Blue Ridge Virginia Governor’s School (BRVGS) class of 2028 traveled to Fluvanna County High School for their semester kickoff on January 28, 2025. Project kickoff seminars are held at the beginning of BRVGS projects to educate students on what to expect from their projects through a presentation by the grade-level teachers and a guest speaker.
Barry Penn Hollar, Professor Emeritus of Religion and Philosophy at Shenandoah University, presented “The Ethical Implications of Technology ” to the BRVGS students. The presentation was intended to encourage the students to broaden the points of their projects’ research.
“The presentation talked about good aspects of technology, but also the parts of it that make you wonder if it is really worth using some of that technology,” said BRVGS freshman Maxwell Mackie.
The spring semester project for freshman BRVGS students requires them to analyze the pros and cons of different innovations. Each student is assigned to a group that is given a topic. Each student must individually research and write a 1,000 to 1,500-word essay about the pros and cons of their innovation; past innovations include solar farms, hydraulic fracturing, and AI. Once the essay portion is complete, the groups collaborate to create a presentation on their assigned side of the argument, which they will present on their dedicated presentation day at Zions Crossroads.
“To argue one side, I feel like you should be well educated on both sides so you can know exactly what you are arguing,” said a BRVGS freshman. “If you only know one part of it, or more about one part [pros or cons] than the other, you’re gonna side with that side instead.”
BRVGS aims to prepare students for life beyond high school by providing unique projects and opportunities that challenge them to collaborate with others, including students from other counties, and think critically.
“The Governor’s School projects helped us grow through collaborating with other schools which make it a lot easier to socialize more, communicate better, and improve writing skills,” said BRVGS freshman David Weidow.
