Making Connections, Creating Opportunities
“Talent is everywhere; opportunity is not.”
When our President and CEO Piper Phillips heard that comment from a speaker at a recent event, she made a mental note. “Boy, does that ever say it,” she thought.
Piper shared those words of wisdom with community leaders during this month’s breakfast event at PHILLIPS School ~ Annandale to introduce SpringForward Ventures, the new nonprofit we founded to create employment opportunities for young adults with emotional and behavioral health needs. Building on the success of the Career and Technical Education programs at our schools, we are incubating innovative, employee-owned businesses designed around the unique abilities and needs of their workers.
The first of these social enterprises are SpringForward Farms, a high-tech hydroponic greenhouse in Baltimore, and SpringForward Feeds, a meal service company that will operate out of our Annandale commercial kitchen.
Click here to watch a video of the presentation.
After serving breakfast to our guests, Culinary Arts students – who could be future SpringFoward Feeds employees – handed out samples of SpringForward Farms microgreens. Julie Buisson, Operations Manager of SpringForward Farms, explained that the broccoli microgreens were grown in small, pesticide-free, indoor hydroponic farm in South Baltimore that we are using until our larger greenhouse operation opens.
Amazingly, each one-ounce serving of these microgreens is packed with as much nutritional value as one pound of mature broccoli, Julie said.
Local leaders reacted enthusiastically to what we’re doing. Fairfax County Supervisor Penny Gross (Mason District) noted that there are not many farms in the DC metro region and the pandemic has drawn attention to the importance of healthy food and local production.
“This is such a fabulous opportunity for the community,” she said. “This can be a great success and we need to try it all over the place.”
If you or someone you know would like to attend one of our monthly community connection sessions, please contact Piper Phillips at piper.phillips@phillipsprograms.org or 703-941-8810.
PHILLIPS ANNUAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS
This is an exciting and challenging time as we kick off our 2022 Annual Campaign.
With your support, we have accomplished a great deal in the past year. Together, we can do so much more in the year ahead.
If Everyone Gives Just $20,We Can Raise $75,000
$50 supports one student to attend a community field trip.
$100 buys 3D printing supplies for our Designing Futures students.
$500 provides in-home counseling services to one family, building on family strengths to prevent a child being placed out of the home.
$1,000 purchases equipment for our new commercial kitchen and Culinary Arts training program.
$5,000 plants seed-capital for SpringForward Ventures.
By donating to PHILLIPS, you’re making an investment in a better future for the children, young adults and families we serve. Your contribution directly benefits youth with behavioral health needs and their families by giving us the resources to provide special education day schools, career and technical education, and home- and community-based counseling.
Your gift is especially important now, as we begin a bold expansion of our mission. Through our new nonprofit, SpringForward Ventures, we are helping young adults overcome barriers to employment by creating innovative companies designed around the abilities and needs of workers.
The 2022 Annual Campaign goal is $75,000. Last year, the goal was $50,000 and our generous supporters topped that by 50 percent. Let’s do it again this year!
3D Program Multiplies
We love to see our campuses working together to provide new learning experiences for PHILLIPS students.
At the beginning of this school year, Designing Futures ~ Fairfax School helped jump-start the 3D Design, Print and IT program at PHILLIPS School ~ Laurel. Along with sending four printers and supplies from the Fairfax 3D lab, Designing Futures Program Supervisor Sam Son provided Laurel staff and students access to software for 3D design, Information Technology and Coding. But what the kids enjoy most, he said, is a program that lets them develop video games and customize the experience by putting themselves and their favorite pixel art into the games. For our advanced students, we plan to introduce Microsoft Certified Fundamentals, so they can earn industry credentials.
Sam and Technology Specialist Jim Field showcased Designing Futures and our other Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at this month’s Microsoft Nonprofit Fair at the company’s makerspace in Reston, Virginia. It was a great opportunity to encourage Microsoft employees to support PHILLIPS by donating and volunteering.
It Started With a Shed ...
... and the latest project for our Building Futures students will finish with another luxurious new house ready for some lucky family to buy. In between, our students will learn a lot about themselves as we teach them construction trade skills.
While waiting for a building permit to be issued, the students built a shed at the site on Billings Dr. in Annandale. That gave them an introduction to using their tools, taking measurements, and putting up framing, roofing, insulation, and siding. Most importantly, they practiced teamwork and problem solving. They’ll need all those skills now that the paperwork has come through and they can start building the house.
Last year, our students completed construction of a beautiful, 4-bedroom home on Holyoke Dr. in Annandale and it quickly sold for more than $800,000.
Building Futures operates in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties as part of PHILLIPS’ Career Partners program.
One Family’s Story
“As a parent of a child with complex special needs and challenges, PHILLIPS Family Partners has been a godsend. Trying to navigate and locate community resources, especially with an older special-needs child, is extremely difficult. PHILLIPS has been a tremendous help by helping me to explore and access various resources and explaining how these resources could be beneficial for my son. Equally, if not more, challenging is being able to fully comprehend my son’s challenges, and given those challenges, what I as a parent can do to help and support him in daily life as he transitions to young adulthood. … I could not describe how much PHILLIPS programs and services have benefitted both me and my son.”
PHILLIPS ~ Family Partners, our award-winning home and community based behavioral health program, is hiring Family Counselors. Working in collaboration with a skilled team of colleagues, Family Counselors use a strengths-based approach to provide clinical and psychoeducational support to children and adolescents with mental and behavioral health needs and their families. Services are provided in families’ homes, in the office, and virtually. We offer free clinical supervision for hours toward licensure (LCSW, LPC, LMFT), part- or full-time positions, and an opportunity to gain experience working with families and children with a wide variety of strengths and needs.
For more information and to apply, visit us online: phillipsprograms.org/careers
PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families
7010 Braddock Rd | Annandale, Virginia 22003
703-941-8810 | piper.phillips@phillipsprograms.org
PHILLIPS Programs for Children and Families is a private, non-profit organization serving the complex needs of children and youth living with cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral challenges in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Through excellence in specialized education, community programs and individualized support services, we provide our children and families every advantage to ensure they develop to achieve their greatest individual success. Their potential is our commitment.