Announcements

ALHGS Fall Orientation 2026 Announcement

WHAT IF
I Am Not Registered?

If you would like to take a Governor's School Fall Semester class (review the school's 2026-2027 class schedule) but have not registered, it is not too late.

To register for a Fall Semester class ...

Discuss your participation with your parent(s)/legal guardian and obtain their approval.
Complete an admission application on-line...use your computer/device to complete the HGS Application form.
Print the completed form.
Take the form to your school's Guidance Counselor or Gifted Coordinator and discuss your goal. They will inform you of eligibility requirements, if you quality, and if seats are available.
After getting approval and the required signatures, your school representative will submit your application to the Governor's School. Please note that applications submitted directly to the Governor's School by an applicant cannot be accepted.
Finally, you will need to contact the Governor's School Offices (see contact information to your left) to make an orientation session appointment.

We look forward to seeing you in class in August 2026.

It's time for Governor's School Fall Semester 2026 Orientation.

If you will take a 2026-2027 academic year (i.e., "year-long") class and/or a fall 2026 semester schedule Governor's School class you must attend a Fall 2026 Orientation session. (If you will take a spring 2027 semester Governor's School class you must attend Spring 2027 Orientation in January 2027.) During orientation you will not only be able to meet your instructor, learn of class polices, and receive class materials, you will also be introduced to the technology used in taking a Governor's School class. Furthermore, you will have the opportunity to meet your classmates and the Governor's School staff.

Orientation for will be held in the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center (map and directions) in Abingdon, Virginia. The Center is located on the campus of Virginia Highlands Community College. The room location of each orientation session will be posted daily on the entrance doors of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. You may also ask the receptionist at the Center's lobby information desk for directions to your meeting room on the day of your orientation session.

Class orientations will be held according to the schedules shown below, which are also available through the Governor's School's academic calendar.

If you have questions regarding your attendance requirement, please contact the Governor's School Office by calling Mrs. Michele Lilly at 276-619-4326 or through email: mlilly@hgs.k12.va.us.

Students are expected to attend orientation during their assigned time and date. If a student cannot attend orientation on their assigned time and date, their parent/legal guardian must contact the Governor's School Administrative Office, by calling 276-619-4326, and make an appointment for an alternative time and date. Please remember that students must have an appointment to attend an orientation session.

The Fall 2026 Student Orientation Schedule for students is shown below.
Please consult the information you received from HGS for the time-of-day of your orientation session(s).
Call the HGS Office (276-619-4326) if you do not have time-of-day of your session(s).

Please note that regardless of orientation session type (on-line/virtual or in-person) attended, class materials will not be delivered to the student and/or student's school. All class materials must be picked up by the student either during their in-person orientation period or, if attending an on-line/virtual session, by having someone pick up materials by visiting the Governor's School Offices.
No Course Materials Will Be Delivered.

About the Sessions

We are excited to announce that the Governor's School will host SAT Prep sessions (PDF flyer) for current ALHGS students and alumni, which will be lead by Tim Anderson of satprepteacher.com. The sessions will be available at no cost to current HGS students and alumni. Tim is a certified teacher who has helped thousands of students at over 50 schools earn the SAT score they want for college admissions and scholarships. In the prep sessions, Tim will share his SAT expertise with a sense of humor and energy. He continues to take the SAT test multiple times each year to keep his knowledge of the test current.

Schedule/Agenda

Students attending the prep sessions will be prepared for the Fall October 3^rd SAT Test. The prep sessions will begin with an in-person session for students on Friday, August 21, 2026 or Saturday, August 22, 2026 (students can choose the in-person opening session date that best fits their schedule). The opening session will be from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, with lunch provided for all students in attendance. (Students attending Friday's opening session will need permission from their high school to attend this in-person session on a "school day".)

After the initial in-person session, Tim will provide virtual live sessions on the following six Monday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. The evening virtual sessions dates are: August 22, August 31, September 7, September 14, September 21, and September 28, 2026. (There will be recordings of each session available if a student has a valid reason for missing a live virtual session). Students participating should commit to attend either Friday or Saturday’s opening session and the following six Monday evening sessions to gain the most benefit from this program.

Registration

To register for the SAT Prep sessions, please complete and return the SAT Prep Registration Form, (PDF), by emailing the completed form to Ms. Sherrie Spiegler, HGS Student Support Specialist, at sspiegler@hgs.k12.va.us no later than the end of Friday, August 14^th. Please note that to attend, the completed form must be received by Ms. Spiegler no later than the end of the business day Friday, August 14^th.

Beginning in the 2026-2027 Academic Year, the Governor's School's English Department will offer for the first time British Literature (ENG 245). This three credit hour transfer course examines the many different types of British literature over time. Students will develop critical thinking and interpretive skills.

This one semester course will be offered by HGS in the spring 2027 semester. For additional information, including prerequisites, please see the HGS British Literature course information page. Also, a detailed outline for the class can be found at the Virginia Community College System's (VCCS) British Literature course page.

Appalachian Discouse Volume Twelve Announcement Title Graphic

Volume XII of the Governor's School Annual Literary Journal is Now Available

A compilation of student selected works by Mrs. Traverse Locke's 2024-2025 ALHGS Creative Writing class, the softbound volume of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry will provide hours of great reading enjoyment.

Printed copies can be purchased through Lulu.com.

Additional information about the literary journal, from project information to authors and
writings is available on the Creative Writing's class web site.

WELCOME to the home of the HGS Bulletin Board. The HGS Bulletin Board is the place where you can find student scholarship opportunities, unique educational opportunities, student competition announcements, and much more.

William & Mary K-12 Learner Programs

William & Mary offers several programs throughout the year for high-ability students: Saturday/Summer Enrichment Programs, JLab/VIMS Governor's School, and many others. The school recently made available a document describing their Saturday and Summer Programming [PDF] for 2026. They also have a Saturday/Summer Enrichment Programs web page. To learn more about William and Mary enrichment programs that enable students to explore specialized topics not typically covered in the classroom, visit their K-12 Learner Programs web page.
Posted 03-36-26 End 08-31-26

Oliver Hill/Samuel Tucker Pre-Law Institute

The Virginia State Bar, an agency of the Supreme Court of Virginia, is now accepting applications for the 2026 Oliver Hill/Samuel Tucker Pre-Law Institute (“Institute”). The Institute targets future lawyers at an early age and provides them with exposure and opportunity to explore the legal profession, all at no cost to the participants. The Institute is open to rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders. The Institute is held annually in Richmond, Virginia. This year, it will be held from Sunday, July 5, 2026, to Friday, July 10, 2026, at the University of Richmond. The application packet is available for download HERE (PDF). Any questions regarding the program or application may be sent to hill tucker institute@gmail.com. One can also obtain more information as well as the application through the program's web site. The deadline for the application is Friday, April 24, 2026.

Posted 02-09-26 End 04-24-26

Women in STEM

The Radford University Artis College of Science and Technology Summer Bridge Program: WOMEN IN STEM serves rising sophomore, junior, and senior high school students by facilitating a week of exploration in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from Virginia and other states July 12-17, 2026. The Summer Bridge Program is not limited to female participants and any rising sophomore, junior, and senior high school student interested in Women in STEM is invited to apply. A program flyer is available here. Additional information, including application instructions as well as fees, accommodations, and transportation information, may be obtained by visiting the program's website. Applications are NOW OPEN. The first round of selection will take place by January 16, 2026.

Posted 11-21-25 End 01-16-26

2026 BBB Student of Integrity Scholarship

The deadline for the Better Business Bureau Serving Western VA's 23^rd Annual BBB Student of Integrity Scholarship Program are quickly approaching. (Scholarship Program Flyer PDF available here) The application deadline for the essay-based BBB Student of Integrity Essay Scholarship, which offers a $1500 award for college costs, is January 31^st, 2026. Scholarship program details are available at the program's website.

Posted 09-26-25 End 01-31-26

Virginia Space Grant Consortium Opportunities

Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) provides several FREE and highly engaging Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) learning opportunities for Virginia students. The applications for three online programs begin closing October 26, 2025

Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS), for 10^th grade students, focuses on the current missions flown or managed by NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. This online course application is OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 26.
Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) is an interactive online STEM learning experience for 11th and 12th grade students. It focuses on NASA’s human spaceflight missions and the journey to the Moon and on to Mars. Students learn from NASA experts on how to design space missions! Flyer (PDF) here. This online course application is OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 26.
The Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS), an interactive online STEM learning experience for 11th and 12th grade students, focuses on engaging students in real-world investigations of the Earth and its systems using space satellites and the latest research and data from NASA. Applications are OPEN UNTIL OCTOBER 26, 2025.

Posted 09-18-25 End 10-26-25

SWVA Can Code!

Learn to program in SWIFT at the SWVA Can Code Camp beginning July 14th at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia. The free camp is for rising 9-12th graders. A camp brochure is available here. For additional information and/or to register for the camp, visit the event website.
Posted 045-30-25 End 07-14-25

William & Mary Law School Summer Series

The William & Mary Law School Center for Legal & Court Technology (CLCT) is offering a series of online summer classes to introduce high school students to the law. The summer program includes Introduction to the Law, Introduction to AI, and Introduction to Search & Seizure. A program flyer is available here. For additional information and/or to register for any one of their classes, visit the William & Mary CLCT website.
Posted 04-22-25 End 07-14-25

Dental Health Summer Institute

The Virginia Community College System and Old Dominion University are offering a free dental sciences camp. This virtual event has an in-person lab meeting at Mountain Empire Community College. It is completely free to participants, and a lab kit will be provided to students by Delta Dental. The program is designed to give rising 10th, 11th, and 12th graders a look into these academic programs and career field (i.e., dentists, hygienists, and assistants). A program flyer is available here. Application deadline is March 7, 2025. The application for the program is available here.
Posted 2-03-25 End 03-07-25

2025 Summer Residential Governor’s Schools and World Language Academies

The VDOE is pleased to announce that the 2025 Governor’s Summer Residential Program will include seven Summer Residential Governor’s Schools (SRGS) and five Governor’s World Language Academies (GWLA). The SRGS offer gifted and/or advanced high school students opportunities for intensive study in academics, the visual and performing arts, and mentorships. The GWLA offers full-immersion academies for French, German, and Spanish; a partial-immersion academy for Japanese; and a Latin Academy. Students do not need to be identified as gifted to be nominated for one of the GWLA.

The SRGS and GWLA are available to students enrolled in public schools, accredited private schools, as well as home schooled students. The availability of these programs is contingent upon the provision of state funds by the 2025 General Assembly.

Applications, information, and administrative handbooks for the 2025 SRGS and GWLA will be available digitally on the VDOE website October 11, 2024. For details, visit the Summer Residential Governor's Schools web page and Governor's World Language Academies web page.
Posted 10-15-24 End 06-10-25

SVAM 2024 Scholarship

The Southwest Virginia Alliance for Manufacturing (SVAM), Inc. is offering scholarship funding to eligible graduating high school students who wish to pursue post-secondary education for a career in a manufacturing-related field. Students will be eligible for up to $2,000 in scholarship funds. Additional information, applications, etc. can be found at the program's web site HERE. Applications are due no later than March 29, 2024.
Posted 09-05-24 End 03-29-24

Prepare for College In Virginia

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia provides resources for parents and students to help them with preparing for higher education: Student Resources.
Posted 09-05-24 End 05-31-25

MIT Beaver Works Institute

MIT Beaver Works Institute is a four-week program at MIT that challenges high school students entering their senior year to tackle high-tech projects. Watch for future offerings and course announcements here.
Posted 02-12-20

The Governor's School uses X to "broadcast" inclement weather closures, schedule changes (e.g., instructor class cancellation), system outages, holiday reminders, and other information about HGS events and activities. Stay Connected. Follow @ALHGSSupport

HGS Virtual School Browser Requirements

Students may not be able to access the Governor's School's web site features or the HGS Virtual School/Classroom unless they are using the latest version of Chrome and/or Firefox. As new versions of Firefox and Chrome are released, students are obligated to keep their browsers up-to-date to have access to the school's sites.

You do not know what browser version you are using? The Mozilla Support website provides instructions on how to check and update Firefox. The Google Chrome Help website provides instructions on how to check and update Chrome.

The above noted browser requirements are currently enforced.

Governor's School Introduces A New Video Series

Considering a Governor's School class but would like to know more before you take the leap? To provide more information about classes for prospective Governor's School students, the first series of information videos are now available. The videos are interviews with class instructors as well as current and former students. By viewing the videos, prospective students will learn about the class format, course content, and students' experiences. Series videos will continue to be posted throughout the year. Follow the links below to the web pages on which the currently available videos are posted.

Advanced Multimedia Applications
All History Department Courses:
Appalachian History, Western Civilization, and World Civilization

So grab a Governor's School admission application, a box of popcorn, and prepare to learn about a great opportunity.