Mary Baldwin is the only university in the country with a full-time residential program for gifted females as young as rising ninth-graders. Begun in 1985, the Program for the Exceptionally Gifted draws students from all over the country to Mary Baldwin’s landmark campus on a hill overlooking historic Staunton, the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Founded in 1842, Mary Baldwin, a private, independent master’s level university, stresses learning and leadership, features small classes and caring instructors and mentors, and is ranked among the best in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Its residential undergraduate student body of about 900 is exclusively women. 

The PEG Center in the heart of campus is a state-of-the-art home for the nationally acclaimed program, containing residences for students and staff, gathering areas, and a host of amenities. PEG students win prestigious scholarships, earn degrees with highest honors, and go on to prominent graduate schools and challenging careers. Thanks to feedback from students and parents and the ongoing scrutiny of scholars, PEG is continually refined and enriched. Recent books on education for the gifted have cited PEG as exemplary. Along with classes to help them make the transition to college work, PEG students take the same courses and pursue the same majors (more than 30) and degrees (bachelor of arts or science) as other students. They captain sports teams, take part in all activities, and are elected leaders of student government. PEG students are a source of pride for everyone at Mary Baldwin, including professors, though to a casual observer they are usually indistinguishable from other students.

Founded in 1728, Norfolk Academy is an independent, non-sectarian, coeducational day school enrolling approximately 1,200 students in grades 1-12. Located in southeastern Virginia, the school enjoys a public and inclusive mission attracting students from diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds. Students travel to school from all seven cities in the region, Virginia’s Eastern Shore, and northeastern North Carolina.

THE MISSION

Norfolk Academy prepares young men and women for lives of integrity, learning, service, leadership, and consequence.

THE HONOR SYSTEM

Norfolk Academy’s longest-standing and most cherished tradition is its Honor System. Each member of the community commits to behaving honorably in all school activities and programs. It is in this community of trust that the Honor System helps students strengthen and advance their ethical development and their capacity to make sound, moral, and mature decisions about matters of right and wrong.

SIGNATURE PROGRAMS

THE BATTEN LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

A three-year, selective, co-curricular, experiential, academic leadership program with five tracks, the program prepares Fellows to lead lives marked by principled civic action by instilling a responsibility for understanding the systemic challenges facing the global community and supporting the creation of actionable solutions to those challenges.

Chesapeake Bay Fellows • Engineering, Design, and Innovation Fellows •Global Affairs Fellows • Global Health Fellows • Literacy Fellows

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

Students have many opportunities to enrich their understanding of the world’s diverse peoples, cultures, and languages through Norfolk Academy’s International Programs and partnerships with the following institutions/organizations:

Ancient World Odyssey in Italy • Arabic Year at King’s Academy in Jordan •World Leading Schools Association in China • ImprintED Abroad in Morocco •Copernicus Gymnasium in Germany • Rochester School in Colombia • St. Dominique in France •St. George’s School in Argentina • School Year Abroad in France, Italy, Spain •STEAM Program in England • Where There Be Dragons in Bolivia

LEADERSHIP LAB

This foundational program, mandatory for 9th graders and voluntary for students in grades 10-12, fosters courage and confidence in students using academic and experiential laboratories. Labs are designed to nurture self-awareness, love and empathy for others, and tolerance for failure, all for the purpose of helping students grow into exceptional citizens and leaders.

9th Grade: Know Thyself • 10th Grade: Leading Others • 11th Grade: Building a Network •12th Grade: Capstone Project

MAYMESTER

Each May, sophomores and juniors embark on experiential learning opportunities locally and abroad.  Maymester includes international programs, cross-curricular courses designed by Upper School faculty, and professional internships through Norfolk Academy’s Alumni Career Connection. These offerings have substantive academic content, provide immersive learning experiences, and afford time for reflection and growth. Maymester is designed to prepare students to be engaged global citizens.

Some featured cross-curricular courses include:

Advanced Leadership Lab • Along the Border • Exploring Health Inequities in West Virginia •Food Security and Food Justice • Forensics: A Lens on Criminal Justice • Go Big or Go Home •Hiking the Appalachian Trail • Lake Superior: The Spirit of Gitchigumi • NArt History Museum •Negotiation Boot Camp • Podcast Creation: Narrating Hampton Roads

Some featured internship partners include:

Colliers • Eastern Eye Associates • Ghent Chiropractic • WHRO

MEDICAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM

Norfolk Academy partners with community physicians, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Sentara Healthcare to provide Upper School students with the opportunity to participate in a series of medical education programs and internships in clinical, medical, and hospital settings.

PEER COUNSELING PROGRAM

Peer Counselors serve as mentors, tutors, confidantes, and counselors to students in grades 7-12. They undergo over 12 hours of training in crisis intervention and general person-centered counseling and participate in ongoing training throughout the school year. Counselors work towards a greater understanding of mental health and common mental illnesses, human relationships and sexuality, suicide prevention, substance use and abuse, and other topics of interest and/or concern. They also receive training about referring students to a school counselor and about handling situations independently. Students and faculty offer input into the selection of Peer Counselors, and their selection is a statement of confidence in a student’s maturity and ability to empathize.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

Freshmen and seniors research, compose, and deliver an original persuasive speech to the faculty and student body through a structured program to develop logic, clarity, and confidence in oral expression.

RENAISSANCE READING PROGRAM

Participants in this voluntary program read six faculty-sponsored texts outside of formal course expectations and meet with sponsors for individual discussions. Students completing nine or more texts are recognized as Renaissance Scholars.