Freedom and Woodbridge High Schools Selected to Participate in National Math & Science Initiative

• This release comes from Prince William County Schools. 

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden have launched an initiative called “Joining Forces” to support Armed Services members and their families. This new effort includes a partnership to expand the existing National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). As part of this expansion, Freedom and Schools in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) have been selected to participate in NMSI. NMSI in Virginia is coordinated and run through the nonprofit agency Virginia Advanced Study Strategies. PWCS administration and teachers have worked with Virginia Advanced Study Strategies (VASS) to take advantage of the NMSI program.

NMSI was created in 2007 to support the American public school system and is funded by foundation support from the ExxonMobil Corporation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation. NMSI supports increasing the number of students mastering college-level advanced placement courses by replicating the Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program in high schools across the country. NMSI launched its “Initiative for Military Families” (IMF) in four high schools during the 2010–11 school year with the mission to “provide consistent, high-level math and science education in high schools serving military bases in the United States.” Both initiatives strive to increase the number of students taking advanced placement courses. IMF endeavors to provide continuity in coursework when military families are transferred. IMF will expand to 28 public high schools around the country that serve a large number of military families, including Freedom and Woodbridge High Schools in Prince William County.  

Virginia Advanced Study Strategies (VASS) is a non-profit state organization created September 2007, by a partnership between Virginia and the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). The mission of VASS is to encourage high school students throughout the Commonwealth to prepare for exciting careers in math and science by enrolling in challenging Advanced Placement classes.  Using seed money from NMSI and several Virginia businesses, Virginia Advanced Study Strategies supports the development of new AP classes, and strengthening of existing programs.... in math, science, and English.  http://www.virginiaadvancedstudystrategies.org/