The Governing Board for the SVCC Regional Governor’s School, co-chaired by Dr. Mark Estepp, president of Southwest Virginia Community College and Mr. Tommy Justice, superintendent for Buchanan County Schools, has announced that plans are underway for the 2008 summer activities held at Southwest Virginia Community College. The upcoming summer marks twenty-three years of service to the gifted and talented students of the college’s service region. Peggy Barber, Dean of Engineering and Director of the Governor’s School commented that “during the past twenty-two years the SVCC Governor’s School for Science and Technology has had a positive impact on over thirteen hundred students throughout our service region, many of who are now making significant contributions within their respective communities.”
The school will be held on the campus of Southwest Virginia Community College. Rising juniors and seniors from all high schools within the College service area are invited to apply for candidacy to the school through their school coordinator for the Gifted. Coordinated efforts on behalf of Southwest Virginia Community College, Buchanan, Dickenson, Russell and Tazewell County school systems and the Virginia Department of Education make it possible to provide the school at no cost to students. The goal of the Governor’s School is to get local students interested in and excited about the areas of science, medicine, engineering, and technology.
The SVCC Regional Governor's School is one of the pioneering Governor’s School efforts in Virginia, having been in existence since 1985. The sixty students selected are divided into 4 groups, each one with an interest in a particular branch of science. The study experiences include the areas of Engineering, Cutting-Edge Technology, Environmental Sciences, and Life Sciences. Each group studies under one of four lead faculty selected from exemplary instructors from the counties, as well as from the community college.
The school will begin on Monday, June 16, and end on Thursday, July 3, 2008. A capstone project and field trips are also included in the experience. Seven semester hours of college credit will be awarded as part of the experience. The college credits have in the past transferred as electives to most colleges and universities on an individual basis. However, students are urged to consult with their prospective colleges and universities for questions on this matter.
Parents recognized the Governor's School experiences as positive influences on their children's academic goals and expressed their appreciation to the local school divisions and the community college for making the school possible. This year the school has been enhanced through several innovations and changes to further bolster the experience.
Students will be visiting senior institutions offering Science and Engineering programs such as Virginia Tech, University of Appalachia School of Pharmacy, and Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition, Delegate Bowling will accompany the students on a trip to the Capital in Richmond with a tour of the Medical College of Virginia and the VCU Colleges of Engineering and Life Science.
Rising juniors and seniors who are interested in participating in the 2008 summer program may obtain an application from their high school guidance counselor.
For further information, contact Peggy R. Barber, director, at 276.964.7556 or peggy.barber@sw.edu, or check out the web page at http://www.sw.edu//governor.school