A new two- to three-year program will mentor eighth to 10th graders from Winchester and four nearby counties. Shenandoah University students will be the mentors, and the university will help with college and FAFSA forms.

Shenandoah University and the youth nonprofit Reaching Out Now are starting a college and career program for teenagers in Winchester and the surrounding counties. It is called Shenandoah Leadership Scholars.

The program runs for two to three years. It is aimed at eighth, ninth and 10th graders who are academically promising and meet financial eligibility rules. The university announced the partnership Wednesday in a news release on its website. The two organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding.

Who can take part

The release says the program will draw students from:

  • the city of Winchester
  • Frederick County
  • Clarke County
  • Warren County
  • Rappahannock County

The release does not give a start date, the number of places or how families apply. Reaching Out Now’s existing youth program takes applications through an online leadership student application and asks for a written endorsement from a principal or school counselor. We will update this story when the nonprofit publishes the process for the new program.

What students get

Shenandoah University’s part of the program, according to the release:

  • Near-peer mentors. Shenandoah students will lead monthly group mentoring sessions with each cohort.
  • Quarterly networking breakfasts. These will be held in the university’s Hazel-Pruitt Armory, home of its Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs. Faculty and staff will give 10-minute “flash talks” about their fields.
  • College application help. Admissions and financial aid staff will help graduating seniors with applications and with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Virginia Alternative State Aid application (VASA).

Year-round, the program will also run monthly workshops. The release lists leadership, cybersecurity, AI literacy, financial literacy and public speaking. Internships, hands-on learning and community service projects are also planned.

Who is behind it

Reaching Out Now is a nonprofit that works with young people across the Shenandoah Valley. Its mailing address is in Middletown, about 13 miles south of Winchester, and it runs a student center in Front Royal, according to its website.

The new program builds on the nonprofit’s Youth Empowered for Success (YES) program for middle and high school students. Its sixth annual YES Leadership Conference, themed “Stepping Into Purpose,” was held Oct. 20 in Halpin-Harrison Hall on Shenandoah’s Winchester campus.

The nonprofit’s board chair is Yolanda Barbier Gibson, the university’s vice president for student affairs, enrollment management and athletics.

“Through Shenandoah Leadership Scholars, students can position themselves for success and gain a better understanding of the college experience thanks to on-campus workshops, tours and mentorships with Shenandoah University students who know what it takes to excel in college,” Gibson said in the release.

Samantha Barber, the founder and CEO of Reaching Out Now, said the nonprofit was “deeply grateful and humbled by this partnership.”

“It is a gift to extend our leadership program and walk alongside students as they discover their purpose, shape their goals, and recognize their potential,” Barber said.

What it means for you

  • If you have a student in grades 8 to 10 at a Winchester Public Schools school, or a private or home school in the area, this is a program to watch for. Eligibility is academic and financial; the release does not spell out the income limit or any cost to families.
  • For now, the way in is to contact Reaching Out Now at (540) 692-6691 or info@reachingoutnow.org, the details on its website.
  • For seniors applying to college now, the FAFSA help is part of the program for graduating seniors. Students in the city schools can also ask their school counselor.

Every city school, its zone and its report card is on our Winchester public schools page. Calendars and closings are in our Winchester schools guide.