Find Connection, Exercise Your Body and Mind and Have Fun! Although Fairfax County’s Senior and Community Centers are closed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adults can still stay connected with NCS’s new Virtual Center for Active Adults. The VCAA was created with the goal of enriching the lives of adults in Fairfax County while combatting isolation. Adults can visit the site to connect with their peers, engage in a variety of activities and discover useful resources. “Our centers serve as a place for adults to gather, socialize and stay active. By creating the VCAA, we hope to offer some of those same opportunities to older adults and adults with disabilities while the centers are closed. We want people to stay safe and connected” said NCS director Chris Leonard. NCS has partnered with ServiceSource, Inc. to develop a variety of live, interactive programs that can be accessed from home via Zoom. Many of the programs are being offered with adaptations and modifications available to meet the needs of many ability and skill levels. Participate in a fitness class such as SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life), tai chi or gentle yoga; exercise your brain with brain games, trivia and group crossword; or get creative by taking part in an art or crafting class. Three times a week, adults can join a virtual lunch bunch, where participants are invited to join a discussion group and socialize with their peers. Twice a week, a lunch bunch is being offered exclusively for caregivers. These sessions serve as a discussion/support group and often include guest speakers from agencies and organizations throughout Fairfax County. The VCAA site also includes links to on-demand videos that can be viewed on your own schedule. Currently the videos consist primarily of fitness classes such as yoga and tai chi but NCS staff are hard at work developing a wide range of content. Other features of the site are links to useful services and resources available to residents of Fairfax County; Assistance from a Distance – county-wide services available remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic; and curated lists of self-directed virtual activities that can educate, entertain and enlighten. The VCAA was created in partnership with ServiceSource Inc., Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Fairfax County Area Agency on Aging, Fairfax County Health Department, Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board, Fairfax County Public Library and Fairfax County Department of Housing and Community Development.  

On May 15, the NCS Youth Programming Team – made up of staff members from NCS Community Centers and Teen Centers – launched NCS Connects (#NCSconnects), Fairfax County’s first virtual programming platform specifically for youth and teens of all abilities in grades 1-12. When NCS centers closed their doors in March due to COVID-19, it was only a matter of weeks before youth members began asking staff when they could come back. Not knowing when that might be, NCS Regional Manager Pallas Washington knew they needed a different way to reach teens – and fast. With the recent announcement that Fairfax County summer camps are cancelled, the need for virtual NCS programming has become even more immediate. “We began to hear from our youth audience that they missed attending our centers and seeing our staff,” Pallas said. “Directing them to Library, Parks or Schools programming simply wouldn’t work because they wanted to see and hear from the people they know and have developed relationships with.” The solution is NCS Connects, which is designed to emulate the experience of visiting a Community or Teen Center. The platform features original programming such as self-directed activities and videos led by familiar staff members, as well as on-demand resources for youth and parents in five categories: adapted virtual learning (provided by Therapeutic Recreation Services), culture, academics, health and wellness, and STEAM. The activities at launch included Bookworm Workout for young children, Exploding Lunch Bag for grades 6-12, and Rock Painting for all ages, among others. The platform also kicked off with two videos: a circuit training workout for teens, and a special message to youth featuring more than a dozen NCS staff. New weekly activities will be added every Monday, and NCS centers are providing a limited number of supply kits needed for activities each week. To create even more engagement, NCS Connects will also feature a new social challenge each week. For the first challenge – Virtual Spirit Week on May 25-29 – participants will share themed photos on Instagram and Twitter using the hashtag #NCSconnects. Ideas for future challenges include cooking and art contests, scavenger hunts and online gaming. According to NCS Service Area Manager Torrey Piper, NCS Connects is already receiving positive feedback. In a focus group conducted with teens ages 14 to 18, participants said they love the look and easy navigation of the page and are excited for the possibilities it brings. To find virtual activities for youth and teens, visit NCS Connects at http://bit.ly/ncsconnects. If you are interested in activities for adults and seniors, visit the new Virtual Center for Active Adults.