Tag: youths
Art helps teens cope with mental health challenges
Teens grappling with mental health issues can find a way to express their feelings through art. That’s the premise for the Bridging the Gap art exhibit and reception at the Minnie Peyton Community Center in Bailey’s Crossroads on April 24. The event was organized by the Fairfax County Youth Move chapter, an organization made up … Continued
Art contest for kids focuses on glass recycling
Fairfax County is launching an art contest with the goal of educating kids in Mason District about the benefits of recycling glass. The contest is open to students in grades 6-12 who attend a school in the Justice, Annandale, or Falls Church high school pyramids. The contest is sponsored by the Solid Waste Management Program … Continued
Pickleball tournament supports after-school programs for Asian American youths
A pickleball tournament on Saturday at the Down the Line Sports Center in Annandale raised funds for Asian American LEAD, an organization that supports after-school leadership development programs for Asian American youths. The event featured a pickleball clinic, recreational games, and a tournament for competitive players. The event was AALEAD’s first pickleball fundraiser, says the … Continued
County seeks youths for part-time jobs
The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services (NCS) is launching a Work Student Program for youths looking to build their skills and jump into real-world experiences by working for the county. The program, to begin in January, is aimed at high school students ages 16 and up, college students, and young adults. Participants … Continued
Fairfax County launches an Opportunity Youth Network
Fairfax County has launched an Opportunity Youth Network, an initiative focused on empowering young people ages 16-24 who are not in school and not working. The network is a collaborative effort involving several agencies to drive equity, elevate youth voices, and strengthen support systems for more than 9,300 young people facing disconnection in Fairfax County, … Continued
Summer bootcamp teaches students coding
Nearly 30 students recently completed a Youth Coding Bootcamp hosted by Comunidad, a nonprofit community development organization based at the Wilston Multicultural Center in Seven Corners. The weeklong summer program immersed middle and high school students in creative, real-world problem-solving using block-based coding, said Comunidad Executive Director Maralee Gutierrez. The students worked on micro:bits, pocket-sized … Continued
Annandale teen offers activist training to her peers
Dia Figueroa, a 14-year-old from Annandale, is launching a free youth-led activist training program for teens. The pilot program, which Dia is calling Love Letter Starters, “aims to give young people the tools and knowledge to engage in community organizing and advocacy,” she says. The teens will meet semi-monthly at Thomas Jefferson Library, where Dia … Continued
Lacrosse league protests field cancelations
Annandale Youth Lacrosse, a program under the umbrella of the Annandale Boys & Girls Club, had already had a game schedule approved for this spring, then learned three of their dates were canceled without warning. The league is fighting back. The league submitted their permit applications in September and were given a schedule on Feb. … Continued
TJ students invent a cheaper braille reader for the blind
Two juniors at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology have invented a device that makes it easier and more affordable for blind people to read braille. Anush Devkar and Ansh Malhotra gave a presentation on their device, Braillesense, at MIT in October. They were invited to demonstrate Braillesense at a research conference at … Continued
Teen Advocates educate their peers on healthy relationships
Dozens of teens from across Fairfax County gathered at the Minnie Peyton Community Center in Bailey’s Crossroads on Feb. 6 to talk about the differences between healthy and abusive dating relationships. The youths, members of the Fairfax County Teen Advocates, decorated the walls with posters they had created, presented speeches, and organized activities for their … Continued
GoFundMe campaigns support families of plane crash victims
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to help the extended Zhou family cope with the loss of competitive figure skater Edward Zhou, age 16, and his parents Kaiyan Mao and Yu “Joe” Zhou of Annandale. The three family members were returning from an ice-skating program in Wichita, Kan., on American Airlines flight 5342 when it … Continued
TIME names Woodson student and scientist ‘kid of the year’
TIME magazine has named Woodson High School student Heman Bekele the 2024 “Kid of the Year.”
The St. James launches an academic program for elite student athletes
Families with elite student-athletes struggling to find time for practices, training, and school now have a solution. The St. James, the sports complex on Industrial Road in the Springfield area of Mason District, will offer an academic program, beginning next fall, integrated with students’ athletic schedules. The facility has formed a partnership with the TPH … Continued
Police educate Culmore residents about fentanyl abuse
Fentanyl is a huge problem in the Culmore area, so the Culmore and Bailey’s Crossroads Place-Based Initiative hosted an information session for residents on May 7, which happened to be Fentanyl Awareness Day. Fentanyl is most commonly seen in that area in the form of pills, said MPO Stacy Sassano, the crime prevention officer at … Continued
Celebration of Acceptance offers mental health resources to LGBTQ youths
A Celebration of Acceptance at the James Lee Community Center on May 3 focused on mental health awareness and inclusion, particularly for LGBTQ+ youths. That’s critical because students in that community are more likely to be bullied, contemplate suicide, and struggle with mental health issues. The event, hosted by the Community Service Board’s (CSB) Equity … Continued