Commonwealth Scholars Initiative

UPDATE 8/13/09: VCEF was honored to help launch Commonwealth Scholars and manage the program during the initial grant phase. Since expiration of the grant, the program coordination was transferred to the Virginia Community College System. Questions concerning Commonwealth Scholars should be directed to:

Elizabeth Creamer, Director
Postsecondary Perkins- Tech Prep
Virginia’s Community Colleges
101 N. 14th Street, 15th Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
Phone: 804-819-4691
ecreamer [at] vccs [dot] edu

Commonwealth Scholars: “A scholar today . . . A success tomorrow”

Commonwealth Scholars is a project of the Virginia Career Education Foundation (VCEF), a statewide business-education partnership, and the Office of Vocational and Adult Education of the US Department of Education. Commonwealth Scholars is currently funded with a $300,000 SSI grant administered by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE), based in Boulder, CO. For more information, visit www.wiche.edu/statescholars.

The Virginia Career Education Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 2002. Through public-private partnerships, the Foundation supports initiatives that promote greater awareness of career and technical education programs, related employment opportunities, and of the many positive benefits of these career choices.

Contact Betsy McClearn to find out how your school can participate in the Commonwealth Scholar program.

Congratulations to the latest sites for 2008:

Sites in 2007:

  • Buchanan County Schools
  • Dickenson County Schools
  • Pittsylvania County Schools (see video clip of launch 9/14/07)

Sites in 2006:

The following 11 School Divisions were the first to participate in this initiative to raise rigor in high school course selection:

More information

Download SSI Logo

Scholars News

Governor Kaine launches the Commonwealth Scholars Program (September 28, 2006 – Richmond, VA)