In August 2012, newly-named D.C. Virgo Preparatory Academy re-opened its doors to more than 100 sixth graders who spent the school year working with UNC Wilmington volunteers and broadening their previously limited classroom experience. 

 

New Hanover County Board of Education closed D.C. Virgo Middle School in June 2011 due to budget cuts and the students’ poor performance on end of grade tests. During the 2011-2012 school year, the 190 students who once attended the school were bussed to Holly Shelter Middle School.

 

After re-opening, Principal Eric Irizarry and a dedicated team of faculty and volunteers transformed the empty building into an engaging educational environment.

 

Though many of the classrooms at Virgo were empty on the first day of school, each student was issued an iPad. For three weeks, Cameron Bolish, Virgo’s enrichment coordinator, used iPad apps, like GarageBand, to teach his band students until the program obtained band instruments.

 

Bob Moulton, the CEO of National Pawn, donated more than 100 band instruments to Virgo.

 

“His mission in life is to put a better spin on the pawn industry, to make it seem less grimy,” Bolish said.

 

UNCW junior, Caro Pelhan, began volunteering at Virgo in March 2012, after Virgo’s principal contacted the university’s education department.

 

Pelhan helps with the school’s enrichment programs. “It’s an opportunity for the community to teach students.  It’s more art and living skills,” she said. 

 

For three hours every afternoon, Virgo students can take courses, such as African dance, golf, and guitar. Many of the volunteer instructors are students at UNCW and Cape Fear Community College.

 

Although UNCW and CFCC students have put a large chunk of time into working with the students at Virgo, there are still a majority sixth-graders-rising seventh graders-that are reading at a second or third grade level, according to Bolish. 

 

Virgo will increase the number of students within its walls for the 2013-2014 school year, when the current sixth graders graduate to seventh grade and a new class of sixth graders enroll.  Virgo is looking for more community volunteers to mentor and tutor students outside the classroom and answer that influx of students. 

 

Though Virgo has received many donations from the community, the school also needs more benefactors. Ninety-five percent of Virgo’s students live at or below the poverty line.

 

“The school is located in an area that doesn’t have a lot of resources,” Bolish said. “We are under-resourced, under-funded.”