Virginia Governor's Schools
Virginia Governor's Schools provide some of the state's most able students 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)
Please click on the link for the Governor's School Chart which will succinctly convey the differences between the Governor's School programs and will provide you with point of contact for each program should you have questions, comments, or concerns.
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)
Applications for Patriot High School students will be vailable in October 2023.
Applications for Patriot High School students' SRGS - Academic programs and mentorships are due no later than December 15th.
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 2024 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. Information about the program for the 2022-23 programs will be posted here when it becomes available.
Applications become available at the beginning of October. Applications are due in mid-January.
Those interested in applying for the 2023 Governor's Summer Residential World Languages Academies can contact Ms. Charlotte Frame at [email protected].