The Governor’s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The Program originated in 1983 as a result of Kentucky leaders’ concern that the state’s “best and brightest” were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. Students who are selected attend the Program without charge. In the spirit of partnership, the Office of the Governor, the Kentucky State Legislature, and private enterprise come together to provide the financial support for the Program.
The Program’s mission is to enhance Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders. The first class numbered 230 and was housed on one college campus. Since then, the Program has enjoyed excellent support and grown to over 1,000 students on three campuses.
Host campuses are determined competitively every three years. The 2023-2025 session cycle will be hosted by Centre College in Danville, Morehead State University in Morehead, and Murray State University in Murray. The core curriculum for these summer sessions is threefold:
- Focus Area: Courses that allow a student to pursue a topic in-depth as a member of a small group stressing the development of ideas in the chosen discipline, with the option of additional independent study.
- General Studies: Classes the emphasize inquiry, service-learning, community leadership, and resolution development.
- Leadership Seminar: Personal development seminars that stress concerns and problems faced by students, including such subjects as values clarification, career choice, and interpersonal relationships.
Faculty and staff also invite a variety of speakers and performers from a range of disciplines and pursuits to visit campus. Carefully organized field trips, special events, and a film series also contribute to the comprehensive educational atmosphere in which scholars are challenged not only to examine, but, more importantly, to nurture their sense of learning and leadership.
In order to participate in the Program, students must be nominated by their high schools and then compete on a state-wide level. Selection for the program is highly competitive, with an application process similar to that of prestigious colleges and universities. In addition to an academic profile that includes difficulty of course load, GPA, and at least one standardized test score, the application requires an outline of all extracurricular activities, a history of volunteer service, and a list of job positions held. A Teacher recommendation which includes both a quantitative evaluation and qualitative descriptions of the student’s performance and potential; as well as a Community Recommendation which shows how a student performs in a community setting beyond the high school are also required. The final component of the application is an original writing entry.
Introduction
The Governor’s Scholars Program is a summer residential program for outstanding high school students in Kentucky who are rising seniors. The Program originated in 1983 as a result of Kentucky leaders’ concern that the state’s “best and brightest” were leaving the Commonwealth to pursue educational and career opportunities elsewhere without fully understanding the potential of their talents at home. Students who are selected attend the Program without charge. In the spirit of partnership, the Office of the Governor, the Kentucky State Legislature, and private enterprise come together to provide the financial support for the Program.
The Program’s mission is to enhance Kentucky’s next generation of civic and economic leaders. The first class numbered 230 and was housed on one college campus. Since then, the Program has enjoyed excellent support and grown to over 1,000 students on three campuses.
Student Application and Selection Packets are sent to every public, private and parochial school district in the state. Applications may be picked up in the school guidance office in late September or downloaded from our website. Before reaching the statewide competition, each student must first submit his or her application through his or her school and participate in the school and/or district level competitions. Only those students selected and submitted by their district (or unaffiliated private school) may compete in the statewide selection process. The number of nominees each district may submit to the statewide process is based on the district-wide junior class enrollment. Over 2,000 applications are received at the state level each year, with approximately 1,000 students selected to attend.