West Virginia

WVU Today | Teachers from across US invited to teach, live and play in West Virginia

Published

2 years ago

March 13, 2024

WVU Today | Teachers from across US invited to teach, live and play in West Virginia

A new recruitment program — Teachers Ascend into West Virginia — is designed to attract teachers from across the country to teach, live and play in the Mountain State by offering a host of benefits including a stipend and access to free recreational equipment.
(WVU Photo)

Teachers Ascend into West Virginia, a first-of-its-kind national program based at West Virginia University and designed to attract teachers to the Mountain State, is now accepting applications. WVU, the West Virginia Public Education Collaborative and the West Virginia Department of Education invite new and seasoned K-12 educators with a spirit of adventure to apply.

Inspired and modeled by the success of Ascend West Virginia and other nationwide rural teacher corps initiatives, this two-year relocation program calls on teachers from across the country to move to West Virginia, teach in select K-12 schools, and find a meaningful work-life balance through shared community and outdoor adventure.

WVU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed said the collaborative effort aims to address West Virginia’s teacher shortage while building on other successful initiatives across the region.

“Teachers Ascend capitalizes on West Virginia’s prime assets of friendly people, beautiful nature and a low cost of living to attract high-quality, passionate teachers to our area,” Reed said. “We hope to leverage the ongoing success of the Ascend West Virginia program to help fill vacant positions in our K-12 classrooms — now and into the future.”

Qualifying candidates must complete a college degree by summer 2024, be hired by select West Virginia county school systems, hold the required teaching certifications prior to the 2024-25 school year, and be willing to relocate and live in West Virginia.

Teachers Ascend is much more than a recruitment and retention program, according to Donna Hoylman Peduto, WVPEC executive director.

“The program leans into teachers’ professional interests, ideal work environment and quality-of-life aspirations,” Peduto said. “We’re excited to offer a host of benefits to help welcome cohort members in and out of the classroom.”

Those who qualify for the program will receive a $6,000 stipend and can obtain up to $4,050 in tuition assistance for continued educational opportunities through the WVU College of Applied Human Sciences.

Cohort members will also have access to success coaches, mentors, professional development support and a concierge service for additional summer employment opportunities. The Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative will also offer free outdoor recreational equipment, co-working space, and regular social, outdoor and community building activities.

State Superintendent Michele Blatt welcomes Teachers Ascend as one of many ways the Department of Education is working to fill vacant teaching positions in West Virginia schools.

“Teachers Ascend is complementary to our multi-pronged teacher recruitment and retainment efforts,” Blatt said. “We will continue to foster innovative programs to help elevate the teaching profession in West Virginia and build a sustainable teacher pipeline centered on placing high-quality teachers in our classrooms to educate our students.”

Ascend West Virginia inaugural cohort member Heather Mae Pusztai said she is thrilled the Ascend model is expanding to teachers.

“Moving to Morgantown as part of Ascend’s first cohort has been the experience of a lifetime,” Pusztai said. “To land in a new place and be immediately welcomed into a community of kind, welcoming, and adventurous new friends has made this city feel like home from day one, not only for me, but my whole family. As a parent of three school-age kids, I’m so excited to welcome the first cohort of Teacher Ascenders to the greater Morgantown area.”

Selected candidates will teach in Monongalia or Preston County schools as part of the inaugural cohort.

Teachers Ascend into West Virginia is funded by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation and Remake Learning. Funding is administered through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and oversees private donations on behalf of the University.

Find more information about Teachers Ascend into West Virginia.

-WVU-

kf/3/13/24

MEDIA CONTACT: Katie Farmer
Communications Director and Marketing Strategist
WVU Office of the Provost
315-256-8509; Katie.Farmer@mail.wvu.edu

Call 1-855-WVU-NEWS for the latest West Virginia University news and information from WVUToday.

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West Virginia

The Moving Wall returns to West Virginia with stop in St. Albans this week – WV MetroNews

Published

5 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

The Moving Wall returns to West Virginia with stop in St. Albans this week – WV MetroNews

ST. ALBANS, W.Va – Kanawha Valley residents and visitors from around the state get the chance to pay their respects to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War when The Moving Wall arrives in St. Albans this week.

The Moving Wall is a half-size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial located in Washington, DC, and it has been touring the United States for over 40 years to give Americans that may not be able to visit the memorial a chance to recognize those who lost their lives.

“The Moving Wall was put together in 1984 for the purpose of providing a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It’s about 250 feet long, about ten foot at the high point, and then slopesx down along both wings of the wall,” VFW Post 6418 Commander Jerry Mollohan said Tuesday on 580 Live with Dave Allen.

VFW Post 6418 is hosting The Moving Wall in St. Albans with public viewing beginning at noon on Thursday and continuing through Sunday. A ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, at the wall’s location at 1481 MacCorkle Avenue.

“It’s coming to us from a VFW post in North Carolina, and they’ll be in town tomorrow night, and they’ll bring the wall to the St. Albans Shopping Center,” Mollohan said.

West Virginia suffered the highest casualty rate per capita of any state during the Vietnam War and was among the states with the highest rate of volunteers for service. Mollohan said this is a chance for people with ties to those that served to reconnect with their history.

“There’s 388 West Virginians on the wall, and, of course, there’s over 58,000 total names on the wall. There’s just a lot of family and friends that are connected to those servicepeople that are on the wall,” he said.

Mollohan takes pride in VFW Post 6418 bringing The Moving Wall to West Virginia for the first time in recent memory. He wants residents to come out and learn more about the lives lost in service of the United States.

“The sacrifices that the country has made in all wars is high priority for our obligation to recognize the price of freedom,” he said.

VFW Post 6418 has more information about The Moving Wall at vfw6418.org.

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West Virginia

6-year-old boy dies in motocross crash in West Virginia, officials say

Published

16 hours ago

June 23, 2026

Press Room

6-year-old boy dies in motocross crash in West Virginia, officials say

June 22, 2026 / 8:24 PM EDT
/ CBS Pittsburgh

A 6-year-old boy died in a motocross crash in West Virginia over the weekend, officials say.

The boy died during practice runs at Mason Motocross in Mason County on Sunday morning, CBS affiliate WOWK reported. The crash happened around 11:30 a.m. at the track in Point Pleasant.

Officials reportedly said a medical helicopter was called to the scene of the crash, but the child was not stable enough to be flown to the hospital, so instead he was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The boy later died from his injuries at the hospital. He has not been identified as of Monday night.

The Mason Motocross races on Sunday were canceled after the crash, WOWK reported. They were scheduled to start at noon. According to a Facebook post from Mason Motocross, practice runs began around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.

In a separate Facebook post on Monday, Mason Motocross asked for prayers for the boy’s family.

“Let’s lift them up in prayer during this unimaginable time,” the social media post said. “Our community. Our support. Our prayers.”

No other information about the crash was released on Monday.

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West Virginia

Over 26,000 West Virginia students have applied for full Hope Scholarship funding – WV MetroNews

Published

1 day ago

June 22, 2026

Press Room

Over 26,000 West Virginia students have applied for full Hope Scholarship funding – WV MetroNews

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 26,000 West Virginia students submitted applications for full Hope Scholarship funding for the next school year.

State Treasurer Larry Pack and his office announced the latest application numbers in a release Monday. Pack’s office said 26,617 students applied during the first application period from March 2 to June 15. The estimated cost for Hope Scholarship funding, as it currently stands, is $155 million.

The first window for students to apply for 100-percent funding closed last Monday. The state treasurer’s office said the cost for this year will rise as students submit applications. Students can apply for 75 percent of the full funding amount until September 15.

The release said around $277 million was allocated by the West Virginia Legislature and Gov. Patrick Morrisey for Hope Scholarship funding during the 2026 Legislative Session.

Larry Pack

“We are so excited to welcome thousands of new families into the Hope Scholarship Program. Seeing the Education Savings Account nearly double in participation is a true indicator of the impact and popularity of the program,” Pack said. “Now our team turns their attention to helping these students get the resources they need to tailor their education towards their unique needs. Our goal is for West Virginia will continue to lead the nation in education innovation as we continue to build the program.”

The state treasurer’s office said the 2026-27 full scholarship amount is $5,435.62 per student, with those funds distributed quarterly.

More students are eligible for Hope Scholarship funding this year with more flexibility offered for school choice. The state treasurer’s office said that private school and traditional homeschool students can apply to the Education Savings Account program for 2026-27 academic funding.

The state treasurer’s office broke down each applicant’s eligibility for funding based on when applications are submitted.

June 16 — September 15, 2026: 75% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
September 16 — November 30, 2026: 50% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.
December 1, 2026 — February 28, 2027: 25% of Hope Scholarship annual award amount.

Students can apply online here.

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