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Dozens of West Virginia high schools are being recognized for efforts to help students prepare for opportunities after graduation.
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education have named 71 high schools “Champion of College Access and Success.”
To be considered a Champion of College Access and Success, high schools must participate in and meet specific criteria for three key college-planning milestone events throughout the school year:
Heather McChesney, HEPC director of statewide access initiatives, said the annual award recognizes schools that go above and beyond to build a culture of college and career readiness.
“We feel like those three milestones are a push to help work towards that attainment goal of certificates and degrees, because we’re helping students understand what pathways are available to them after they graduate from high school,” she said. “Whether it’s a military pathway, a career tech pathway, a two- or a four-year, some type of significant training or certification after that high school degree.”
The Champion program has seen regular growth since its pilot with around 20 schools. McChesney said this year’s 71 schools is almost a doubling of the 40 schools that achieved “Champion of College Access and Success” status last year.
“We have expanded it, and we are challenging our colleges – two year, four year, private and public – to work towards a champion status,” she said. “We are challenging our middle schools and our elementary schools to work towards champion status, and each of those levels also have three milestones that they have to complete this year to become champions of College Access and Success by this July as well.”
In 2018, West Virginia set a goal for 60% of West Virginia’s workforce to hold a formal education credential beyond high school by 2030. This statewide effort—known as West Virginia’s Climb—brings together the Higher Education Policy Commission, the Council for Community and Technical College Education, the West Virginia Department of Education, WorkForce West Virginia, and private-sector partners to expand opportunity for all West Virginians.
“We look at the nursing shortage, we look at the teaching shortage. We look at, even in terms of some of our technical jobs, there’s a shortage right now,” she said. “We need students to fill that so we need to educate them and show them what those pathways are.”
The 2025 “Champion of College Access and Success” are:
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Lawmakers continue to collect information on school funding issues during interim meetings as they seek a solution that has eluded them for two years.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsThe late singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston grew up in West Virginia and came onto the indie music scene in the 1980s. Last year, Johnston was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame and he’s featured in the next episode of Us & Them. In this award-winning show, host Trey Kay learns about Johnston’s legacy which was partly shaped by his challenges with mental illness.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsSave the Children has launched an initiative to attract more daycare workers for rural counties in West Virginia.
Continue Reading Take Me to More NewsPresident Brad Smith told the governors the school has done well to weather major upheavals that have led the public to doubt the value of higher education.
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