Dix.Hite + Partners was founded in 1996, marking this year our 25th anniversary. To celebrate, we decided to accomplish 25 acts that embodied our core values through service, empowerment and collaboration. Ultimately, we set out to share our profession with younger generations, support the communities we serve, promote inclusivity in our work, and empower our staff to be the best we can be.

Giving (Fund) for Good

We started by establishing a charitable giving fund that we could use to donate to different organizations throughout the year. Employees contributed and the company matched those dollars, resulting in a total of $4,000 available for donations. Our staff voted on where we wanted to give those dollars and settled on ten very deserving organizations. These donations would become part of our 25 acts.

Dreaming Up a Vision

Around the same time, we connected with Dream Lake Elementary in Apopka, Florida. The school had been a fixture in the community since the ‘50s, but when the new building was constructed in 2015, the outdoor spaces were left somewhat bare. After meeting the principal and touring the school, we knew right away the project was a good fit for our 25th anniversary goals.

Principal Martin wanted Dream Lake Elementary to have amazing outdoor learning facilities—spaces where the students can not only play, but learn, perform, relax and enjoy the fresh air and shade. We committed to developing a vision plan to set the framework for the school’s outdoor programming needs (and add some beauty, too). This effort became the centerpiece of our 25 acts—a chance for us to give back, empower our staff, and teach younger generations about our profession. Win-win-win.

We engaged the students in our entire design process, teaching them to see spaces differently and helping them build skills to envision new possibilities. We even witnessed a few budding landscape architects in the making!

25 Acts of Service, Empowerment & Collaboration

In addition to our donations and work with Dream Lake Elementary, we also participated in several training workshops, took some amazing field trips, participated in Parking Day, and volunteered in our communities.

As we reflect on our 25th year, it was certainly a busy one, albeit extremely rewarding. We started the year wanting to do more, to give back, and proved to ourselves that our staff’s passion for the community (and for improving our world) is undoubtedly one of our biggest strengths. Thank you to our clients, partners and friends for cheering us on along the way! Here’s to another amazing 25 years.