Partners

Veterans Moving Forward provides service dogs for veterans of the armed forces after their service. The student team is working to better brand VMF and provide a more targeted outreach plan, so that the community can be better aware of the services VMF provides. 

The HCC student team is working closely with FCPS Get2Green to plan and implement their “Earth Week” programming. FCPS Get2Green focuses on promoting environmental awareness and student action.

The student team is building on HCC’s previous relationship with MVLE Inc. in helping support the nonprofit. MVLE Inc. works with people with disabilities to support them in employment and other opportunities. The students are working to design a program to support hydroponic farming small skills for MVLE users.

Just Neighbors provides legal services to immigrants, asylees and refugees in the DMV area. The student team this semester is working to expand Just Neighbors’ pro bono program, specifically into rural Virginia.

Formed Families Forward works to help children with special needs in foster families with educational and post-secondary opportunities and outcomes. The student team is working closely with FFF to increase engagement from unresponsive clients. 

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries

The HCC student team worked with Western Fairfax Christian Ministries to develop an interview guide for new clients interested in the Pathways to Success Program, which provides intensive financial education, budget counseling and financial aid. Using insights gained in interviews with many different community members, the students created a guide and sample questions that made the interview process more relaxed and helpful for both potential clients and WFCM.

Reform Education for a New World

Working with Reform Education for a New World, the HCC student team created guidelines for a new curriculum and budget. These guidelines drew on community surveys, other example curricula and interviews with teachers and students to create a curriculum that would allow every student to excel. Through this project, RENEW has worked to reform education and help students throughout the community.

NOVA Mental Health Foundation

Working with the NOVA Mental Health Foundation, the HCC student team provided materials and guidelines to improve the donor outreach and fundraising strategy. The students provided contact information for potential donors and grants, message prototypes and advertising material. NOVA Mental Health Foundation has used these materials to bring in the funding necessary to continue serving our community. 

The Grassroot Project

The HCC student team worked with the Grassroot Project to improve donor support and develop a strategy to overcome the challenges of fundraising in a pandemic. The students used insights gained from interviews with alumni, staff and community members to create recommendations for a phone outreach program, newsletter and email campaign. The Grassroot Project has used these strategies to improve fundraising and better engage with its alumni network and community.

A Farm Less Ordinary 

The student team working with A Farm Less Ordinary focused on developing a process outlining the experience of volunteers on the farm. Over the semester, the students created a journey map to explore the process of recruiting, training, maintaining and developing volunteers within the organization. From these insights, the students then helped A Farm Less Ordinary retain well trained volunteers who share their passion for inclusive service.

Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons

Building upon the work of Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons, the student team explored the different needs, interests, and age groups within the deaf and hard of hearing community. With this broadened perspective, the student team found new ways to engage the deaf and hard of hearing community through social media platforms that are useful to their needs.

INOVA FACT Department

Building upon the well-established relationship between the Honors College and the INOVA FACT Department, the student team found ways the FACT Department can best outline their services to provide resources to potential patients. Taking the project a step further, the team then considered how INOVA FACT can present these resources in a way that responds to the consideration for people in LGBTQ+ population. This exploration allowed the INOVA FACT Department to expand the inclusivity of their services to better serve the community of Northern Virginia.

Creative and Performing Arts Center (CAPAC)

The HCC student team collaborated closely with the Creative and Performing Arts Center to design a new website. Building off of research into website design and interviews with various nonprofits and community members, the team created a new website that better reflects the values of the Creative and Performing Arts Center as well as showcasing their various performances. 

Latino Economic Development Center 

Working with the Latino Economic Development Center, the HCC student team found ways to improve the Center’s outreach. The team’s proposal built off existing practices to create an outreach method that helps the Latino Economic Development Center support the community with housing troubles.

Public Art Reston

Working with Public Art Reston, the HCC student team of 2019 created a survey to track local engagement and interaction with their art displays. Through insights collected from the survey, Public Art Reston was able to quantify their impact in the community and use the data for grant applications to fund future projects.

INOVA FACT Department

The 2020 HCC student team developed a process for training and certifying forensic nurses who provide services for victims of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. This team worked with the INOVA FACT Department to ensure the curriculum was to standard with the 2020 SANE guidelines necessary to achieve the forensic nurse’s certification. Through this collaborative project, HCC increased the number of SANE certified nurses in Virginia in order to best address the needs of our community.

Bridle Paths

The HCC students and Bridle Paths united around the mission of updating and polish the existing marketing materials that share the services of the therapeutic riding organization. Through the work of the student teams developed new outreach materials that organized the services of the nonprofits in a way that increased Bridle Path’s presence within the community. These new materials brought together new customers, potential donors, and greater sense of community support.

Arc of Northern Virginia

The Arc of Northern Virginia provides resources, such as the Guardianship and Special Needs Trust Program, to individuals with disabilities with the goal of improving their quality of life. The students focused on identifying companies in the greater Northern Virginia area, through which the Arc could potentially provide their expertise to employees. They conducted research on the effects of caregiving in the workplace and the overall quality of life for caregivers. In conjunction with providing the points of contacts within the large companies, they synthesized the caregiving research into talking points for the Arc to interest the companies in a potential partnership.

Fairfax Bar Association

The HCC students helped the Fairfax Bar Association in increasing understanding of factors that contribute to litigants appearing without representation at court in Northern Virginia. They created and distributed a survey to individuals after their time in court. With the students’ help, the Fairfax Bar Association was able to gain a deeper knowledge of how to help individuals throughout the area.

CIS NOVA

Communities in Schools is a national organization which works to keep children in school and on track to graduate by providing them with a wide variety of materials and resources. In order to promote the Northern Virginia chapter, HCC students provided an interview-based video to show to potential donors and investors. Students met and coordinated with contacts from CIS NOVA Site Coordinator of Gunston Middle School. The students created a 4-5 minute video that highlights the impact of Communities in Schools and creates a touching sentiment that prompts donations.

INOVA

The Honors College Connects INOVA group worked with the Ewing Forensic Assessment and Consultation Teams Department (FACT) at INOVA Hospital over the past six months to develop a plan to offer a Sexual Assault Examiner Course at INOVA Fairfax Hospital.

Fellowship Square

Fellowship Square is an independent senior living center that offers discounted apartments for seniors who may not be able to afford housing. The student teams created a video detailing the house’s mission, history and resident interviews.

Cornerstones

Friends of Reston

Giving Circle of Hope

MVLE, Inc.

Southgate

Touching Heart

Fairfax County Parks Authority

OAR of Fairfax

Volunteer Fairfax

Western Fairfax Christian Ministries

Clean Fairfax

Empower Women International

Langley Residential Support Services

MVLE, Inc.

Arts Council of Fairfax County

Computer CORE

Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services

The Women’s Center

Brain Injury Services

James Mott Community Assistance Program

Leadership Fairfax

Northern Virginia Mental Health Foundation

Computer CORE

Fairfax Symphony Orchestra

HomeAid Northern Virginia

UCM

Homestretch, Inc.

New Hope Housing, Inc.

Langley Residential Support Services

Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons (NVRC)

Reston Drop in Center

Leadership Fairfax