Governor's Schools return to Radford for fourth year

Students in the Visual and Performing Arts Governor's School, hosted at Radford University, work on spinning vases in a ceramics class.

Students in the Governor's Schools for the Visual and Performing Arts work on spinning vases in a ceramics class.

Radford University welcomed nearly 400 of the Commonwealth's most talented high school students to campus last week for its fourth hosting of the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's Schools in the Humanities and the Visual and Performing Arts.

The 2013 Governor's Schools for the Humanities and the Visual and Performing Arts, which began on June 23 and run through July 20, provide high school students with an early look at the college experience, full of academic challenges and the opportunity to live on campus for a month. The program emphasizes free expression, intellectual curiosity, responsibility, maturity and mutual respect.

Students are accepted based on their academic records, test scores, extracurricular activities, honors and awards, creativity, original essays and teacher recommendations. Nominations may come from teachers, guidance counselors, peers and even the students themselves.

"Governor's School assembles truly outstanding students in their respective disciplines to come to study at an intensive level with other students of similar caliber," said Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Joe Scartelli, one of the event's many faculty supporters and organizers. "The level of instruction and expectations exceeds a typical high school experience, significantly strengthening their preparation for university or conservatory study."

Lucinda McDermott talks with two students in her directors and playwrights class.

Lucinda McDermott talks with two students in her directors and playwrights class.

Since 2010, RU has been selected by the Virginia Department of Education to host the four-week program, which gives junior and senior high school students the opportunity to use their creativity in music, visual and performing arts and the humanities.

Scartelli and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Bill Kennan wrote the grant to the Virginia Department of Education to bring both the Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts programs to RU as well as oversee its planning and implementation.  Montgomery County educator Marti Hale is the day-to-day director of both programs as well as coordinator for the student selection process, staffing and programming.

For the duration of the school, Radford is much more than a host venue due to the whole-hearted commitment of faculty and university students who teach and staff the programs Scartelli said.

"Radford University is particularly suited for hosting these Governor's Schools given our historical commitment to public education as well as the visual and performing arts and humanities," Scartelli said. "All are part of Radford's DNA and I believe the Governor's School students have benefitted greatly over the years as a result."

For the summer program, students are divided between the RU College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences and the College of Visual and Performing Arts.

For more information about the Virginia Summer Residential Governor's Schools in the Humanities and the Visual and Performing Arts or to learn more about opportunities for next year's summer program at Radford University, call (540) 831-7828, or email rugovschool@radford.edu.

Learn more about Radford University at www.radford.edu.

Jul 1, 2013
Dan Waidelich
(540) 831-7749
dwaidelich@radford.edu