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Advanced Academic Opportunities

Virginia Governor's Schools

Virginia Governor's Schools provide some of the state's most able students with academically and artistically challenging programs beyond those offered in their home schools. With the support of the Virginia Board of Education and the General Assembly, the Governor's Schools presently include summer residential and academic-year programs serving more than 7,500 gifted students from all parts of the commonwealth.

Three types of Governor's Schools provide appropriate learning endeavors for the gifted students in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS):

  • Academic-Year Governor's Schools (AYGS)
  • Summer Residential Governor's Schools (SRGS)
  • Foreign Language Academies (FLA) 

 

Academic-Year Governor's Schools

The AYGS programs available to PWCS students are the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Fairfax, VA or the Governor's School at Innovation Park (GS@IP) in Manassas, VA.

Governor's School at Innovation Park

The Governor's School at Innovation Park (GS@IP) is a partial-day Academic Year Governor's School program with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Students attend GS@IP from August through June, just as their PWCS counterparts do. Students attend classes at the Prince William Campus of George Mason University in the mornings and return to their base high schools in the afternoon to take courses in Social Studies, Language Arts, and electives, as well as to participate in extracurricular activities.

Applications are all due no later than February 1.

For more information, please visit the GS@IP website: Governor's School at Innovation Park Website or you can contact the PWCS Advanced Academics and Specialty Programs team at [email protected].

Summer Residential Governor's Schools

Summer Residential Governor's Schools (SRGS) provide gifted high school sophomores and juniors with intensive educational experiences in both Visual & Performing Arts and in Academics. Students attend SRGS programs from late June to late July and will live on a college or university campus in Virginia for up to 4-weeks.

The various Virginia Governor's School Programs all use a competitive admission process to select participants. Application timelines vary based on the program. Announcements will be posted in the building, on the school website, and on Canvas.

SRGS - Academics

Academic programs and mentorships that have historically been available include:

  • Humanities (Radford University)
  • Math, Science, & Technology (University of Lynchburg)
  • Agriculture (Virginia Tech)
  • Engineering Mentorship (Jefferson Lab)
  • Marine Sciences Mentorship (Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
  • Medical & Health Sciences Mentorship (Radford University)

Applications for Patriot High School students will be vailable in October 2025.

Applications for Patriot High School students' SRGS - Academic programs and mentorships are due no later than December 12th.

SRGS - Visual & Performing Arts

Visual & Performing Arts programs that have historically been available include:

  • Dance
  • Instrumental Music
  • Vocal Music
  • Theater
  • Visual Arts

All Visual & Performing Arts participants will stay at Radford University.

Students applying for SRGS - Visual & Performing Arts programs have an application to submit, and they participate in both a local and a statewide adjudication where they audition or present portfolios for review before professionals in the specific arts field. Applications become available and registration for auditions begin at the beginning of October.

Students who have questions or who are interested in applying for the 2026 Summer Residential Governor's Schools for Academics or for Visual & Performing Arts may contact Mrs. Phillips at [email protected] or Mr. Hegerle at [email protected]. 

SRGS - World Languages Academy

The Governor's Summer Residential World Languages Academies will include the following full-immersion programs:

  • French
  • German
  • Spanish

The Governor's Summer Residential World Languages Academies will include the following partial-immersion programs:

  • Latin
  • Japanese

Traditionally, the full-immersion programs are hosted by Washington & Lee University and the partial-immersion programs are hosted by Randolph-Macon College.

Applications become available at the beginning of October. Applications are due in mid-January.

Students interested in applying for the 2026 Governor's Summer Residential World Languages Academies can contact Ms. Diana Ayala at [email protected] 

AP Capstone Course


The College Board describes AP Seminar as "a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in research-based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision."

Earning Credit for AP Capstone Courses
  • AP Seminar is the first of two courses in the AP Capstone™ program. AP Research is the second course. AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research, which is not yet available at Patriot.
  • If you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of your choosing, you will receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. This signifies outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills.
  • Alternatively, if you earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research only, you will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
  • Students are assessed through individual and team projects and presentations and a written exam.

To Learn More about AP Capstone Seminar:
Who is eligible to participate in the AP Capstone Seminar course?

AP Capstone Seminar is open to rising 11th graders currently interested in a challenging course focusing on the research process. Students will analyze and evaluate information in order to effectively communicate evidence-based arguments in both oral and written form.

What will be the expectations for students enrolled in the AP Seminar Course?

Students should have established writing and critical thinking skills, be self-motivated, and able to work in a collaborative environment.

If I take AP Capstone Seminar as a Junior, do I also have to take AP Capstone Research as a Senior?

AP Seminar may be taken as a stand-alone option. It is a prerequisite for AP Research; therefore, students must take Seminar in order to take Research. However, a student may take Seminar without moving on to the Research course as a senior. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

What are the benefits of taking the AP Capstone Course?

According to College Board, AP Capstone offers the following benefits to the student:
  • Fosters the critical and creative thinking, argumentation, and research skills at the core of college readiness and essential for lifelong learning
  • Provides a setting to build on the knowledge and rigorous coursework of AP in an interdisciplinary format
  • Offers a unique opportunity to distinguish oneself to colleges and universities
How do I register for AP Seminar?

Students should talk to their English 11 teacher about registering.

AP Capstone Seminar is an AP course - will I be able to receive college credit?

At this time, college credit is not awarded for AP Capstone Seminar or Research. However, the course has garnered support from numerous universities, recognizing the immense value the courses have for incoming freshmen.

"The AP Capstone program will help students to develop critical thinking skills that allow them to think independently, to analyze issues from different perspectives, to communicate clearly, and to conduct independent research. These are exactly the types of skills that they will be expected to utilize in college and the AP Capstone program will give them a terrific head start."
-Zina L. Evans, Ph.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management and Associate Provost, University of Florida

How is a student's performance in AP Capstone Seminar Assessed by College Board?

Team Project and Presentation | 25% of AP Score
Individual Research-Based Essay and Presentation | 35% of AP Score
End-of-Course Exam (3 Hours) | 40% of AP Score

Please see the Course Overview for a more detailed description.