NOVA is proud to again partner with Volunteer Fairfax in commemorating https://www.volunteerfairfax.org/ Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. MLK Day honors the civil rights leader, his legacy and his impact.

Held on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a National Day of Service. NOVA celebrates the memory of Dr. King with a “day on, not a day off.” NOVA's MLK Day of Service projects unite members of our community through volunteerism and service with the goal of improving and strengthening communities. The college thanks the students, faculty and staff members who have contributed donations and their time to making an impact in our region.

As NOVA celebrates the 40th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day through serving, I want to take a moment ask our students, faculty and staff to think about how Dr. King inspires you,” said Dr. Michelle Brown-Nevers, vice president of enrollment management and student success. “What can we learn from this Nobel Peace Prize-winning civil rights leader that we can apply to our own lives.”

Dr. King once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.”

This year, NOVA once again teams up with Volunteer Fairfax for a food drive to help 3,500 children across 43 Fairfax County schools who face food insecurity outside of school. The food drive benefits students who get very little to eat over the weekends without school-provided meals. According to Volunteer Fairfax, the meals help alleviate weekend hunger and allow children to come to school each week fed, focused and ready to learn.

To view the video highlighting the partnership of Volunteer Fairfax and NOVA as well as words from Nigel Word and Yvette Urquhart, please click here: https://app.memento.com/tgNzQ_FFVa/group-video

MLK day is also a time to reflect on Dr. King's teachings. This quotation is engraved on the North Wall of  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits."

This is NOVA's 14th year participating in the MLK Day of Service by partnering with non-profits and encouraging students and the community to volunteer. The College is grateful for all in our community--our students, faculty and staff--who made the 2023 Day of Service a success!

For more information on more ways to participate, please visit Volunteer Fairfax at https://www.volunteerfairfax.org/