gerald Poje – Affordable Housing Advisory Committee

(July 4, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Gerald Poje, member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee in Fairfax County. As housing prices continue to climb, the ability for a low or middle-income family to afford housing in Fairfax county decreases. This advisory committee is dedicated to finding ways to increase the amount of affordable housing, while also taking into account the ability for people to live in the county throughout their entire life cycle.

Today in Fairfax County, there is a shortage of 31,000 affordable dwelling units. According to today’s statistics, a family of four pays on average $1700 per month for their housing, which requires an average family income of $70,000. There are many people in our county who do not make close to that income, and therefore cannot afford to live and work here in Fairfax. Or, alternatively, they are in a situation where they need to share a residence with other families or individuals in order to afford the rent. Poje is working with the advisory board to think outside the box, and challenge the status quo to bring forth much needed change.

Currently there are two agencies who manage work being done on affordable housing in Fairfax County. Both the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Fairfax County Redevelopment Housing Authority manage federal and state dollars that flow to the county for affordable housing, and focus on long term housing solutions for people coming out of homelessness. The advisory committee is helping to develop a strategic plan to guide their work as they plan for the future.

The strategic plan encompasses two critical phases. Over the past two years, phase one included soliciting input from community members and devising a comprehensive list of 25 low cost recommendations for the county to implement. Their goal is to integrate the community needs into a comprehensive plan that will allow the Department of Housing and Community Development and the Redevelopment Housing Authority to become more efficient, effective and strategic. They are also working with the Land Use and Zoning Boards to reimagine how some of the vacant commercial property around the county can be repurposed for the use of affordable dwelling units.

As the County works together with the business community to redesign existing spaces, Poje and the advisory board are urging them to think globally about the needs of the community, and to consider creative ideas of how to incorporate affordable housing into these newly designed spaces. Poje argues that the more people who are living and working in the community, the stronger the community will become. He strongly believes that people behave differently when they work and live in their own communities. They take more pride and are more committed to the community’s overall success.

Another key component of the committee’s work includes the consideration of those who want to stay in Fairfax County as they age. Today, there is a shortage of affordable options for those looking to retire and stay in their communities. The committee is looking to ensure that there are plenty of options for age appropriate, cost appropriate and size appropriate housing for people in all stages of their lives. This requires the ability to think ahead and imagine that the future may look different from what exists today, and to build for the changes that will be ahead.

by Rachel Simon

Women Giving Back/Transitional Assistance Program

(June 27, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Nicole Morris, Operations Manager of Women Giving Back (WGB), and Dona Dei of the Transitional Assistance Program (TAP), an arm of the Arlington Diocese Catholic Charities Prison Ministry at Loudoun ADC. These women are working to assist those who are transitioning out of prisons and shelters, and need assistance with clothing and accessories as they embark on a new journey to independence.

In the first segment Catherine discusses with Dona Dei the challenges faced by women transitioning out of prison. These women face many obstacles, including not having a home to return to, not having proper identification, not having necessary skills to land a good job and needing clothing. Many of these women lost everything they had when they went to prison, and have nothing to return to. Additionally, there are those who face addiction and substance abuse problems that prevent them from being able to move their lives forward. The TAP program is uniquely suited to work with these women in helping them reshape their lives. In partnership with Women Giving Back, TAP is able to identify the needs of each individual woman, and pair them with the services they need to get off to a good start upon re-entry to civilian life.

In the second segment Catherine speaks with Nicole Morris, Operations Manager for Women Giving Back (WGB). WGB’s mission is to support women and children in crisis, and build their confidence and self-esteem by providing great quality clothing at no cost, assisted by caring volunteers who offer personalized service and interaction. The organization was founded back in 2007 by a group of professional women, all of who were connected in some way with the local homebuilding industry. WGB was formed under HomeAid Northern Virginia as a way to supplement the great work that they do for the homeless and transitionally homeless community. WGB has grown considerably since then, and is now a 501(C)(3) nonprofit and runs a newly renovated 13,000 square foot warehouse and boutique in Sterling, VA.

WGB works with over 200 partner organizations to serve the needs of women in crisis throughout the Washington DC metropolitan area. With only 2 staff members, the organization uses over 2000 volunteers to carry out its mission. Volunteer tasks include sorting and organizing donations, providing personal shopping services to clients, driving donations to partner organizations throughout the metro area, and packaging the Bag-To-Go care packages for women who are unable to travel to the boutique.

For clients who are able to travel to the boutique in Sterling, there are volunteers who act as personal shoppers, who can help them find a variety of clothing and accessories to meet their needs. The shop is open every second Saturday of the month for current residents of local shelters, transitional housing facilities and safe houses. Women and children who are qualified by their case managers can shop free of charge and take up to 50 items on each visit.

The WGB website is a wealth of information for both clients and volunteers. The calendar lists hours of operation, along with volunteer opportunities. Morris shares that the organization was just given a grant to implement a more robust volunteer software to help better manage the different jobs and keep track of volunteer scheduling and communication. Every year they work with more and more corporate partners, who hold clothing drives, and then have their staff come into the facility and help with sorting and organizing at the end of the drive. Morris says this is a great way for a local company to give back to those in need right in their own community. The WGB website includes a detailed Donation Drive Guide for anyone interested in hosting an event.

by Rachel Simon

Dementia Friendly America – Herndon, VA

(June 20, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Toni Reinhart, a Certified Dementia Practitioner and owner of Comfort Keepers in Herndon, VA. After caring for her own father, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she noticed how difficult it was to navigate getting around in the community with him. Last March, Toni learned about Dementia Friendly America, an organization committed to helping communities support people living with dementia and their caregivers. Dementia friendly communities foster the ability of people living with dementia to remain in the community and engage and thrive in day-to-day living. Toni then went about establishing Herndon, VA as the first pilot community for the organization in Virginia.

After receiving the green light to move ahead with this initiative from Mayor Lisa Merkel, Reinhart put together an action team to get started on the work involved to establish Herndon as a dementia friendly town. This included meetings and trainings with everyone from the local police force to business owners. The trainings covered communication tips on best practices of how to interact with elders, including to make sure that they use eye contact, to wait and listen, to remain calm, to not be aggressive and to not touch anyone unexpectedly. As Reinhart points out, these habits are good ones to have when approaching all people, especially elders who may be confused. Other challenges that are faced by seniors include that people do not wait, stop and listen. This can be important if someone is searching for the proper words or vocabulary so they can effectively communicate their needs.

When Reinhart spoke with business owners or government officials, she stressed the importance of clear and simple signage, where instructions are short and easy to comprehend. Lighting in businesses like doctor’s offices and restaurants can help people see information on forms and menus. Restaurant owners were asked to instruct their employees to be sensitive to elderly guests and seat them in a quieter part of the restaurant, closer to the restrooms. These are all very common sense solutions that often do not cost a lot of money to implement, but can vastly improve the experience for someone suffering from dementia, and the caregivers who support them. There are also spillover benefits for many other people, especially those with other cognitive challenges such as autism, sensory processing or other mental health challenges.

In the second segment of the show, Toni discusses the challenges for family members in identifying weather or not their loved one may be experiencing dementia. She notes that changes in behavior, such as confusion or disruptive behavior that is out of the norm, may be indications that their loved one might be suffering. When elderly parents are living alone, it is important to have good communication channels with friends and neighbors who can help identify some of these patterns. If they notice unusual aggressive behavior, paranoia, loss of vocabulary or recollection of details like names and places then it might be time to have them undergo an evaluation by their physician.

On a lighter note, Reinhart shared some information about recent studies that indicate certain behaviors can help reverse aging in the brain. If your elderly loved one enjoys dancing, a recent Harvard study shows that dancing can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 75%, and 90 minutes of dancing a week has shown to reverse the aging of the brain. It has long been known that the music and rhythm is retained the longest, while we tend to lose other information like names and places. Listening to music can be therapeutic to elderly people suffering from dementia. Reinhart also notes that engaging in physical activity and following a heart-healthy and brain-healthy diet is also helpful. Social engagement is another important tool to keeping the brain healthy.

When elders are isolated it has been proven that their health deteriorates. This is a particular challenge for elders who are aging in place in suburban areas like Fairfax County, especially if they no longer drive. Many communities are now establishing volunteer networks to help seniors get out and about. In Reinhart’s community of Herndon there is the Herndon Village Network, where volunteer drivers are available to take seniors out to meet up with friends, attend events in the community or just simply get out to the store.

If people are interested in learning more about Dementia Friendly America, or perhaps starting this program in their own community, Reinhart is available to speak with you and lend her advice. Information about the program can be found at www.dfaherndon.org

by Rachel Simon

Ryan McElveen – FCPS School Board

(June 18, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Ryan McElveen, At-Large member of the Fairfax County School Board. FCPS is the tenth largest school district in the nation, and Ryan has served on the board since 2011. While he is not serving on the school board, he works at the Brookings Institution, where he is a senior administrator at the John L. Thornton China Center. He welcomes the opportunity to have FCPS serve as a national leader on a variety of issues such as non-discrimination, gun violence prevention and dress code changes.

Dress Code

In the first segment, Catherine discusses with McElveen the proposed changes to the FCPS dress code. The board is concerned that the current language used in the dress code policy has led to too many instances of body shaming for young female students. The board overwhelmingly voted to strike language from the code that “banned outfits with low necklines that show cleavage” and outfits deemed “sexually provocative”. Over the years many female students shared instances where they have been singled out and embarrassed by teachers or administrators. The revised policy is designed to avoid these problems. McElveen agrees that teacher training will be critical to successful implementation of the revised code.

McElveen shares a short story about his own alma mater, Marshall High School. Over the years, during graduation, the boys and girls would wear crimson red gowns and the girls would wear blue ones. In an effort to unify the student body, the high school recently shifted to having everyone wear the same robe that incorporated both colors on the robe. In large and small ways, the schools are moving closer to a gender-neutral approach.

Healthy Food and Nutrition Services

Ryan has worked with various groups over the past seven years to move different issues forward. He was thrilled to work with the group Real Food for Kids to help improve healthy food options in FCPS cafeterias. Hand in hand with the division’s new Food and Nutrition Director Rodney Taylor, there have been a variety of new and exciting additions. Salad bars are being rolled out to all 141 elementary schools, giving children more options for healthy fruits and vegetables on a daily basis.

The Summer Meals for Kids Program is a new initiative that will offer free lunch to any student at certain FCPS schools every day throughout the summer. Additionally, any adult over the age of 18 can eat a healthy meal for only $2 cost. Considering that many students, especially in our Title 1 schools, get their only meal through the school lunch program during the school year, this is a critical program to help the most vulnerable in the community.

Facilities

Shortage of facilities at FCPS is always a hot topic of conversation. McElveen shares some insights into why so many FCPS students are housed in trailers. For many years now, the Capital Improvement Budget of FCPS has been underfunded, in order to meet the other obligations of running the school system. As a result, FCPS is now on a 37 year replacement cycle (a 25 year replacement cycle is optimal). He shares that the board has successfully advocated for adding $25 million to the fund, they are still short $275 million to bring the fund up to standards. This means that students and teachers are working in outdated classrooms and labs, or are taking classes in trailers. In January of 2018 McElveen tweeted that “the number of FCPS students that attend classes in trailers each day is on par with the entire student population of Arlington County or Richmond. That is a travesty, it is an embarrassment and it is unacceptable”.

The root cause of this problem is funding. This year is the first year in a long time that the Board of Supervisors fully funded the school budget request. Because of the Dillon rule, counties such as Fairfax have limited options to raise revenue on their own. Therefore, they rely on the County (property taxes), the State (state tax revenue), and the Federal government (federal grant dollars), to round out the budget. A recent ballot initiative to raise money through a “Meals Tax” in Fairfax failed. Even though most neighboring jurisdictions currently assess this fee on restaurant meals (Washington, DC, Arlington, Alexandria, along with the cities of Falls Church and Fairfax, and the towns of Vienna and Herndon), the business community and the chamber of commerce ran a brutal campaign to block this initiative.

Teacher Pay

McElveen was thrilled that the BOS agreed to fully fund the school budget for 2018-2019. One of the most pressing issues that the board is dealing with involves teacher pay. Since the recession of 2018 and several years of pay freezes, FCPS fell far behind its neighboring jurisdictions in teacher pay. It has been a challenge to both recruit and retain teachers, who often leave for higher-paying opportunities. Raising teacher pay, which is included in this budget, will help work toward the goal of improved retention, especially for mid-career teachers. The board continuously evaluates the 5-year retention rate to see how they are doing in this area. After the General Assembly passed the Medicaid Expansion bill this past session, McElveen is excited about the prospect of millions of dollars flowing down from the state coffers to help invest in both students and teachers.

Student Leadership

When McElveen was first elected to the school board, he was 25 years old. He was young and technologically savvy, and used this to his advantage. He quickly recognized that social media was a fantastic tool to reach his constituents, and to obtain real-time feedback. As an At-Large board member in a county with a population of 1.1 million people, it is just not physically possible to meet with every single person that he represents, but he can connect digitally with them. He has witnessed the rise of social media as a key communication tool, and has seen how it can be used to organize and move issues forward.

Today, he sees both parents and students utilizing these same tools to lead on a variety of important issues. Over the past few years there have been many programs on the “chopping block” each year, as the school system looks to balance the budget. When certain programs such as foreign language immersion or music in the elementary schools come up for review, he has seen parents and students come together to testify and organize around saving these very valuable programs.

On the student side, this past year after the Parkland shootings in Florida, students used social media to help organize walk outs and protests, to call attention to the issue of Gun Violence Prevention. McElveen was impressed with how respectful, responsible and productive these demonstrations were. He is very proud of the many FCPS students who have stepped up to speak out for the things that they believe in. He wants to support student leaders so that they can develop the leadership skills that they will need in college and beyond.

Academy Programs

In the final segment, McElveen talks about the academy programs that are thriving at FCPS today. These are hands-on training and learning programs that give students a unique opportunity to take advanced technical and specialized courses that successfully integrate career and academic preparation. These centers include programs for Animal Sciences, Automotive Technology and Collision, Carpentry, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts and HVACR. Other specialized programs include Fashion Design, Theater, Health Informatics, Nursing, Fire and Rescue, and Automotive Dealers. If students are interested in any of these areas, they should speak with their guidance counselor to learn more and find out how they can apply.

You can follow Ryan McElveen on Twitter (@RyanLMcElveen) and on Facebook www.facebook.com/VoteRyanMcElveen

by Rachel Simon

Rise to Run – Poojitha Tanjore

(June 11, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Poojitha Tanjore, a 16 year old activist and junior at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn, VA, who is the Northern Virginia Rise to Run pilot hub coordinator. Rise to Run is the first and only nationwide, grassroots and community based organization focused on encouraging progressive high school girls and college aged women to run for public office. Rise to Run brings young women together in their communities and gives them insight into the political process, connects them with mentors, and involves them in local organizing. Through quality, in-person, age appropriate training and on the ground networks, Rise to Run is making electoral politics and political action more accessible to young women of every identity. Poojitha oversees the Northern Virginia chapters, which span from her home county of Loudoun, to Fairfax, Prince William and Arlington counties.

Poojitha has been inspired throughout the course of her life by her great-grandmother, who was forced to marry as a child. Her great-grandmother did not have choices of her own, and her story has inspired Poojitha to take full advantage of her freedoms here in America, to forge her own path and create her own destiny. From a young age, Poojitha understood the power of her voice and her ability to affect change. She shares a funny story with Catherine about the time that her parents thought she was eating too many Maggie noodles. Poojitha gathered her friends, made protest signs, and picketed her parents until they allowed her to continue to eat her favorite noodles whenever she pleased. Thus began her life as a grass roots activist.

At the age of 13, Poojitha was accepted into the prestigious University of Virginia summer enrichment program, where she studied law and participated in a Mock Senate. Her love of public policy was cemented here, and after being voted “Best Senator” in her group, returned to Rock Ridge that year and ran for President of the student government. She very much enjoyed leading her fellow classmates to push for initiatives like free wifi throughout the school system, which she helped to bring to fruition in Loudoun County Public Schools. Poojitha understood that by diving into the issues, overcoming obstacles and working together, she would be able to pave the way for lasting change.

Poojitha learned about Rise To Run through her networks on social media, and immediately reached out to the founder and current Executive Director, Helen Brosnan. Poojitha strongly believes that young girls need to see themselves in their elected officials, so that they too can aspire to rise to those positions down the road. Poojitha founded the Loudon County chapter of Rise to Run, and was soon after followed by Price William and Fairfax Counties. The enthusiasm for the progressive movement is growing, and the desire of young people to engage and affect change is palpable. What she likes the most about this organization is that Rise to Run is giving young people the opportunity to learn and grown at a young age, in addition to giving them space to fail. Everyone needs an opportunity to learn, succeed, and occasionally fall short – it is what growing up is all about. Rise to Run encourages young people to take risks and try new things, and to use their experience to make themselves stronger for the future.

Poojitha will represent Rise to Run at the upcoming Women’s Summit hosted by Network Nova, being held at the Dulles Hyatt on June 23^rd. She will be the opening speaker for a breakout session specially designed for the youth movement. Poojitha strongly believes that young people need to be nurtured so that they have an opportunity to grow, learn and succeed. Poojitha also feels strongly that adults and young people need to partner together to help solve the big problems in the world. The Parkland students have shown us what young people are capable of achieving when taken seriously and with access to resources. Young people have strong and powerful voices and that can be used to move forward positive agendas.

You can follow Rise to Run online at www.risetorun.org , on twitter @RiseToRun and on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/RiseToRun.

by Rachel Simon

Karen Corbett Sanders – FCPS School Board

(June 6, 2018) Catherine Read sits down with Karen Corbett Sanders, Vice Chair of the FCPS School Board, representing the Mt. Vernon district. She represents a diverse district, which stretches from the Potomac River in the east, through the Rt. 1 Corridor, into Springfield and across to the Occoquan River. Some of the schools in her district are amongst the poorest in the county, with poverty rates as high at 90% in some places. These conditions put additional stresses on school personnel, and often require a different approach to ensure that each child in her district is getting an excellent education, no matter what their family background is or where they live.

Karen Corbett Sanders opened the conversation talking about the needs of students who come from some of the most vulnerable communities within her district. She mentions the importance of providing “wrap-around” social services to students, to ensure that they have enough food to eat, clothing to keep them warm, and access to healthcare. In order for students to have the best opportunity to succeed, Corbett Sanders argues that we must invest in a strong support system for both students and their families. She points to literacy as a specific challenge for many families. In order for parents to stay up to date and in tune with their children, let alone be able to help them with homework at night, it is important that all families have access to literacy education. The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia is making great strides in helping parents learn the language skills they need, so they can more fully and equitably participate in the community.

Corbett Sanders is proud of the One Fairfax Policy, adopted by both the Board of Supervisors and the FCPS School Board on July 12, 2016. It is a joint social and racial equity policy that commits the county and schools to intentionally consider equity when making policies or delivering programs and services. It is a written declaration that all citizens deserve an equitable opportunity to succeed if they work hard, regardless of their race, color, gender, nationality, sexual orientation or where they live. One Fairfax is a framework that will be used to consider equity in decision-making and in the development and delivery of future policies, programs and services. It is designed to help county and school leaders look intentionally, comprehensively and systematically at barriers that may be creating gaps in opportunity. Corbett-Sanders states that the adoption of this policy helps those in charge understand that there must be a different approach in a school community that has a 90% poverty rate vs. a school that has a 1.8% poverty rate.

In the second segment of the show Catherine speaks with Karen Corbett Sanders about the program GrandInvolve. This is a unique public-private partnership that puts retired educators in Title I elementary schools to volunteer and help give back to their community. GrandInvolve has been recognized by the Governor as one of the top volunteer organizations in the state, and has had great success here in Fairfax County. The seniors serve as role models for the students, many of whom do not have Grandparents who live in the United States. The seniors bring a fresh, new perspective to the classroom and help support one-on-one learning with students. It is truly a win-win for teachers, students and the senior volunteers.

Another new pilot program that Karen Corbett Sanders mentions involves placing police officers in the school cafeterias, where the officers are helping students in the lunch line, and getting to know them. Often times, children only see police officers in a bad or difficult situation. This type of partnership helps to build relationships and teach children that police officers are really there to help them, not hurt or punish them.

Corbett Sanders is also very proud of a new initiative that is being rolled out to all FCPS students called the Passport to Mt. Vernon. This would allow free access for county students to Mt. Vernon, Gunston Hall, Gum Springs Museum and Woodlawn Plantation. We have such a rich source of history right here in Fairfax County, but our students who are the poorest and most vulnerable do not have access to these sights because they cannot afford the entrance fees. By offering free access, they are hoping to open up doors to those who were otherwise shut out. She also highlights the Bus Pass program, now in its third year. This offers any 7^th-12^th grader a free bus pass for the Connector Bus or the Q Bus in Fairfax City. Free access to public transportation allows students to get around independently after school or during the summer. They can travel locally to go to part time jobs, summer camps or the library. Corbett-Sanders is encouraged by the work being done between county and school board leaders to think outside the box and come up with workable solutions to help our most vulnerable residents.

by Rachel Simon

Del. Patrick Hope – Medicaid Expansion in Virginia

(June 4, 2018) Catherine Read interviews Delegate Patrick Hope (D-47) of Arlington to discuss the recent passage of the Medicaid Expansion in the Virginia General Assembly, as part of the biennial budget signed by Gov. Ralph Northam. Del. Hope currently sits on the the General Laws, Courts of Justice and Health and Welfare Committees in the House of Delegates, where he is able to lend his professional expertise from his career as a healthcare attorney. Del. Hope also serves on the Joint Commission on Healthcare and the Deeds Commission, which has been tasked with studying and making recommendations on improvements to Virginia’s mental health care delivery system.

Del. Hope was elected to office in 2009, one year before the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, was passed into law. Under the ACA, Washington allows states to open their rolls to people with income up to 138% of the federal poverty level, which is $16,750 for an individual and $28,700 for a family of three. The federal government agrees to pay 90% of the cost of expanding the rolls, totaling approximately $2 billion a year. These are dollars that Virginians have been paying with their federal taxes that will now be returning home. Baked into this year’s proposed budget is a tax on hospitals in Virginia, which is designed to cover the 10% cost that the state will be responsible for.

Since the adoption of the ACA in 2010, Hope has advocated for expanding Medicaid, and bringing these federal tax dollars back to the commonwealth for individuals who fall in the “gap”. This gap exists because as the program works today, Medicaid in Virginia has a very low-income threshold for eligibility – $6900 for a family of three, $9700 for a disabled individual, and able-bodied childless adults are not eligible at all, no matter how poor they are. Therefore, insurance on the ACA marketplace was not accessible to the 300,00+ working poor citizens of Virginia.

Effective January 1, 2019 this will all change. The influx of federal dollars to provide healthcare to those in need will free up money in the biennial state budget to invest in other important initiatives. Teachers will receive a 3% pay raise, all judgeships will be fully funded (and 30 judgeships will be added to cover increase caseloads), and state employees will get a 2% pay raise. Money will also be allocated to improve mental health services, as well as addiction and substance abuse programs throughout the state. Del. Hope points out that these are important investments in our safety net and our future.

The adoption of Medicaid expansion will also be a big boost to the state’s economy. By bringing 300,000+ residents onto the healthcare rolls, we will need to find healthcare “homes” for all of the new patients. More doctors, nurses, support and administrative staff will be needed to accommodate the increase in patients. These will be new, well paying and sustainable jobs that will help drive the economy forward.

In order to bring Republicans on board with adopting Medicaid expansion, there are several provisions that were incorporated into the new law. Work requirements will be imposed on all able-bodied adults age 18-55, to ensure that nobody is getting a benefit without putting effort into finding or training for work. The program is called the Training, Education, Employment and Opportunity Program (TEEOP), and will have to seek approval by the Trump Administration before it can be implemented. Del. Hope praised the bipartisan work in the House of Delegates, who included Medicaid expansion in their original proposed budget, along with the hard work and brave efforts of Sens. Emmett Hangar (Hanover), Frank Wagner (Virginia Beach ) , Jill Holtzman Vogel (Faquier) and A. Benton Chafin, Jr. (Russell) who propelled the Senate to move the budget forward with Medicaid expansion included. There will be much work to be done to get the program off the ground, but passage of the budget was the first step of the process.