Impact
What the work adds up to.
The figures below are cumulative totals since Heard began. We report what we can count honestly, and we let participant work speak for the rest.
1,300+
classes and workshops delivered since Heard began
11,000+
participant experiences since Heard began
These are cumulative historical figures covering the full history of Heard's programming, not a single year.
Program reach
Where Heard works
Schools and youth organizations
Correctional facilities and reentry programs
Recovery and behavioral health organizations
Shelters and transitional housing
Older-adult and community-service programs
Libraries and cultural organizations
Programs are delivered in schools and community settings across Northern Virginia, with partnerships built around the needs of each community.
Where we teach
Our community partners
Heard programs live inside partner organizations, shelters, schools, and detention facilities across Northern Virginia and the greater DC region.
Friends of Guest HouseReentry and recovery
Casa ChirilaguaYouth and family programs
Together We BakeWorkforce and recovery
Space of Her OwnYouth mentorship
Carpenter's ShelterShelter and housing
Concerned Citizens Network of AlexandriaCommunity organizations
Alexandria LGBTQIA+ AllianceCommunity organizations
- Alexandria Sexual Assault CenterHealing and support services
- Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention CenterJustice-involved settings
- Alexandria Adult Detention CenterJustice-involved settings
- Arlington County Detention FacilityJustice-involved settings
- Montgomery County Correctional FacilityJustice-involved settings
Evaluation
How we know the work is working
Heard evaluates programs through a mix of methods rather than a single score. We do not publish findings we have not gathered.
- Participation data
- Teaching-artist observations
- Partner feedback
- Participant reflections
- Creative work produced in sessions
Participant and partner feedback
In their words
“Participants continue asking when the program will return.”
“Providing women the opportunity to share their stories through art is incredibly empowering.”
“The women in our program genuinely look forward to every class offered by Heard, and the level of instruction is consistently high.”
“Participants shared that being able to express their thoughts through writing helped them release things that had been weighing on them since being incarcerated.”
Quotes are published only with permission. Some names may be withheld to protect privacy.
Selected participant work
Made in the room
Reports
2025 Impact Report
Read the full 2025 Impact Report for program totals, partner sites, participant stories, and how contributions were put to work across Northern Virginia.
Read the 2025 Impact ReportOpens in a new tab on Flipsnack.