Q.U.E.S.T at John J. Wright Educational and Cultural Center

Program Overview

The Q.U.E.S.T GED program is offered to students age 16 and not yet 19 years old, and to students with an IEP not yet 21 years old who are seeking the G.E.D. Instruction is offered in the following areas: Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. It covers these 4 core areas to demonstrate academic skills equivalent to a high school graduate. Programs offer flexible, in-person and/or online, preparation classes to boost career or college prospects.

The Quest GED program is an innovative, non-traditional, multifaceted, two-pronged program designed to serve non-traditional students seeking the opportunity to complete diploma requirements or the GED. The Quest program has been in the county as part of the Spotsylvania County Public Schools for more than 20 years. We provide instruction and testing to help students earn a high school equivalency credential, designed for those who did not finish high school, and or who need an alternative option. We use a proactive teaching framework that creates flexible learning environments, giving all students equal opportunities to succeed by offering varied ways to access material, engage with content, and demonstrate knowledge. It focuses on removing barriers in the environment, supporting diverse needs like disabilities, language differences, and varied backgrounds, through multiple means of engagement, representation, and action/expression.

Quest program instructors provide whole group, small group and one to one instruction based on students' needs. In each Quest program classroom, we provide blended learning. Blended learning is an educational approach that combines traditional face-to-face classroom instruction with online or digital learning activities. This method, also known as hybrid learning, aims to leverage the benefits of both in-person and digital environments, offering students increased flexibility and personalized learning experiences to meet their individual needs, deficits, and/or learning styles. Our mission is for every student that is admitted into the program meets all of their graduation diploma and/ or GED requirements. We are committed to the success of all students. Our mission is also to build youth character through effective strategies such as active learning, encouraging reflection, and creating opportunities for students to practice core values inside the classroom. We strive to implement a comprehensive approach that integrates character education into the classroom culture. We as teachers also strive to make connections with our students in order to better educate them.

All students must be referred by their guidance counselor, possess a valid government issued ID, take a series of 4 pretests (cost $7.99 each, and total cost $22.99), meet the standards for acceptance into the program, provide their own reliable transportation, take a career assessment course, complete and pass Economics and Personal Finance, and pass the 4 official GED tests ($36.00 each and total costs $144.00)

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

Our program has grown exponentially over the past two years, and has experienced great success. Last year, our program helped a total of 237 students graduate with a high school diploma and earn their GED. So far this year, we have helped a total of 70 students graduate with a high school diploma and earn their GED. Some students who have graduated have enrolled in community college, college, technical/ trade school, and/ or enlisted in the military. Others have obtained certifications to be a firefighter, electricians, welders, training through Job Corps to be a locomotive engineer, and 40-plus hours per week jobs to help support their households. Some of our graduates are also teen parents.