Prince Edward County Recognized for Innovative Student Partnership
Published on August 13, 2025
Prince Edward County Recognized for Innovative Student Partnership
County Receives Third Consecutive VACo Achievement Award
FARMVILLE, VA (August 13, 2025) – Prince Edward County has been awarded a 2025 Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Achievement Award for its groundbreaking partnership with Longwood University’s Civitae Student Symposium. The County engaged hundreds of students in shaping the newly adopted Comprehensive Plan, PEC 2045: Forward Together.
The annual VACo Achievement Awards honor programs that improve governance and community service. This year, VACo received 155 nominations and recognized 57 winners statewide. “Every year we seem to receive a record number of submissions,” said VACo Executive Director Dean Lynch. “These awards reflect the innovative work counties are doing to serve their communities well.”
“Prince Edward County is honored to have our partnership with Longwood University and its Civitae Student Symposium recognized by VACo,” said Douglas P. Stanley, County Administrator. “This initiative exemplifies the power of collaboration to solve real-world challenges. I am proud of our staff, grateful to Longwood’s students and faculty, and excited about the role this relationship can continue to play in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for our community.”
The collaboration was not just an academic exercise; it was real-world problem solving. The students brought insight, energy, and creative solutions to one of the county’s most pressing challenges: how to make the Prince Edward-Farmville community a place where young people want to stay, work, and raise families.
For one day during each of the last three academic semesters, Longwood University seniors worked in teams to identify strategies for attracting and retaining young professionals and families, a critical goal for reversing the County’s projected population decline. Students presented their findings during the Civitae Symposium, providing targeted, youth-driven recommendations on workforce development, housing, broadband, and quality-of-life improvements. County officials and its consultant, Berkely Group, then incorporated many of the students’ recommendations into the 2025 Comprehensive Plan.
Longwood University praised the partnership as a win for both civic learning and community development. “Longwood students rose to the challenge when offered an opportunity to contribute to a community issue by working with local civic officials,” said Symposium Coordinator and Professor Adam Paulek. “We were happy to work with Prince Edward County Administrator, Doug Stanley, and his office. Our general education program, Civitae, is designed to build citizen leaders over four years, so this type of experiential learning was a great fit.”
“This partnership and award recognize the value of listening to every voice in our community, including those just beginning their careers and adult lives,” said Robert Love, Director of Planning and Community Development. “By inviting students to help shape our long-term vision, we’ve tapped into fresh ideas that will strengthen Prince Edward County for generations.”
For more information about Prince Edward County’s Comprehensive Plan, PEC 2045: Forward Together, click here. For more information about the Virginia Association of County’s Achievement Award program and award recipients, click here.
Longwood University senior students worked in teams to discuss and develop strategies for solving a persistent civic challenge -- how to effectively attract and retain young professionals and families to reverse a forecasted decline in population in Prince Edward County.
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County Administrator, Doug Stanley, addresses Longwood University’s Civitae Student Symposium — a capstone experience of the University’s four-year curriculum designed to cultivate citizen leadership.
Director of Planning & Community Development, Robert Love, engages a group of Longwood students on the development of targeted, youth-driven recommendations in areas such as workforce development, housing, broadband access, and quality-of-life improvements. The County incorporated many of the students’ recommendations into the 2025 Comprehensive Plan: PEC 2045: Forward Together.
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About Prince Edward County:
In 1754, Prince Edward County was founded in southern Virginia. Today, it stands as the crossroads of the closing days of the American Civil War and the birthplace of America’s fight for civil rights in education. Home to 22,000 citizens, the County offers a rural, progressive lifestyle, two institutions of higher education, a vibrant arts and cultural community, a flourishing downtown shopping district, and a rich abundance of college athletics and outdoor recreational offerings. Find out more: visit the Prince Edward County website or follow Prince Edward County on Facebook @PrinceEdwardCo and on YouTube.