Academy of Technology and Innovation at UMW Opens Applications for Ninth-Grade Class

With the vote yesterday by the Virginia Department of Education, the Academy of Technology and Innovation at the University of Mary Washington (ATI-UMW) has been approved to open in fall 2024.

The regional high school and lab school could serve students from Stafford, King George and Caroline counties as well as Fredericksburg City Schools and potentially more areas. It pools the expertise of local school districts with the University of Mary Washington’s College of Education, creating a one-of-a-kind public high school focused on computer and data science, teaching excellence and career readiness.

“It’s exciting to be at the point where the school has been approved and is recruiting students. It’s a testament to the commitment and hard work of the many individuals across the region who have come together to create the vision for ATI-UMW, and we’re happy to be collaborating with them on this and so many other opportunities to improve K-12 education in the Fredericksburg region,” said UMW Provost Tim O’Donnell.

When the school opens in fall 2024, it will enroll up to 100 ninth-graders from the partner school districts. Students will be selected via a lottery in January. Applications opened Nov. 15 and close in early January. Current eighth-graders who are interested in computer science, data science, cybersecurity, digital design and related fields are encouraged to apply. No prior experience or courses are necessary.

Students and families are invited to an Open House at ATI-UMW on the Stafford Campus of the University of Mary Washington on Tuesday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m., to learn more. Families can also sign up for more information at atiumw.org.

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The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of about 4,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Virginia, which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.