Partnering for Progress: 66 Express Community Spotlight
Highlighting Local Organizations Driving Positive Change in the Region
Educate Fairfax
Preparing Today’s Fairfax County Kids To Lead Tomorrow’s World
For the sustained health of a society and its economy, not much is more important than ensuring that kids receive the best education – and are in the best position to receive it.
That’s why the work of Educate Fairfax is so vital. As the not-for-profit foundation supporting more than 183,000 students spread across all 199 schools of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) system, Educate Fairfax provides resources and support structures that give those kids a clear path to future success.
That support includes assisting students facing hunger and food insecurity, providing students with equitable access to innovative STEM-focused and other learning opportunities, and developing initiatives that encourage innovation and creative thinking through the Educate Fairfax Grants program, all while addressing gaps in FCPS funding.
I-66 EMP has been a staunch supporter of Educate Fairfax since 2019, three years before the 66 Express Outside the Beltway opened. After partnering together to advance several of Educate Fairfax’s most high-impact programs and initiatives – such as the Innovators Fund and the Kids In Need Fund, as well as the summertime Tech Adventure Camp – today the locally headquartered roadway operator counts Fairfax County’s educational readiness organization among our strongest Community Partners in Northern Virginia.
In addition, I-66 EMP has helped fund teacher innovation grants that support classroom-based STEM initiatives, providing educators with the resources to bring hands-on learning, new technology, and creative projects directly to their students.
“We’re very grateful to our friends at I-66 EMP for their steadfast support of FCPS students for more than half a decade,” said Dr. Lynette Henry, executive director of Educate Fairfax. “The contributions I-66 EMP provides year after year make a substantial difference in students’ educational opportunities, especially in STEM subjects. It’s with the support of partners like I-66 EMP that Educate Fairfax can help prepare so many students to be productive members of society.”
Keeping Fairfax County’s Kids On Course and Speeding Along
As a world-class transportation infrastructure consortium driven by innovation, I-66 EMP believes that a child’s education is strongest when STEM subjects – science, technology, engineering, and math – are emphasized and appreciated.
The partnership between Educate Fairfax and I-66 EMP began with an emphasis on STEM, when I-66 EMP provided grants of $15,000 to a pair of Vienna elementary schools for STEM-related resources and equipment.
Over the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, I-66 EMP gave a total of $67,500 to the foundation’s Access For All Fund in support of students in need of assistance through those trying times.
In 2023, most of I-66 EMP’s $25,000 in total contributions to Educate Fairfax was earmarked for the Innovators Fund, which augments STEM programming with equipment, supplies, and innovation labs in high schools around Fairfax County. Additionally, I-66 EMP donated $5,000 to the Kids In Need Fund that year.
STEM was again high on the partnership’s agenda the following year. I-66 EMP funded needs-based scholarships for 10 Fairfax County elementary school students to attend Tech Adventure Camp in the summer of 2024, giving kids a chance to explore a diverse range of subjects from business and marketing to STEM and technical trades. That November, the roadway operator made an additional donation of $13,000 to Educate Fairfax’s grant program in direct support of STEM education in the county.
The year 2024 was also when I-66 EMP earned the status of Annual Partner with Educate Fairfax.
Strengthening the partnership in 2025, I-66 EMP funded another 25 Tech Adventure Camp scholarships, and made a $15,000 contribution to support Educate Fairfax’s Innovators and Kids In Need programs. This fall, I-66 EMP also provided $8,000 in teacher grants to support additional classroom STEM initiatives, helping teachers enhance lessons with interactive projects, lab experiences, and technology tools that spark student curiosity.
“Fairfax County is one of the major economic engines of the Commonwealth, and these kids represent the future of that economy,” said Nancy H. Smith, I-66 EMP’s director of corporate affairs. “Promoting STEM learning is absolutely vital. That’s why we’re grateful to Educate Fairfax for their amazing work providing STEM opportunities and preparing FCPS students to innovate and lead.”
Looking ahead, the builder and operator of the transformative 66 Express Outside the Beltway anticipates the partnership with Educate Fairfax to grow, especially focusing on STEM in Fairfax County.
“Our students are our strength. In fact, that’s literally our motto,” Dr. Henry pointed out. “With community partners like I-66 EMP on our side, our students are put in an even stronger position to succeed.”
