First-Generation Support Working Group (FIRST)

FIRST (First-Generation Support Working Group) is a student organization committed to facilitating community empowerment to promote belonging and success at the University of Virginia’s School of Education & Human Development among students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.

Mission and Vision

• To build community among first-generation students in the School of Education and Human Development
• To create an atmosphere that acknowledges and values the diverse set of identities that first-generation students encompass, including additional marginalized intersecting sociocultural attributes such as race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status
• To uncover and address the institutional norms and deficit perspectives within our school and the University that impede the success of first-generation students
• To foster a campus climate and culture that empowers first-generation students, through a strengths-based approach, to recognize and utilize the cultural capital they already possess from community and life experiences for success in higher education

Upcoming Programs

• EDIS 2895: Creating Your Path in Education and Human Development (Fall 2022) 
• FIRST Mentorship Winter Experience (January 2023)
• First-Gen Grad Student Coalition