Skip To Main Content

2025 Citywide Volunteers of the Year

Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) values and promotes active engagement of the community in all our schools. The Office of Family and Community Engagement coordinates many volunteer opportunities for community members to interact and contribute to the academic achievement of our students and the overall continuous improvement of VBCPS.

2025-26 federal grant information presented to Virginia Beach School Board

The Virginia Beach School Board received information about proposed federal grant applications at its May 13 meeting. For the 2025-26 school year, Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) would receive approximately $21.6 million in formula grant funds through programs authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA).

Applications

Application Process

Before entering grade 11, students will apply for admission to the program in the fall of their sophomore year. An essay formulated around the topics of Sustainable Economics and Business Innovation, Social Sustainability and Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Stewardship will be included in the application and will be used to identify candidates who show a passion for and interest in the fields of study.

Fifty applicants will be accepted into the program in its first year. Rising 11th grade students will be selected using a lottery system so long as they meet the following criteria:

  • All course pre-requisites are met.
  • They have positive teacher recommendations.
  • The student essay displays an ability to rationalize and think creatively and critically to solve or describe a problem pertaining to sustainability.

A committee of school administrators, teachers and other professionals will review the applications and determine if the above criteria are met.

Applicants that meet the above criteria will be entered into a spreadsheet, and a random number generator will select 25 students for the AM session and 25 students for the PM session, based on transportation zones. Those students will be recommended for admission. Alternates will be identified using the same process to fill the slots that are declined. The Environmental Studies Program will select 50 juniors for the next school year.

Applications for the 2025-2026 school year will open for current 10th graders Oct. 12, 2024, and will close Jan. 7, 2025. Students will be notified of admission to the program in February.

To apply, go to https://espapplication.vbcps.com.