OVERVIEW

The North Carolina Governors School is a 5½-week summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students, integrating academic disciplines, the arts, and unique courses on each of two campuses. The curriculum focuses on the exploration of the most recent ideas and concepts in each discipline, and does not involve credit, tests, or grades.

The North Carolina Governor's School is the nation's oldest statewide summer residential program for gifted high school students. The program, which is open to rising seniors only, with exceptions made for rising juniors in selected performing/visual arts areas, is located on two campuses of up to 335 students each: Governor's School West at High Point University in High Point, and Governor's School East at Meredith College in Raleigh. The program is administered by the Public Schools of North Carolina, the State Board of Education, and the Department of Public Instruction through the Exceptional Children Division. A Board of Governors, appointed by the State Board of Education, acts as an advisory body.

• "It's a fantastic opportunity to expand your knowledge and focus on learning in an area you care about, living in an environment in which learning is not required, but encouraged and enjoyed. While school's strict expectations and rigid nature can be suffocating, the Governor's School atmosphere is light and elicits natural growth." — Governor's School East student, 2019
• "Governor's School is the best venture I have ever taken part in. You're surrounded by wonderful and intelligent people and staff who make you strive to be a better and more complete person. The curriculum is challenging and will give you even more of a thirst for knowledge." — Governor's School West student, 2019

Governor's School offers amazing educational opportunities to selected students in eleven different academics and arts disciplines. Each student's chosen discipline becomes their Area I class. See the Area I descriptions below and then review the associated pages (i.e., Areas II and III; Electives & Seminars; Speakers & Convocations; Student Life & Daily Schedule) to understand the fullness of this robust and unique program, profoundly impacting the lives and education of hundreds of North Carolina's brightest high school students every summer.

Curriculum - Area I

Philosophy - Area II

Philosophy, is not so much a course on classical philosophy and philosophers as a course in critical, creative, philosophical thinking and questioning, in which brief readings and other texts from writers and thinkers past and present are offered only to spur the students' curiosity and the development of their own voices and ideas. The students are asked to examine their received knowledge and deeply held beliefs, pay attention to the functioning of language in the development of ideas and societies, and investigate the very nature of thought and of the mind. A typical class might be a reading and discussion section, a sensory-deprivation exercise, a game, a film, or a walk around campus—wherever the imaginations of the instructor and students lead. Ultimately, Area II hopes to provide the students with a set of intellectual tools with which they may consider their academic and artistic endeavors, as well as their personal beliefs and values, in a more thoughtful light

Area III

An outcome of Area III at both campuses is to help the gifted student recognize his/her gifts and use them for the betterment of self and society.

Course Descriptions – GS East / GS West

Speakers/Convocations

Each year, each Governor's School campus invites distinguished academicians, artists and leaders to speak to the student body. These speakers represent the most current work and debates in their arena of ideas. Governor's School wants to challenge its students and provoke thoughtful conversation within the Governor's School community.

Here is a sample of speakers from both campuses in recent years:

• Ben Brantley, Chief Theater Critic, The New York Times – "A Critical Perspective"
• Endia Beal, Artist and Gallery Director, Winston-Salem State University – "Am I What You're Looking For?"
• Neal Weiner, Assistant Professor of Physics, New York University – "Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe"
• James Wilson-Quayle, Professor of Political Science, George Washington University – "The American Economy and Liberty"
• Aaron Mitchell, Fellow in Medical Oncology, UNC Chapel Hill – "United States Healthcare: Real Problems, Fake Solutions"
• Natalie Keyssar, Photojournalist and Teaching Fellow, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting – "The Office of Hope"
• Mark Rabil, Attorney, Wake Forest University – "The Trials of Darryl Hunt"
• Clyde Edgerton, Author, Wilmington – "Sources of Fiction"
• Valerie Zachary, Judge, Yadkinville/Raleigh – "Women on the NC Bench"
• Keisha Gibson, Chief of Pediatric Nephrology, UNC School of Medicine – "Diversity and Inclusivity in Medicine"

Electives and Seminars

In addition to their required classes, students have an incredible opportunity to attend a vast array of electives and seminars led by faculty, counselors, and special guests. These hour-long classes allow students and faculty to pursue and discover special interests and talents. Some of these meet weekly while others are one-time events.