U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Kingston Elementary and Old Donation School as the No. 1 elementary and middle schools in Virginia. Old Donation School, which has students in grades two through eight and is the home of the Edward E. Brickell Academy for Advanced Academics & Arts, was also ranked as the No. 2 elementary school in the state.
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 2022-2023 school year.
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year will open on for current 10th graders Oct. 26, 2022, and will close Feb. 15, 2023. Students will be notified of admission to the program in March. To apply, go to https://espapplication.vbcps.com.