Middle School Champion

What does it take to be a Middle School Champion? 

College for West Virginia (CFWV) coordinates three annual college-planning milestones to help students in West Virginia plan their pathway to education or training beyond high school.

Middle schools that successfully participate in all these pathway events will be recognized as a CFWV Champion of College Access and Success.

The path to glory 

To be recognized, elementary schools must do the following: 

College Application and Exploration Week

College Application and Exploration Week allows the entire school community to discuss college options and promote college-going. Students attending all grades, from pre-K to adult education centers, participate in this initiative to learn about colleges and careers. Hundreds of schools statewide participate each year. This campaign typically occurs in early fall.  

Register for and participate in College Application and Exploration Week 

Registration Deadline: October 24, 2025

Complete the College Application and Exploration Week post-event survey deadline: January 16, 2026

Career and College Culture AWARENESS Project

Step 1: Create a team of 4-6 member team made up of faculty and staff.

Step 2. Your team will complete the College Going Culture Survey section on Career/College Culture AWARENESS, as this year’s focus is on this area.

Step 3: Understanding AWARENESS

Building awareness for our cause is the first step toward driving cultural change on any issue. Think of the awareness stage as your opportunity to build the foundational understanding needed to engage your community.  This is where you capture the attention and interest of the school community. In this instance, you will build college awareness or why college is essential for success.

Step 4: The Action Plan.

CFWV will provide schools with the following materials this fall after they register and complete the College Culture Survey:

College posters, college knowledge fact sheets, social media grabs, and the bulletin board materials are used to create their College Culture AWARENESS Projects. Even though all schools will receive the same materials for their bulletin boards, we encourage schools to put their spin on their projects and utilize them throughout the school year.  Additional ways that you can incorporate your AWARENESS projects is to:

Create a college knowledge wall.      

Utilize the fact sheets in newsletters, announcements, and socials.

Create family college newsletters     

Hang college pennants/posters in classrooms/hallways, commons.

Participate in College Colors Day and #WhyApplyDay!

Create a college A-Z bulletin board.

Put up a state map and label the 2- and 4-year institutions. 

Send college or financial savings fact with each mailing home.

Set all computer lab homepages to CFWV.com.

Classroom door decorating.

Important Dates:

Team Identified: October 3, 2025
School Culture Assessment Completed: October 17, 2025
Culture Project Started: October 24, 2025
Culture Project Final Project Report Submitted: April 24, 2026

Campus Visit – Virtual or in person

Registration: October 24, 2025

Campus visits allow middle school students to see college as something real and achievable. It helps them connect their current efforts in school to future goals, builds excitement about new opportunities, and shows that college isn’t just for “other people”—it’s for them, too. It’s an early step that can lead to big dreams. Plan a visit to a two- or four- year higher education institution or visit your county career tech center to learn more about postsecondary education opportunities.

Event Date Deadline: Fall of 2025 or Spring of 2026