WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AUGUST 26, 2025) — Williamsport Area High School (WAHS) has launched its first-ever Link Crew program this school year to help incoming ninth graders make a smooth and supportive transition into high school.
The national program is being introduced for the first time at WAHS, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Williamsport Area School District Education Foundation (WASDEF). Link Crew pairs freshmen with trained upperclassmen who serve as peer leaders and mentors throughout the year. The program began with a high-energy orientation on the first day of school, led primarily by student Link Leaders.
Freshman principal Keith Veldhuis, who is overseeing the program, said the program has been on the district’s radar for some time.
“The idea has been circulating around the WASD for a few years,” he said, “and this year the district invested in the training with the help of the education foundation.”
At its core, Link Crew is designed to help students feel connected from the moment they arrive. Veldhuis explained that the goal is to establish relationships between freshmen, their peers and upperclassmen mentors right away.
“These connections help create a safe and supportive environment with those supports continuing throughout the year,” he said.
The program’s design also gives students a calmer, more focused start to high school. Only freshmen and their Link Leaders were in the building on the first day, allowing for a slower pace and more time to connect with teachers.
“Having a solid start is so important to kick the year off in a positive way and hopefully be less overwhelming for our new students,” Veldhuis added.
For upperclassmen, Link Crew is an opportunity to develop leadership skills. More than 75 juniors and seniors completed two days of training before leading orientation activities. The training emphasized the qualities of effective leadership and prepared them to take on a mentorship role, “reminding students of their value as leaders and encourage them to step up,” Veldhuis said.
Beyond orientation, the program will continue with monthly check-ins, where leaders will guide small groups through lessons that encourage involvement, decision-making and community-building. Veldhuis noted that sharing these lessons from a student’s perspective makes them especially impactful.
Ultimately, Link Crew is about strengthening the high school community.
“Every aspect of Link Crew is designed to connect people,” Veldhuis said. “Making those connections right away — leaders to leaders, leaders to freshmen, and freshmen to freshmen — our community naturally gets stronger.”
Looking ahead, Veldhuis expects to see enthusiasm build as the program grows. The spring will bring the recruitment of next year’s leaders, which he believes will be highly competitive.
“I believe we will have to do the hard work of selecting leaders from a large list of applicants due to the excitement and desire to be a Link Leader,” he said.
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