GW Community School

GW Community School, or GWCS, is a teacher-owned and operated coeducational college preparatory school located in Springfield, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1999 by teachers Richard Goldie and Alexa Warden to serve the needs of bright, non-traditional learners and their families. The founders had previously been active in the founding of Commonwealth Academy before GW Community School was founded. It is accredited by Cognia.

It has an enrollment of 35 to 52 students, grades 8-12. Despite being located just outside Washington, D.C., the "GW" does not stand for "George Washington" but for "Goldie" and "Warden", the last names of the school's founders and current directors. Unlike the majority of private schools, GW has no dress code, allowing students to come in casual wear, as long as it is appropriate.

Offered courses
The GW Community School offers an array of courses, many of which are hands-on and student-centered. They change year to year depending on the current staffing and the interest of the students. The categories that the courses can be categorized by are Math, Science, History, English, Foreign Languages, Personal Development, Economics & Personal Finance, Art/Tech/Career, and PE. There are also electives and after-school clubs for students to join.

Some of the electives offered are theater and robotics. The GW theater group performs two plays per year: one of which is the week before the school's winter break, and the other in the spring. Usually, the winter play is a collection of one-acts that are relatively easy, and the spring play is often a multi-act play that is more challenging to put on.

The two GW robotics teams participate in REV Robotics' First Tech Challenge. They have made it to the World Championships multiple times, and continually win various different awards. Their funding is brought in by donations.