Walktober Energizes Fairfax County Public Schools Employee Wellness Program
With thousands of employees spread across hundreds of locations and roles—from classrooms and kitchens to buses and offices—it can be a challenge for Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) to build a school employee wellness program that is powerful, inclusive, and genuinely enjoyable.
Walktober plays a central role in the effort to meet employees where they are while also creating shared moments across a large workforce. In 2025, the walking challenge did more than encourage movement for Fairfax County Public Schools. It brought people together for a little friendly competition and helped employees build healthy habits that fit naturally into their daily routines.
Building Early Momentum for a School Employee Wellness Program That Reaches Everyone
Fairfax County Public Schools is one of the largest and most diverse public-school systems in the nation, supporting a workforce of approximately 40,000 employees across more than 220 sites. With such a large and geographically dispersed organization, FCPS places a strong emphasis on employee wellbeing by offering programs and initiatives designed to support staff across every role and worksite.
“We pretty much take up all of Northern Virginia,” Wellness Manager, Dr. Grace Ingram Page points out. “So obviously when we talk about wellness initiatives and bringing different ideas to light, it makes it a little difficult when you’re looking just at the geographic piece to it.”
That’s one reason why FCPS opened Walktober registration in August, to give their challenge a strong head start. That long runway allowed the wellness team to introduce Walktober during new teacher orientation and early back-to-school events, moments when employees felt eager to connect.
That early push created an immediate buzz. By the time Walktober kicked off, thousands of employees had already registered, setting an energetic tone before the first step was even logged.
Participation Climbs Early and Engagement Stays Strong
Walktober participation more than doubled FCPS’s previous Coast to Coast challenge, rising from 2180 to 5110 employees, a 134% increase. That growth reinforced Walktober’s role as a cornerstone of the district’s school employee wellness program, especially for a workforce that rarely works side by side.
Employees stayed engaged throughout the month-long challenge:
68%
goal achievement rate, up from 60% in the previous challenge
1.4 billion
total steps logged across the district
109,376
leaves earned, surpassing the organizational goal
These results showed strong consistency and enthusiasm from start to finish.
“We wanted to create and strengthen the foundation around wellness and bring that sense of community so when we roll out a wellness initiative that they catch on,” says Wellness Specialist Toni Epps. “We were able to get everyone to participate and support them in their wellness journey wherever they were. As a team we created a sense of connection, and built healthy habits that we could sustain after the challenge ended.”
Connection Made the Entire Experience More Fulfilling
A strong sense of community powered Walktober’s success. FCPS encouraged employees to join teams, add friends, and share their experiences, which helped the challenge feel social rather than solitary. For example, one tool that fostered connections was a message wall where participants could share photos and positive encouragement.
Participation reflected the emphasis on making connections:
77%
of participants joined a team
59%
of participants connected with at least one friend
Employees who participated socially reported higher success rates, reinforcing a core principle of FCPS’s school employee wellness program: people stay more motivated when they feel connected.
“That’s what we strive for, the connection. You could join a team that wasn’t within your school work site. You can join with your friend across the county,” Epps adds. “The social wall allowed people to see who was joining, what teams they were on, and what region of the county they were located in. It created a buzz. And so that connection and being able to connect employees was very valuable.”
An Inclusive Approach Across Roles and Worksites
In order to reach FCPS employees who work in multiple environments and access information in different ways, the wellness team combined district-wide messaging with onsite engagement, answering questions face to face and encouraging sign-ups in real time.
The team also offered step-tracking options for employees who didn’t already have a device to remove barriers and make the school employee wellness program feel more welcoming and accessible across roles and worksites.
FCPS added weekly activities to keep the experience fresh and encouraged employees to explore different aspects of wellbeing through creativity, reflection, learning, or self-care.
By pairing movement with variety, FCPS created a more balanced experience that supported whole-person wellbeing while keeping Walktober fun and engaging.
“My whole thing is to get people to understand that well-being is not meant to be a task. It’s not meant to be a to-do list. It’s not meant to be ‘check that off your list.’ We’re not doing that,” Page says. “The idea is, ‘let’s make it fun, right?’ And if I can educate you on something while we’re doing it, why not? If you can learn something without even realizing, why not?”
Strong Satisfaction and a Strong Foundation for What’s Next
Walktober closed with positive feedback and strong participation throughout the district:
35%
of participants completed an evaluation
93%
reported feeling satisfied or very satisfied
More importantly, Walktober also strengthened the culture behind FCPS’s school employee wellness program. High engagement, strong social participation, and sustained momentum gave the district a solid foundation to build future wellness experiences that employees can look forward to year after year.
Ready to Start Your Own Walktober Challenge?
Interested in creating your own wellness program that delivers positive connections? For more than 30 years, HES has partnered with organizations of all sizes to support healthier, more inclusive workplaces. Contact us or call us at 800.326.2317 to start a conversation about your organization’s well-being.