How Companies Can Get Involved

Business is an elective program offered to all high schools. Students gain knowledge and skills through classroom, laboratory, and internship experiences in the following areas: computer information systems, multimedia desktop presentations, business computer programming, accounting, business law, business management, management information systems, and network administration. Contact: Beth Downey, 703-208-7807

Career Connections is a framework of career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation activities for students in grades K-12. Businesses can help by providing career speakers and classroom activities such as interviewing skills and resume writing. They can host educator and student visits in their workplace and offer job shadowing opportunities to students. Contact: Judith Hingle at 571-423-4430.

The goal of the career experience initiative is to provide a variety of opportunities for students enrolled in elective courses to interact with the business community, at either the business worksite or the school site. Potential business links include: network administration, advanced information systems, advanced international marketing, computer technology services, electrical construction and engineering, graphic communications, television production, business computer programming, animal science, dental services, law enforcement, auto technology, auto collision service, and medical health technologies. Contact: Cara Kirby, 703-208-7795

The goal of the College Partnership program is to increase the number of minority students who enroll and succeed in college. Business provides volunteers, who encourage and support student achievement by offering mentoring, shadowing experiences, summer internships, field trips to business sites, and other motivational programs. The school system provides students with personal development training, academic counseling, and college-life orientation. Contact: Inez Cohen, 703-876-5238

Cooperative Office Education (COE) combines a high school business course with work experience in a business-related field that reflects the student's current career interest. Potential business links include: accounting, information systems, business computer programming, multimedia desktop presentations, information systems, network administration, office administration, and word processing. Contact: Beth Downey, 703-208-7807

Eighth grade civics students have the opportunity to visit the Judicial Center as guests of the Law-Related Education Committee of the Fairfax Bar Association. Students spend a morning touring the court; talking with a circuit, general district, or juvenile and domestic relations judge; and observing a trial in progress. Attorneys host these field trips and act as resources about legal issues, the administration of justice, and career awareness. Contact: Alice Reilly 703-846-8627

Expanding Visions seeks to encourage seventh grade students to enroll in advanced-level math, science, and technology courses. Program components include: speakers from the business community who talk with the students about their careers and conduct hands-on problem-solving activities in the classroom, tutoring, and field trips to participating businesses. Contact: Gabrielle Boccher, 703-204-8152

Work and family studies focuses on the development of management skills needed throughout life. The relationship between work and family is the unique focus of this program that includes childcare services and education; food science, preparation, and service; family and human services; fashion design and production; consumer services; and interior design and furnishings. Contact: Sandy Jones, 703-208-7804

 Family Services and Involvement Section (FSIS) serves as a resource to schools, businesses, and communities to support and involve families in the development and education of their children. Help is needed to: develop displays and materials to promote parent involvement in the schools and community; create a scholarship fund for parents who are interested in attending parenting classes but are unable to pay; print program brochures; and develop audio and video training tapes on parent involvement and parent education. Contact: Karen Willoughby, 703-277-2627

Health Occupations provides courses in animal science, dental careers, medical heath technologies, and practical nursing. In addition to career guidance and awareness, the practical nursing program prepares graduates for state licensing and employment. Contact: Anne-Marie Glynn 703-208-7843

The Industrial Technology program includes courses in the areas of electronics, architectural and engineering drawing, preengineering, and design and technology. Help is needed in improving career awareness—specifically businesses and employees willing to mentor, speak, provide field trips or job shadowing opportunities. Contact: Anthony Casipit , 703-208-7801

The mission of Junior Achievement (JA) is to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise and to understand business and economics in order to improve the quality of their lives. Businesses help JA by providing volunteers to go into area classrooms and present activities developed by Junior Achievement that teach students about the workplace. In addition, firms provide financial support for curriculum materials and volunteer training. Contact: Sheila Fishlowitz, 202-296-1200

Key Center serves students with moderate to severe disabilities, and emphasis is on developing independent living and employment skills. The students learn best by experiencing actual job activities in a community setting; therefore, varied work exploration activities, business visits, and job experiences are needed. Contact: John Dent, 703-313-4040

A lawyer-doctor team speaks with middle school students about the legal, medical, and social consequences of drug and alcohol use. The program has been in existence for four years and, in addition to physician presenters, can include other medical professionals dealing with adolescent substance abuse. Contact: Charles Collins, 703-273-6998

The marketing program provides courses leading to various marketing career choices. Students may elect to earn additional credit and wages through supervised on-the-job training related to their classroom instruction. Specialized training includes career preparation in such areas as advertising, entrepreneurship, fashion marketing, hotel management, mall marketing, and sales promotion. Contact:  Amy Granahan, 703-208-7806

The mission of MentorWorks is to connect every Fairfax County Public Schools student with a caring, responsible adult.Mentors help students to improve self-esteem, remain focused, receive positive reinforcement, learn life skills, improve technology skills, establish new horizons, practice reading, plan for college, and have fun.Contact: 571-423-4431

Co-sponsored by the Fairfax Bar Association and Virginia YMCA, this program provides an opportunity for high school government students to participate in the trial and appellate phases of legal proceedings. Students are given a scripted outline of a criminal or civil jury trial and assigned a volunteer attorney who assists them in preparing to conduct the trials as attorneys. Judges from the Fairfax County courts preside over the trials, and students from the various participating high schools also serve as witnesses, court clerks, and jurors. Contact: Michael Holleran, 703-790-8000

This is a special education business skills program with a community work-based learning component. It is designed to increase the skill and employability levels of students with disabilities through classroom instruction and experiences and to develop transferable skills in the areas of computer application programs, word processing, data entry, data-based management, records management, order processing, shipping and receiving procedures, photo copying, mail processing, e-mail communication, and the Internet. Contact: Ginny Brennan, 571-423-4155

Partnerships are initiated to support academic achievement of students, foster positive attitudes about lifelong learning, and help students connect what they learn in class to the world outside school. Businesses and agencies are matched with elementary, middle, or high schools based on school needs and location. A range of activities can be implemented, including curriculum support, mentoring, tutoring, career day programs, incentives for student achievement, field trips, technology training for teachers, and donations of materials or equipment. Contact: Jay Garant, 571-423-1202

Pyramid partnerships combine the resources of the business community with the needs of the surrounding schools. Pyramid partners bring the varied expertise of the business partners to the students by providing tutors to support academic development, by exposing students to career opportunities, and by explaining the applicability of academic courses to the work world. Contact: Jay Garant, 571-423-1202

Career Centers provide intensive training environments for students with disabilities. Specific training offered includes hotel and/or restaurant services, office support services, mechanical repair services, facilities services, and landscape and nursery services. Contact: Ginny Brennan, 571-423-4155

Trade and industrial education provides preparation for entry into skilled trades and service occupations that involve designing, producing, processing, assembling, maintaining, servicing, or repairing any product or commodity. Specialized training includes job shadowing, internships, and on-the-job training in air conditioning and refrigeration, auto body, auto technology, carpentry, computer maintenance and repair, construction, cosmetology, culinary technology, electrical construction and engineering, graphic communications, horticulture, law enforcement, photography, and television production. Contact: Chad Maclin, 703-208-7799

The Work Awareness and Transition (WAT) program is a simulated work environment that provides students with disabilities with opportunities to learn work-related skills, practice appropriate interactions with peers and adults, and explore interests related to career options. Businesses are needed to provide opportunities through job shadowing, job training, workplace mentoring, work-based experiences, and business projects such as preparing information for distribution and other types of work projects. Contact: Ginny Brennan, 571-423-4155

The FCPS Office of Adult Education offers many opportunities to help the county's adult population navigate career changes and career progressions. The following programs are offered: counseling services, English as a second language, high school completion, trade and industry, apprenticeships, certificate programs, medical and dental programs, and technology training. Support is needed through advisory councils, guest speakers, field trips, internships, job shadowing, and tutoring. Contact: Bonita Moore, 703-227-2205