Christopher Newport, Hampton City Schools launch "Hampton Captains" partnership to expand student pathways

Christopher Newport University and Hampton City Schools detailed a new education partnership called the Hampton Captains program during the Hampton City Council work session.

President William G. Kelly, president of Christopher Newport University, told the council the university’s new five‑year “strategic compass” supports expanded community engagement and workforce pipelines. “We saw a 50% increase in the number of Hampton City High School seniors that graduated and came to CNU last year,” Kelly said, noting that CNU is also preparing to open an 83,000‑square‑foot science and engineering research center that includes a two‑story drone lab.

Shamika Pollard, chief of secondary education for Hampton City Schools, said the school division uses a six‑level partnership engagement framework and that CNU is a “fully immersed partner.” Pollard said the partnership will support student leadership, postsecondary readiness and educational equity. “This is a transformational relationship,” she said.

Brandon Jones, senior director of school partnerships at CNU, described three components of the collaboration: an annual BizTalk event for sophomores in the public service pathway, a reimagined ambassador program (the Hampton Captains) to develop student leadership and voice, and a longer‑term K–16 task force to strengthen the cradle‑to‑career pipeline. Jones said the initiative began with a pilot and that the first program day drew lead ambassadors and younger “buddy” students from multiple schools.

Council members asked about financial aid, transfer of dual‑enrollment credits and program scale. Vice Mayor Brown asked whether participation in Hampton Captains would generate scholarship opportunities. University and school officials said scholarship funding is not yet fully secured but pointed to existing funds — including a grant referenced in the presentation — and said the university’s stated goal is to remove financial barriers for students who choose to attend CNU. “If they want to come to CNU, we try to eliminate anything that would block them from doing so,” Kelly said.

On dual enrollment, presenters said there is not yet a formal CNU articulation agreement for dual‑enrollment students, but credits earned through Virginia Peninsula Community College generally transfer to public institutions in Virginia. Presenters said the partnership will build program elements in response to student and school needs rather than imposing a fixed model.

Officials offered early participation figures: Jones and Pollard said the first program day included about 50 lead ambassadors and additional younger students (five per school as “buddies”), totaling roughly 70 students on campus for the initial event. Beyond those early numbers, staff said target cohort sizes and scholarship commitments will be developed as the partnership matures.

Mayor George M. Gray thanked the university for opening campus resources to the community and said the city looks forward to seeing more Hampton students on campus.

Officials did not present final scholarship packages or a completed dual‑enrollment articulation agreement during the session; both were described as work in progress.