2nd Annual VA Fall Festival

By Shaima Ahmad, VA Programs Manager
Photos Courtesy of Chelsea Iorlano, Development & Communications Associate

Last week, AALEAD VA Programs came together to celebrate the start of after school programs for the 2016-17 school year. More than 70 youth across all 3 school sites— Holmes MS, Poe MS, and Annandale HS— attended. The theme for this year’s festival was “Autumn Around the World.” Youth had the opportunity to learn about how autumn is celebrated in other parts of the world through arts and crafts and games. Some of the holidays highlighted were the Japanese Autumn Festival, Chinese Mid Autumn Festival, and Diwali.

It continues to amaze me to see the strong bonds our youth have developed in such a short time. I am so excited to see what the upcoming school year holds for our youth, the skills they will strengthen, and the friendships they will build. Check out a photo recap of the event below!

Thank you to our wonderful staff and youth who helped in making this event a success. A special shout out to Panda Cares for providing dinner.

Stay tuned to read more about what’s happening in VA Programs throughout the fall!