Halloween is one of our favorite reasons to have fun!
Citizant’s employees in Virginia have enjoyed lunch and a costume contest every year, adding fun and creative Halloween activities in recent years.
Since 2014, Citizant has had the incredible joy and honor of hosting an Annual Halloween Celebration with the Community Independence Instruction Program at Freedom High School. This Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) special education program provides real-world events and learning opportunities to high school students in conjunction with local organizations and businesses. The students look forward to this spirited celebration every year almost as much as our Citizant staff!
In October 2022, we were so happy to be back in person after two years of virtual celebration, and the party was a huge success! The event was held during lunchtime at the Ono Offshore Event location in Chantilly, VA. Citizant’s creative team created a Spooky Carnival theme and setting, and the planning committee led by our Human Resources (HR) and Human Experience (HX) professionals rounded out the atmosphere with fun games and activities including a costume contest, cookie decorating, photo booth, and crafts.
The collaboration between Freedom High School and Citizant was sparked from our CEO’s love of Halloween, costumes, and the desire to share the fun of the holiday with others! With several of our leaders involved in the local special needs community, this partnership was destined to happen. What started as an idea, has now become a favorite annual corporate event for Citizant. We eagerly await seeing our Freedom High friends each October!
Local public schools, like Freedom, do an amazing job preparing differently-abled students for education and workforce careers after high school. They are always exploring new partnerships and educational opportunities for their students. We encourage your business or organization to reach out to your local high school and explore ways to share your corporate culture and resources.
If we can help you brainstorm or share the lessons we have learned through our partnership with LCPS, please reach out to:
Pam Schoppert
VP of HX and Quality
Citizant
Patty Nette or Patricia Lodi
Freedom High School Special Education Staff
Even COVID-19 could stop our special Halloween celebration!
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and with help from the Freedom H.S. advisors, we were able to hold virtual Halloween celebrations in 2020 and 2021.
I remember when I was an assistant principal in 2014, working with our special education department, I received a random invitation to a Halloween party. The first year I thought it would be a good social event for our students, so we signed up to go. When we arrived, we realized that we were the only school in attendance, and Citizant had done a marvelous job of preparing the day for our students that we were overwhelmed by their hospitality and creativity to provide the perfect party for our students. All Citizant employees were dressed in Halloween costumes, there was food to fit all dietary restrictions, and activities fit for our students!
Since then, the party at Citizant has become an annual tradition at Freedom. We look forward to the invitation each year and we dress up and submerge our students into Citizant’s culture for one afternoon. Now, as the principal of Freedom High School, I am humbled by the generosity and care of the people at Citizant, and I hope that we continue this partnership for our students for several more years to come.
Neelum Chaudhry, Principal, Freedom H.S.
In 2022, we returned to our safe and fun in-person Halloween party
Citizant’s team leaned in with gusto to create a fun, engaging, and loving experience as we returned to our in-person celebration with Freedom H.S. students