About Project Discovery
Project Discovery: Helping Students to Reach Horizons Unlimited for 30 years.
Goals: Provide supportive services and activities for students with post-secondary ambitions. Believing every student has the ability to attend college and reach their goals.
Focus: Students in 6th to 12th grades that need motivation and/or assistance to plan for after graduation with priority on first generation college students and/or low-income families. Curriculums: Realizing the College Dream, PERSIST: Student Success in High Educations from the ECMC Foundation and Skills to Pay the Bills from the United States Department of Labor.
Funding: Project Discovery is funded by the Virginia Department of Education, United Way of Southwest Virginia, Virginia 529, special grants, fundraising and donations.
Services
Workshops: Workshops provided on college prep topics that will help them prepare for college, and improve academic performance. Workshops conducted during school (during elective classes, once a month). Workshops include but not limited to; Goal Setting, College Selection/Admission, Financial Aid, Test Taking, Financial Literacy.
College Visits: Students gain opportunities to learn about different colleges and their characteristics, such as; Program of Study, Tuition/Fees, Private vs. Public, Class Size, Financial Aid, Availability, Graduation Rate, Reputation, Housing, Campus Setting. Students receive information sessions, campus tours, Q & A with college students/professors, and participate in events.
Activities: Provide students the opportunity to build social skills and experience different cultures. Activities include: museums, recreational, theater/plays, sporting events, and career explorations.
Community Services Projects: Projects benefit the community and gives the students a sense of pride and accomplishment.
Counseling: Provide one-on- one assistance to students/parents on college and financial aid applications, SAT/ACT Fee Waivers, access to valuable resources.
Legislative Day: Students meet with legislators to learn and ask questions about their role in government and talk about issues they feel are important in our community.
College Night: Sponsored event for all High School students that offers students the chance to visit with college representatives and hear speakers who discuss the importance of college, financial aid, and Scholarship scams. Pizza/drink provided and chances to win one of three $ 500 scholarships given away.
Scholarships: Assistance for finding and applying for scholarships is available.
Campus Visits
The program shows the students the differences between college by taking them on campus visits to large vs small, public vs. private, cost, location, and so much more. Here are some of the different colleges we have visited over the years:
- Bluefield College
- Valley College
- National Business College
- Virginia Tech
- SWCC
- Radford University
- UVA of Wise
- Appalachian School of Law
- Pikeville University
- Emory & Henry College
- VHCC-Abingdon
- East TN State University
- Sweet Briar College
- Hampton & Sydney College
- Washington & Lee University
- Appalachian School of Pharmacy
- Virginia Military Institute
- University of Richmond
- Marshall University
Each student is to attend and participate in a workshop and field trip once a month.