FACE reports 14,000 volunteers, 85-school student supply racks and expanded language access

Nicole Livis, chief communications and community engagement officer, and Dr. Adman Alexander, director of the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FACE), presented an update on the division’s outreach and partnership work and highlighted measurable outcomes.

Livis described five pillars—professional development, welcoming families, volunteering, language access, and outreach—and said FACE uses a phased roadmap to strengthen two-way family-school partnerships. The office reported more than 14,000 volunteers logged through the volunteer program and over 46,000 volunteer hours to date; 85 schools now have student supply racks and the back-to-school fair drew over 7,000 attendees, distributed more than 3,000 backpacks and provided community services including vaccines and physicals.

Livis and Dr. Alexander also summarized language access efforts: 93 language ambassadors representing 25 languages provide informal translation and interpretation to reduce barriers to family engagement. The Virginia Beach Education Foundation’s recent grants and programs were noted as complementary: 67 future-ready grants totaling nearly $29,000, the "beach bag" program distributing roughly 1,200 bags weekly, and a partnership called Virginia Star providing refurbished laptops.

Board members praised FACE’s work, singled out language access and neighborhood outreach as priorities, and asked for details on Beacon mobile resource truck neighborhood visits (staff said summer rollout plans would be posted). The workshop closed with board commendations and no formal actions required.

Next steps: Staff will finalize Beacon neighborhood schedules and continue outreach planning; board members were invited to visit FACE offices and participate in upcoming events.