BRVGS Awarded Donation from SRC Research & Development Group

BRVGS Director Marc Carraway (right) Accepts SRC Donation from Ben Pfeffer

Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School recently received a $1000 donation from SRC, Inc. The money is designated to support student tuition for the BRVGS/University of Virginia Explorations in Engineering course being taken by nearly 50 BRVGS students this year. Ben Pfeffer, of SRC in Charlottesville, presented the $1000 check to Marc Carraway, BRVGS Director. Carraway notes that SRC has made similar donations to the Governor’s School for the past four years, and that these donations have been critical for supporting BRVGS students in engineering courses.  

SRC is an independent, not-for-profit, research and development group headquartered in the state of New York. They support a broad range of federal government organizations and agencies in a wide array of technology areas. SRC's Charlottesville office provides support to the National Ground Intelligence Center.

The BRVGS staff thanks SRC for directly supporting our students in college-level STEM classes (science, technology, engineering, math) through it's generous monetary gift.

Back to School Night Scheduled for Parents & Students

An informational “Back to School Night” meeting for Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School is set for Tuesday, September 22. The session will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Best Western Zion Crossroads, located at 135 Wood Ridge Terrace, Zion Crossroads.  

The meeting is designed to outline the year’s major activities in each BRVGS course, and to provide parents with current research and information about how to prepare students for the demands of college and careers. Input from parents regarding future planning for BRVGS will be collected. Light snacks will be served, and the meeting will last no more than one hour.

Contact BRVGS Director Marc Carraway at 434-989-3972 or by email at mcarraway@brvgs.k12.va.us with any questions. No RSVP is necessary for attendance.

New BRVGS School Year Filled with Activities

Welcome, students and staff, to the BRVGS 2015-2016 school year! The new fall session is brimming with events beginning in August.

BRVGS 11th graders in Fluvanna, Goochland, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson get together on August 27th for their Computer Science Kickoff. This activity will be held at Best Western Zion Crossroads.

A number of events are scheduled in September. All 12th grade students will meet on September 3rd for their Senior Kickoff. The World History Kickoff for 9th graders is set for September 16th, and the AP Biology Arabidopsis Project Kickoff is scheduled for September 17th. Best Western Zion Crossroads is the site for all of these September events.

In October, the World History classes will travel to Washington, D.C. to visit the Holocaust Museum, war memorials, and the National Cathedral.

BRVGS 10th graders from Fluvanna and Madison counties will participate in canoe trips led by Chesapeake Bay Foundation guides in October, with students from the remaining counties hitting the water in the spring. Seniors will go to the University of Virginia to engage in research for their senior project topics.

World History students will gather for collaborative work days in November, and AP Biology students will deliver their Arabidopsis Presentations on November 19th.

Notice of other events and details will be published on the BRVGS webpage as they are scheduled.

Students Dig Into History at Montpelier Site

Learning, credit, internship, and fun are all reasons for participating in the Archeology Field program at Montpelier, the home of  U.S. President James Madison and Dolly Madison in Orange, Virginia.

In July, seven BRVGS students excavated, cleaned, catalogued, and analyzed artifacts from the historic property. Participants have discovered knives and other tools at the site of old slave quarters.

“It was an awesome experience,” said student Allan Horn. “The staff was friendly and welcoming, and the accommodations were comfortable. I learned so much, and am glad that I was able to be a part of the LEARN Archaeology program.”

This is the 2nd year BRVGS has been involved in the week-long residential on-site program. Students from Goochland, Greene, Nelson, and Orange counties took advantage of the opportunity offered through BRVGS, Montpelier, and James Madison University. During their field experience, students are part of the Montpelier research team. They may take the program for college credit, BRVGS Senior Internship placement, and/or personal discovery. Participants engage in excavation work, lab work, lectures, and tours of the mansion and archaeological sites on the property.

Horn valued his experience, and said, “I greatly appreciate that the BRVGS program covered the cost, and I would highly recommend this opportunity to other students.”

To learn more, click here for the most recent newsletter from the Montpelier Archaeology Department.

BRVGS SENIORS ENGAGE IN SUMMER INTERNSHIPS

While many students are on school break, more than 20 Blue Ridge Virtual Governor’s School students are getting a head start on their Senior Internships this summer. The internship is a required part of the BRVGS Senior project, which also involves a research paper, website design, weekly journal, community service, oral presentation, and Exposition participation.

Some of this summer’s internships include working with:

• A Virginia House of Delegates representative

• UVA researchers on pancreatic cancer and cardiovascular regeneration

• A civil engineer in the Virginia Department of Transportation

• The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum conducting research on the art collection

• Robotics engineers

• Archaeologists at Montpelier

• A private company that helps businesses with websites and technology

• An athletic trainer at VCU

The list is just a sampling of the internship opportunities undertaken this summer, and we applaud students for their initiative in getting an early start on this portion of their projects!