Newport News Public Schools unveils new one-stop scholarship portal for students, families
Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is making it easier for students and families to find money for college and beyond. The new NNPS Scholarship Portal launched in February and lists all scholarship opportunities with its application information in one place.
Unique features about the NNPS Scholarship Portal include:
- Scholarships are listed by application deadline, with the closest deadlines at the top of the page so nothing important gets missed.
- Grade eligibility is clearly labeled within each scholarship.
- Complete application details are included for every opportunity.
- New scholarships are added daily, so students are encouraged to check back often.
MEESA students’ innovation wins Congressman Scott’s App Challenge
NNPS students took home first and third place honors in U.S. Representative Bobby Scott’s 2025 3rd District Congressional App Challenge.
A team from the Maritime Engineering and Environmental Studies Academy, which is a collaborative lab school partnership between Old Dominion University and NNPS that opened in the fall, won the competition with its Library Logistics App. The MEESA team consisted of Malachai Finch, an 11th grader at Menchville High School; Amari Gatling, an 11th grader at An Achievable Dream Middle and High School; Amialyn Lipsey, an 11th grader at Heritage High School; and Dameon Saunders, an 11th grader at Warwick High School.
Owen Balingit, a 12th grader at Menchville High School, received third place for his facial recognition app, VisiTracker.
NNPS students raise more than $21,000 for United Way of the Virginia Peninsula
Representatives from each student body in Newport News Public Schools presented their contributions to the 2026 United Way of the Virginia Peninsula campaign at the United Way Student Celebration in February.
Students raised a total of $21,388.04 through their school-wide fundraising efforts. They described the various sales and activities they created to collect small donations that added up to make a big impact.
“In Newport News Public Schools, we are encouraged to stand together for our community,” said Kyla Leggette, a senior at Menchville High School and the student representative to the School Board. “Through the United Way student campaign, students are living out that pledge by showing kindness, creating positive school culture and giving back to support others.”
