The Governor’s School of North Carolina is the oldest statewide summer residential program for gifted and talented high school students in the nation. 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: Governor’s School West at Salem College in Winston-Salem and Governor’s School East at Meredith College in Raleigh. The program is administered by the Public Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education and 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. Each summer, all selected students are invited to Governor’s School to help build a learning community. Freed from the regular high school pressures of tests, scores and grade point averages, students are encouraged to question and explore, with the purpose of learning for its own sake and discovering new possibilities that complement their high school instruction. While individual achievement and growth are always addressed, Governor’s School emphasizes corporate and collective efforts, ranging from orchestral and choral music to partnered experiments and whole-class projects.

A county-wide informational meeting with all students/parents interested in Governor’s School will be held in October to go over requirements and deadlines.