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VCU, CodeRVA Regional High celebrate Virginia’s first lab school

Rebecca Barnabi
school classroom teacher
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Nearly 100 high school students will celebrate the new VCU x CodeRVA Lab School at a kickoff event on Wednesday, January 17, at VCU.

The Lab School is a joint project of the School of Education’s RTR Teacher Residency program at VCU and CodeRVA Regional High School.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin will attend and deliver remarks. Speakers will also include VCU President Dr. Michael Rao and a current VCU x CodeRVA Lab School student.

The Lab School will provide an innovative computer science-focused comprehensive high school education to a diverse student body at CodeRVA, serve as a training site for teacher residents and offer professional learning opportunities for educators across the state.

The Virginia Board of Education unanimously approved VCU x CodeRVA as Virginia’s first lab school in July 2023 as part of a model in which universities and school divisions collaborate to establish public lab schools that stimulate innovative programs in K-12 education; provide opportunities for innovation in instruction and assessment; provide teachers with an avenue for delivering innovative instruction and school scheduling, management and structure; and other objectives.

In November two more lab schools were announced at Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy and the University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation.

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca Barnabi

Rebecca J. Barnabi is the national editor of Augusta Free Press. A graduate of the University of Mary Washington, she began her journalism career at The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star. In 2013, she was awarded first place for feature writing in the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia Awards Program, and was honored by the Virginia School Boards Association’s 2019 Media Honor Roll Program for her coverage of Waynesboro Schools. Her background in newspapers includes writing about features, local government, education and the arts.