RICHMOND – Continuing Virginia’s role as the nation’s top leader in lab school development, the Virginia Department of Education is accelerating the momentum for educational innovation in the commonwealth with contracts for Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy (FEA) and University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation (ATI) now completed and signed by all parties. Both lab schools received approval from the Virginia Board of Education in November 2023 and remain on track to open later this year at the start of the 2024-2025 school year.
“We are committed to giving Virginia’s students innovative options that spark their interests and expand their opportunities post-graduation,” said President of the Virginia Board of Education Grace Creasey. “These partnerships with the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College are mission-focused and designed to meet the unique needs of their students and local communities. We’re looking forward to both programs opening this fall.”
“The University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation will provide opportunities for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences where computer and data science are applied across content areas, providing a unique model for high school education in the region,” said Rebecca Towery, Executive Director of the Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW. “We are excited about this next step towards opening the doors for the first cohort of 9th graders during the 2024-2025 school year.”
“Stafford is honored to partner with our friends and neighbors at the University of Mary Washington. ATI has a focus that has resonated with our community, and our partnership has the potential to reshape teacher training and the future of learning. Our students and the community stand to benefit greatly from ATI,” said Stafford County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor.
“We are excited to launch Future Educators Academy in Fall 2024. Central Virginia is facing a critical teacher shortage and this college partnership lab school will accelerate and streamline the pathway to careers in education for motivated future teachers. FEA students will graduate and begin teaching in only two years after their high school graduation with this innovative early college approach which embeds work-based learning in local school divisions, research-based best teaching practices, and whole-student support from day one,” said Taylor Landrie, Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives at Germanna Community College.
“As one of the four inaugural K-12 members in this innovative partnership, we are extremely appreciative of Germanna’s willingness to partner with us in this effort to address the teacher shortage in the near term and provide a long-term workforce development opportunity going forward. By providing a fast-tracked pathway to teacher licensure, this program is an investment in our students and our community. We look forward to our first cohort of students next school year,” said Culpeper County Schools Superintendent Anthony Brads.
The Virginia Department of Education is working with 20 lab school higher education partners towards lab school openings. Find more information on lab schools here.
University of Mary Washington Academy of Technology and Innovation
The Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW will focus on combining an emphasis on computer and data science fields with innovative, interdisciplinary teaching practices and learning experiences for high school students. The lab school will partner with Stafford County Public Schools as well as the four other school divisions, including the school divisions of Caroline County, King George County, Fredericksburg City, and Orange County.
UMW will leverage all three of its colleges to support the efforts of the lab school, providing content experts from the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business to consult on the development of curricular resources and field experiences in partnership with the College of Education and Stafford Schools.
Germanna Community College Future Educators Academy
Future Educators Academy is an innovative early college academy focusing on preparing tomorrow’s early and special education teachers in Culpeper, Orange, Madison, Rappahannock, Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Shenandoah, and Warren counties and the City of Winchester. FEA is a collaboration among these school divisions, Germanna Community College, Laurel Ridge Community College, and James Madison University with one shared goal: provide high-quality, accelerated teacher education to produce exceptional teachers for the region.
Students in FEA will complete an associate degree while concurrently completing the requirements to earn an advanced studies diploma. With a rigorous and accelerated curriculum, the Academy is designed to be accessible to all students who have a passion for teaching. Tutoring, intensive advising, and substantial hands-on learning create the support network necessary to bolster enrolled students from admission to graduation.
See the original Virginia Department of Education news release.
