Empowering Kids to Make a Difference

Denise Gavilan Education, Talk of Tysons

A new and growing nonprofit organization in Northern Virginia empowers young children and their families to give back to the community.   Throughout the year, including a flagship Summer Volunteer Camp, Kids Give Back engages kids, ages 6-12, in volunteer work, such as preparing meals for the food insecure, making Valentines for senior citizens, filling baby baskets for low-resources parents, …

16 STEM Toys To Boost Kids’ Knowledge, Understanding, and Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

Kimberly Blaker Education

Today, it’s more crucial than ever that boys and girls alike develop a keen interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Over the coming decades, the pace of scientific and technological advancement is expected to continue climbing at an exponential rate. As a result, STEM fields will see continued growth while blue-collar jobs, among other professions, decline. So it’s essential …

Finding a Good Tutor for Your Child Regardless of Your Budget

Kimberly Blaker Education, Features

Does your child have a learning disability, poor or declining grades, poor time management skills, or difficulty understanding homework? If so, tutors are an effective way to get kids back on track and keep them there. But how do you find a good, reliable tutor you can trust? And what if hiring a tutor isn’t in your budget? Today, there …

Fairfax County Schools Top National, Virginia Rankings

Fairfax County Economic Development Authority Education

Fairfax County Public School magnet school Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology nabbed the top spot in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report 2022 best public high schools ranking. The annual rankings evaluate more than 17,800 schools at the national, state and local level, including nearly every public high school in the U.S. The methodology focuses on six factors, including …

A Sense of Belonging

Mark Russell Education

It’s Tuesday afternoon and as the school day at Cunningham Park Elementary School draws to a close, kids are abuzz with excitement. A question on many minds: “Is today our day to visit Ms. Karen?”  Karen Covell, known for her white hair and jovial hospitality by dozens of neighborhood families, is Program Director for Belong!, a nonprofit organization that provides …

Prepare Your Kids for Careers in an AI-Driven Future-World

Kimberly Blaker Education

Many parents today never experienced a world where computers weren’t a standard household fixture, let alone a world without the Internet. When the World Wide Web first became available to the public in 1991, it was archaic compared to today. Yet at the time, it was quite the phenomenon. But the rapid speed of technological progress over the past couple …

Fusion Academy: The Nation’s Most Engaging Private School

Fusion Academy Education

Fusion Academy, the nation’s most engaging private school, opened a new campus in Reston, VA, where it joins six campuses in the greater Washington D.C. area and reflects the company’s commitment to local neighborhood schools that offer accredited, personalized education. Classes at Fusion are one-to-one: one student and one teacher per classroom, with different teachers for each class. This allows …

Back-to-School Prep Essentials

Kimberly Blaker Education

Is Your Family Ready for a New School Year? The start of a new school year with a new routine that takes over most of the kids’ waking hours is a significant transition from the long lazy days of the summer. Whether your child is just beginning school for the first time or a seasoned student, a new grade level …

Despite Covid-19 pandemic and other challenges, South Lakes High School STEAM Team creatively moves ahead

Phoebe Avery Education

Even before the school year officially started, members of South Lakes High School’s STEAM Team had their new Lake Thoreau public art sculptural installation underway. Enthusiastically supported by Public Art Reston, the Reston Association (RA) and benefactor James Pan, a resident of Reston’s Lake Thoreau community, and vigorously guided by art teacher and working artist Marco Rando, the student team …