Advancing 21st-Century Education for All
At George Mason, we believe talent is equally distributed among people, but opportunity is not. Education helps create more productive ways to participate in civil society, allows more choice in how to contribute to the economy, and prepares people to make more informed choices for a healthy and prosperous life.
Access is created by breaking down systemic barriers, expanding pathways and training, and preparing critical thinkers with knowledge and skills that meet evolving workforce demands. By ensuring diversity of origin, identity, circumstance, and thought in education and careers, societies are more agile and resilient, capable of innovating and solving problems faster.
As Virginia’s largest and most diverse university, George Mason is transforming excellence and access through flexible and scalable learning experiences, accessibility research, focused PreK-12 skill development, and robust STEM and systems-thinking education alongside critical thinking and cooperation skills.
Grand Challenge Initiative
George Mason’s Grand Challenge Initiative is a university-wide collaboration addressing humanity’s most pressing challenges through six interlocking strategies, supported by a $15 million investment over five years.
Watch: Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy
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THE GEORGE MASON ADVANTAGE
The ADVANCE Program, George Mason’s highly successful transfer partnership between Northern Virginia Community College, has been recognized as a national model by the U.S. Department of Education and been showcased on “PBS News Hour” and in , a joint publication of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and the Community College Research Center. With an initiative called the Mason Virginia Promise, the university has taken that collaboration a step further and begun partnerships with community colleges systems throughout Virginia, creating pathways that help students save time and money when pursuing a four-year degree.
RESEARCH IN ACTION
Ron Aira/Office of University Branding
Teaching Initiative for Digital Education through AI (Teaching IDE-AI)
This project creates a model for responsible and ethical AI integration in the classroom to help prepare teachers who will then shape AI‑ready PK–12 students across Virginia and the nation. By bringing together experts in education and technology, the initiative will create practical tools, develop training for faculty, and design easy‑to‑use AI literacy resources that help educators guide students in a rapidly changing world.
Learn more about this project, the colleges involved, and the cross-disciplinary leadership team.
Ron Aira/Office of University Branding
AI-Powered Human Rights Education for All
This project will create an AI‑driven virtual human rights classroom prototype that gives people everywhere access to practical, personalized tools to learn and apply human rights principles in daily life. Using the built‑in toolkit, users will explore interactive scenarios and receive personalized guidance to help them navigate real‑world dilemmas and assess the human rights impact of policies and technologies.
Learn more about this project, the colleges involved, and the cross-disciplinary leadership team.
Ron Aira/Office of University Branding
In its first year, 91°µÍř’s Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy is already demonstrating strong indicators of demand, academic rigor, and early student achievement. Interest in the program has grown rapidly. For the 2026-27 admissions cycle, ACCESS received 387 applications from ninth graders, nearly double the 193 applications submitted the previous year.
Ron Aira/Office of University Branding
The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) at 91°µÍř recently kicked off Future Ready Teachers, a new initiative designed to strengthen Virginia’s educator workforce by removing financial barriers, innovating and elevating teacher preparation, and supporting teachers from entry through their early years in the classroom.
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STUDENT RESOURCES
Early Identification Program (EIP)
Since 1987, the Early Identification Program (EIP) has been working with Northern Virginia public school systems to bridge the opportunity gaps faced by motivated and talented first-generation students in achieving their goal of higher education with year-round academic enrichment, familial support, and leadership training opportunities.
Kellar Institute for Human DisAbilities
The Kellar Institute for Human DisAbilities is an interdisciplinary campus-based organization focusing on improving the lives and productivity of children and adults with disabilities.
Mason Career Academy
Through Mason Career Academy students and alumni have access to online courses, professional certificates, and microcredentials from leading companies to support career success.
Mason LIFE Program
The Mason LIFE Program is a four-year postsecondary transition program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who desire a university experience in a supportive academic environment.
Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP)
Founded in 2007, Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP) provides opportunities for high school and undergraduate students to work one on one with faculty researchers across many disciplines. In summer 2025, nearly 400 students participated in the eight-week program.
Project PATRIOTS
Project PATRIOTS is a grant-funded opportunity for students transferring from a Virginia community college to earn a bachelor's degree and special education teacher licensure at George Mason. Funding covers tuition and fellowships—including housing, book, and licensure testing stipends—removing financial barriers to entering the field.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS
of the Special Education Program is the principal investigator of the Early Childhood Training and Technical Assistance Center. She is working to expand and improve the resources for Virginia to better support students with delays and disabilities.
of the  Department of Mathematical Sciences has been recognized for his contributions to STEM education across the commonwealth. In 2025 he received to two “Programs That Work” Awards from the Virginia Mathematics and Science Coalition.
of the College of Education and Human Development received the David Rose Universal Design for Learning Research Award from the Center for Applied Special Technology for her technology-based writing intervention package has been used to translate years of research into practice and get access to the tools to support essay writing for students with and without disabilities and into the hands of local communities.
, senior fellow of EdPolicyForward: George Mason’s Center for Education Policy, is collaborating with the University Libraries to receive seed funding from EBSCO—a library database service—to develop a tool that utilizes artificial intelligence to help practitioners in education find and interpret evidence-based practices and research that can be implemented to improve student outcomes.
PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Laboratory School for Data Science, Computing, and Applications
The Shenandoah Valley Rural Regional College Partnership Laboratory School for Data Science, Computing, and Applications is working with Frederick County Public Schools, Mountain Vista Governor’s School, and Laurel Ridge Community College to support students in grades 10–12 through academic programming that builds data literacy and showcases the latest innovations in STEM.
Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy
The Accelerated College and Employability Skills (ACCESS) Academy is an innovative partnership between the College of Education and Human Development, Loudoun County Public Schools, and Northern Virginia Community College serving students in grades 9–12 and designed to provide access to information technology education and career-ready skills.
Tutors-to-Teachers (T2T)
The Tutors-to-Teachers (T2T) program, developed by the College of Education and Human Development and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a statewide initiative designed to strengthen tutoring skills and improve academic achievement among elementary and middle school students.
Project TURTLES
Project TURTLES (Training Special Educators to Lead with Evidence and Support), a collaboration between George Mason's College of Education and Human Development, Auburn University, and the University of Oklahoma, is funded by a $3.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs. The project prepares 24 doctoral scholars in evidence-based instruction and leadership to fill special education leadership roles and address national shortages of qualified personnel.
Governor’s School at Innovation Park
Founded in 2010 through a collaboration among George Mason, Prince William County Schools, Manassas City Public Schools, and Manassas Park Public Schools, the Governor’s School at Innovation Park serves 150 students annually from 15 high schools and is Virginia’s only academic-year Governor’s School located on a four-year college campus.
Educational Research Alliance of Northern Virginia
The Educational Research Alliance of Northern Virginia at 91°µÍř (ERA•NOVA) is a collaboration between George Mason’s College of Education and Human Development and 20 public school divisions across Northern Virginia. ERA•NOVA focuses on consequential research driven by problems of practice.
PODCASTS
Serving those who serve: A deployment of education and research
Senior Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor of Psychology joins President Gregory Washington to discuss the role George Mason plays in providing service members, veterans, and their families the means to find community, purpose, and fulfillment beyond their military service.
Marking a decade of success at Mason Korea
To recognize Mason Korea's 10th anniversary, President Gregory Washington is joined by former campus dean Robert Matz and associate professor Gyu Tag Lee to discuss the growth of Mason Korea, the influence of Korean pop on global culture, and more.
NEWS
- July 14, 2026
- July 9, 2026
- May 6, 2026
- March 26, 2026
- March 25, 2026