Loudoun Schools to Launch New Pathways Lab with George Mason, NOVA

George Mason University is partnering with Loudoun County Public Schools and the Northern Virginia Community College to launch a lab school to increase help for at-risk students as they transition from high school to college and on to high-demand careers. 

The Accelerated College and Employability Skills Academy, to be known as ACCESS, will be inside some Loudoun high schools with funding provided by the Virginia Board of Education.

Chief Academic Officer Ashely Ellis said the partnership happened quickly, with GMU reaching out to the division about partnering with them. 

“I think it will be a wonderful opportunity for our students and really continue our efforts in workforce development. We already have a strong relationship with GMU and NOVA separately, so we are excited to put it all together,” Ellis said. 

She said they have a year to plan and prepare for the academy and flesh out details, like which high schools will house it, the curriculum, and what trades and career paths will be available.

“George Mason is making bold steps toward creating different pathways for all students through these partnerships with K-12 and community colleges to ensure access to higher education and high-demand, well-compensated careers,” George Mason’s College of Education and Human Development Dean Ingrid Guerra-López stated. 

Ellis said it was important to GMU that this academy be different than what is already available within the division.

“It’s a separate and new opportunity for students; Monroe Advanced Technology Academy isn’t for everyone and the Academies of Loudoun isn’t for everyone. We really think it’s important that each student in LCPS have access to programs that will best serve them,” she said. 

Ellis said the academy will be geared to both students heading to college and to students heading right into the workforce after high school. 

Ninth and tenth grade students in the program will focus on completing their high school graduation requirements in English, social studies, math and science, then focus on developing employability skills through teaching, learning, and curriculum that use other existing programs in the students’ base schools. They also will be introduced to problem-based learning through the program.

Eleventh and twelfth grade students in the program will focus more on getting employability skills and industry certifications, an internship or dive into dual enrollment courses through NOVA and GMU.

Researchers and industry partners will also work side by side with ACCESS students as part of the Learning Innovation Lab, which is designed to provide a training ground for teachers across a wide range of disciplines, including Information Technology, according to an announcement about the program.

“ACCESS stands for Accelerated College and Employability Skills, so it will be for students pursuing college and trades. It will focus on supporting students who typically don’t have access to AP courses and dual enrollment opportunities making sure they have those opportunities,” Ellis said. 

 “ACCESS will integrate widely accepted academic learning with industry-validated occupational experiences, resulting in our students becoming extraordinarily prepared for the specialized and oftentimes nuanced challenges of college and the workforce. This will provide another access point for students to explore their plans and passions for after LCPS,” School Board Chair Melinda Mansfield (Dulles) said.

“We have heard loud and clear from our community that our students need alternative pathways to college, and this is just one way we are getting them there,” Superintendent Aaron Spence said.

NOVA Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer Eun-Woo Chang said the school is excited to join the partnership to help students develop employability skills. 

Students will express interest in participating in the academy during the 2024-2025 school year and the academy will start during the 2025-2026 school year. More details on the academy will be available as they become available.