The Empowerment Collaborative Impact in West Virginia
Students across West Virginia are taking ownership of real-world challenges through projects focused on economic development, tourism, highways and infrastructure, entrepreneurship, ecology, and improving their own schools and communities. Through Empowerment Learning, students are not just learning about these issues—they are actively creating solutions, building leadership skills, and making a lasting impact in their schools, communities, and beyond.
5
Schools
2,759
Students
174
Teachers
West Virginia Empowerment School Spotlights
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Fayetteville PK-8 Students Create Rain & Pollinator Garden to Support Outdoor Learning and Environmental Stewardship
Students at Fayette County Schools’s Fayetteville PK-8 are transforming an unused area of their campus into a meaningful outdoor learning environment through a student-led rain and pollinator garden project. The initiative began with a simple but impactful question posed by students: how could they turn a back section of the school, known as “the ditch,”…
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Midland Trail Middle School students propose overpass project to ease congestion near New River Gorge National Park
Midland Trail Middle School students are taking an active role in shaping the future of transportation and tourism in Southern West Virginia through a proposed overpass project near the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. Students recently presented their proposal to officials from the West Virginia Department of Transportation, including Transportation Secretary Todd Rumbaugh,…
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Oak Hill Middle School Embraces Student-Led Learning Through Empowerment Collaborative
On January 13, 2026, WOAY-TV featured Oak Hill Middle School in a story highlighting the school’s adoption of the Empowerment Collaborative model. The coverage showcased how Oak Hill is shifting toward student-led, project-based learning that gives students greater ownership of their education. Through its partnership with The Empowerment Collaborative, Oak Hill Middle School is creating…
“Our students are excited to be the first to build our Empowerment program at Calhoun County Middle,” said Calhoun County Superintendent Kelli Whytsell. “It gives them true ownership of their learning which is something they may not have experienced in the past. Most importantly, they can apply their learning to these projects as they explore and solve real-world scenarios. That is powerful.”
Kelli Whytsell
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Calhoun County Superintendent
“West Virginia is full of incredibly talented young people,” said Empowerment Collaborative Project Director, Dr. Kathy D’Antoni. “This initiative gives our students the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Kathy D’Antoni
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Empowerment Collaborative Project Director
Fayetteville PK-8 School
Empowerment School
Valley PK-8 School
Empowerment School
Midland Trail High School
Empowerment School
Oak Hill Middle School
Empowerment School
Meadow Bridge Regional School
Empowerment School
Pat Gray
West Virginia State Systems Coach
Interested in Becoming Part of the Empowerment Collaborative in West Virginia?
Schools, districts, educators, and community partners interested in learning more about the Empowerment Collaborative in West Virginia are encouraged to connect with our West Virginia State Systems Coach. Whether you are exploring student-led learning for the first time or looking to expand Empowerment initiatives within your school system, we would love to start the conversation.
Interested in learning more or becoming an Empowerment school?
Reach out to Pat Gray to learn more about implementation opportunities, partnerships, and how your school or district can become part of the growing Empowerment Collaborative network in West Virginia.