Young Scholars Program - Grades K to 5

What is the Young Scholars Program?

The Young Scholars (YS) program is an academic program that embraces research-based practices for identifying and nurturing academic potential in students who have been historically underrepresented for gifted services and advanced programming. The program was originally designed and implemented in Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools’ (FCPS) in 2002. Young Scholars is one of eight nationally-recognized programs which demonstrate clear evidence of successfully supporting diverse high-ability learners.

Students are considered for the Young Scholars program based on their need for:

• Access to resources and experiences that nurture their high potential
• Affirmation of their potential to develop their self-confidence and academic propensity
• Advocacy to ensure that their potential is recognized and further developed

Additionally, the Young Scholars program targets students in specific population groups due to their historic under-representation in High Potential (HP) services, Gifted & Talented (GT) services and advanced course programming.