Greensville County Public Schools

Under a contractual agreement, the children of Emporia are educated in the county school system. Approximately 2,800 students attend the Greensville County public schools. The system provides a comprehensive educational program for area children from pre-school through grade 12. This program is designed to prepare all students to either continue their education or to enter the workforce. The school system is committed to providing academic excellence and equality in all facets of educational pursuits. Its goals include helping students acquire necessary skills, attitudes, and values while maintaining adequate staffing, facilities, materials and equipment. Elementary instruction emphasizes basic skills, giving children a solid foundation on which to build when entering middle school. At that point, adolescent needs are recognized and incorporated into the total curriculum, which eases the transition into high school. Students leaving the Greensville County Schools have a strong background with which to adequately compete for job and college opportunities. Special programs are offered, providing additional emphasis on reading, writing and arithmetic. Students may participate in a talented and gifted program, vocational classes, or the Southside Regional Governor’s School for Global Economics and Technology. Governor’s school students attend classes at Saint Paul’s College and the Southside Virginia Community College in Alberta. Here they take traditional English and math courses offered in high school, as well as advanced courses with an interdisciplinary focus including Global Economics, International Studies, and Molecular Biology.

Colleges

Higher education opportunities are also available to residents, including SVCC, the Southside Virginia Community College. The two-year school offers academic, technical vocational and continuing adult education. A member of the Virginia Community College system, SVCC has an Emporia branch called the "Campus without Walls" and was dedicated as the Robert C. Wrenn Campus in June, 1993. Here, four-year degrees are also offered in various fields in conjunction with Mary Baldwin College; post-graduate doctorate degrees are offered in conjunction with Virginia Tech.

Saint Paul’s College is a four-year private college located in the Town of Lawrenceville, 18 miles west of Emporia. The liberal arts school offers academic programs in business administration, education, humanities, mathematics, and natural sciences.

Virginia State University is located in Chesterfield County, approximately 40 miles north of Emporia. Students can acquire two- and four-year degrees, as well as post-graduate degrees from seven schools: Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Business, Graduate Studies and Continuing Education.

Richard Bland College, of the College and William and Mary, is located in Petersburg approximately 30 miles north of Emporia. It is a two-year school which offers associate degrees and transfer credits in Liberal Arts, Science and Business. In addition to those schools conveniently located nearby, there are a number of other fine colleges and universities in Virginia from which to choose. The Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond are all located in Richmond, just 65 miles away. Further away are Old Dominion University in Norfolk, the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.

Library

The William E. Richardson, Jr. Memorial library has over 50,000 books, videos, recorded books, and other materials available for check-out, with access to almost 100,000 other resources in the Meherrin Regional Library System. Equipment available includes photocopier, fax machine, A/V equipment, and computers for word processing and Internet access. (Small fees may apply) Additional services available include VEC job listings, notary public, exhibit space, and outreach programs for daycare centers, adult homes and shut-ins. Library cards are free for anyone who lives, works, or pays taxes in Emporia, Greensville or Brunswick. Parent or legal guardian must provide written permission for children under 16.

Literacy Council

Emporia-Greensville is a good place to live and work. However, some adults today are not able to read and/or write, well enough to cope with modern society. That is why the Emporia / Greensville Literacy Council was formed. Volunteers tutor in reading and studying skills, to help prepare adults for the General Education Diploma exam. Those with a high school diploma or GED are more employable than those without. They are less likely to require public assistance or incarceration at public expense. Do you know anyone who needs help with reading? Would you like to assist those who do? Please call (434) 634-7373 or come to the Richardson Library for more information.