What’s New with RAMP?
The Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) ended its pilot year reflecting on successes and areas of improvement. To wrap up the program, mentees completed their transition plans and set goals for the upcoming year. They also completed surveys and reflected on their RAMP experience. The RAMP Program Coordinator, Kevina Brown, received feedback from mentors, mentees, and their families to learn ways RAMP could continue and improve as a beneficial resource to assist students and their families with achieving career-focused goals and achievements.
(Top Row, Left to Right) A mentee is sitting on a couch holding the RAMP completion certificate in front of her; a mentee with a back shirt and a white baseball cap on backwards is standing behind a table, smiling while holding his graduation gift; a mentee is standing in the middle of his 2 parents while holding his graduation gift, a blue shirt that says “Firefighter in Progress”; a mentee with a red shirt and shorts is sitting down, smiling with his graduation gift (a cookbook) held in front of him.
(Bottom Row, Left to Right) a mentee in a burgundy-colored shirt is smiling and standing outside of his home while holding the RAMP completion certificate in front of him; Kevina is standing with a mentee in front of a green wreath as the mentee with headphones around his neck is holding his RAMP completion certificate in front of him; Kevina and a mentee is sitting with the mentee’s parents in a restaurant booth smiling with drinks on the table; Kevina is standing with a mentee holding his RAMP completion certificate in front of a them as the mentee is holding his graduation gift in front of him.
I Am Self-Advocacy Summer Session Update 2023
The IASA Program is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) focused on helping students with disabilities, ages 14-22, hone their skills in self-advocacy through a combination of individual and group sessions. Funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), this program is offered to students referred by the Fairfax, Alexandria, Leesburg, and Manassas DARS offices.
Three circles overlapping each other with words Self Advocate in the center and words Motivated, Committed, and Passionate on each circle.
ECNV Is Hiring Peer Mentor Interns for I Am Self-Advocacy!
Jump start your career with the ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia and the I Am Self-Advocacy Program!
Three circles overlapping each other with words Self Advocate in the center and words Motivated, Committed, and Passionate on each circle.
Importance Of Support For Entrepreneurs And Business Owners
On August 31, 2023, ECNV discussed the importance of support for entrepreneurs and business owners with SBA Assistant Administrator, Mark Madrid and his great team.
(Left to Right), SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Director, Larry G. Webb; ECNV Executive Director, Dominique Dunford-Lack; SBA Assistant Administrator, Mark Madrid; Director of Multicultural Families, Rosalia Fajardo; and Director of Disability Justice, Cherie Takemoto.
Staff and Board attended the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Conference and it was a success!
ECNV staff and board members attended the NCIL Conference July 24-27, 2023.
Collage: Left, an African-American woman in a wheelchair, a blind woman in black dress; a woman in blue and white pants and a man in dark pants and t-shirt; a group of people with disabilities dancing during the reception.
Money Matters: A Five-Part Training Series to Help You Understand How to Manage Your Money
ECNV offers this five-part training to help people with disabilities understand and manage money. Money Matters will help people understand what money is, how they can use it to pay for things they need, and how to decide what things are most important to pay for.
ECNV updated, plain logo
I Am Self-Advocacy Summer Session Update 2023
The IASA Program is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) focused on helping students with disabilities, ages 14-22, hone their skills in self-advocacy through a combination of individual and group sessions. Funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), this program is offered to students referred by the Fairfax, Alexandria, Leesburg, and Manassas DARS offices.
Three circles overlapping each other with words Self Advocate in the center and words Motivated, Committed, and Passionate on each circle.
Back to School: Freedom to Travel the Metro
Are you tired of being tied to Metro Access where you have to make appointments and wait for your ride? Did you know that with a little orientation and training, you can make decisions about where you want to go and when you want to go by checking the schedule for the next bus or metro? ECNV’s Travel Training program for people with disabilities continues to grow!
An inside look at an empty metro car, newer model.
What’s New with RAMP?
Officially ending July 1st, the RAMP pilot year was full of success, lessons learned, and ended with a tight-knit cohort of excited mentees ready to take the next step in their career journeys whether it be continuing with their current employment, taking college classes, taking on an internship in their career of choice, finishing out high school, or looking further into their career interests.
The first picture shows 4 mentees and 2 parents waiting in the AWS Lobby. Three are standing while 2 are sitting in gray chairs. The second pictures shows 4 mentees standing and listening while the tour guide, Gerry, is speaking about one of the exhibits. The third picture shows a mentee sitting down in the center while Gerry is standing to his left and providing instruction at a Driving Exhibit. Another mentee is standing to the right with arms crossed and watching in the background.
Get Involved with ECNV
Have you thought about getting involved with ECNV? Here are a few ways you can participate.
ECNV logo.
ECNV Helps Afghan, Sudan Refugees Community
On July 27, 2023, ECNV cosponsored an Afghan, Sudan refugees community resource fair organized by Second Story organization, Food for Others and Fairfax County.
Rosalia Fajardo from ECNV distributing home COVID-19 home test to Afghan and Sudanese refugees.
White House Invitation
On July 20, 2023, Rosalia Fajardo was invited by the White House to celebrate Independence Day of Colombia and present a briefing about ECNV work with the multicultural communities in Northern Virginia.
Left, Rosalia Fajardo in black and blue dress in between American Flag and Colombia flag; Center, Ambassador of Colombia Gilberto Murillo, an African American man in blue dress, surrounded by White house officials and Colombian leaders.
ECNV staff attended USAging Conference in Salt Lake City, UT
On July 16-19, 2023, Pansy Walker, Senior Expansion and Outreach Specialist, Emily Kudron, Development and Communications Manager, and Rosalia Fajardo, Director of Multicultural Families, attended the USAging Conference. This is the country's largest gathering of local leaders in aging.
Top Row, Rosalia Fajardo Multicultural Families director at ECNV attended the USAging 49th Annual conference & trade Show July 15-18 2023; a man, Cumulus CEO in grey suit, center Rosalia Fajardo and cumulus staff member in dark blue suit; Bottom Row, a group of panelists left, two white women, center in back a white woman, Rosalia in the center and an African American woman in the right; (from left to right) Pansy Walker, Emily Kudron and Rosalia Fajardo stand in front of the 48th annual USAging banner.Image: Rosalia with Sara Maloney from USAging blue dress.
ECNV Celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act!
ECNV staff (Doris Ray, Ruchika Lalwani, Maya Flores and Marcie Goldstein and the Arlington County Board celebrate Disabilities Act Awareness Day at Bozman Government Center.
Doris Ray (center) holding the official proclamation for Disabilities Act Awareness Day. Maya in on her right, Ruchika is on the far right, and Marcie is behind her.
NACA Homeownership: Take the First Step Toward Home Ownership
CNV is partnering with NACA to provide a free homebuyer workshop.
Proclamation of Immigrant Heritage Month
ECNV Director of Multicultural Families, Rosalia Fajardo was recognized her leadership in the Latino community during Immigrant Heritage Month.
Right, Rosalia in black suit and Karol Escalante in grey pants suit.
Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab
Find out more about disability justice and ECNV's Disability Justice Mindful Design Lab - an 8-month incubator for social change solutions by and for people with disabilities who have experienced additional injustice, discrimination or exclusion because of race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender identity or sexual orientation. This initiative is funded by the Ford Foundation.
Agents of Change Pitch Day! A Celebration of Accomplishment and Visibility for Disability Justice Social Ventures
The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia invites you to
Agents of Change Pitch Day! A Celebration of Accomplishment and Visibility for Disability Justice Social Ventures
ECNV Announces New Volunteer Peer-Led Support Program
ECNV is excited to announce a new program in the coming months where so many of our consumers and their families who have benefited from our programs and services can begin to serve as leaders in helping others meet similar success.
ECNV updated, plain logo
Thriving Solo Workshop
ECNV is offering a new training series for people with disabilities who want to live on their own.
(Image) white female in wheelchair, wearing a white sweater and black dress with design at open oven door checking on food.