Every January, we all make plans for the year ahead—projects to land, skills to sharpen, goals to hit. This year, I’d argue there’s one more thing worth putting on your calendar: the AIA Northern Virginia Volunteer Fair. If you care about architecture, community, and people (and if you’re reading this, you probably do), this event is for you.

Who Should Attend?
Short answer: anyone connected to the architecture and design community in Northern Virginia, especially chapter members.

Long answer: emerging professionals figuring out where they fit, seasoned architects looking to give back, firm leaders wanting to support staff development, and even those who’ve been AIA members for years but never quite found the right on-ramp. You do not need prior volunteer experience, a committee résumé, or a perfectly clear idea of how much time you can commit. If you’re curious, motivated, or just want to meet good people who care about the profession, you belong here.

What Will I Learn?
The Volunteer Fair is essentially a low-pressure, high-energy crash course in how AIA NoVA works—and how you can plug in. You’ll meet the people driving the initiatives that shape our chapter and have the opportunity to hear what committee leaders across advocacy, Design Awards, education, mentorship, equity, and community outreach, actually do, what skills they’re looking for, and how much time is realistically involved. This isn’t a lecture or a hard sell—it’s conversation. Think of it as speed-dating for meaningful involvement!

I’m Busy – Why Should I Volunteer?
We’re all busy. That’s a given. But volunteering isn’t about adding another obligation; it’s about aligning your limited time with something that gives back more than it takes. Volunteering through AIA NoVA expands your network beyond your firm, sharpens the leadership and communication skills you don’t always get to exercise in daily practice, and reconnects you to the bigger “why” behind architecture. It reminds us that this profession is more than deadlines and deliverables—it’s people shaping communities together.

Volunteering also strengthens the profession itself. The programs, advocacy, and resources we value only exist because members step up. Even a small contribution helps move the needle.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’d like to get involved, I just don’t know how,” the Volunteer Fair is your moment. Come curious, come busy, come as you are. You might just find the spark that defines your year—and your place in this community.