About Us

The Governor's School for Humanities and Visual & Performing Arts is a four-week summer residential program for Virginia's rising high school juniors and seniors. It is sponsored by the Virginia Department of Education and participating schools. It is affiliated with the National Conference of Governor's Schools and is hosted by Christopher Newport University.

Feedback from (some) Students

“There’s some quality about it that stands out over anything I’ve done since then. The conclusion I’ve come to is that this program has such an abundance of positive energy that that vibe has yet to be re-created.... In good improv, everyone has each other’s back, which is how I feel about my time spent at Governor’s School.”

~ Visual & Performing Arts Student

“When people tell you it is ‘life changing’ you’ll smile kindly and nod and have little faith they are undoubtedly right for you specifically. I cannot tell you why it will be life changing for each and every one of you and yet I feel assured that it will be- for a different reason for every person. It is something that you should do if the opportunity arises.”

~ Humanities Student

“I arrived…ready to make new friends, and make new friends I did…with the RAs, teachers, and staff as well.... I met and learned from talented people who really love what they do. It was refreshing…. It was evident that everyone was there because they wanted to learn. I made a lot of new friends who quickly became my family, with Governor’s School as our name. I spent a month in an environment that I truly loved.... I feel honored to have been a part.”

~ Visual & Performing Arts Student

“Governor’s School is a place where you can really be yourself and be accepted for who you are. There is no reason to hide anything; you will be accepted and appreciated for who you are. That attitude truly makes this program a gift and one of my most valued memories.”

~ Humanities Student

“I thought they were crazy when they said we'd arrive home ‘changed.’ But I did change. For a month I was surrounded by 350+ people that wanted to be my friend, and everyone was so open. I was able to be myself for an entire month. Being away from home allowed me to learn a lot of things about myself that I probably would have never learned if I hadn’t had this experience. I made great friends with a lot of the same interests, but very different backgrounds! My best Governor’s School friend lives on a farm!”

~ Visual & Performing Arts Student

“I want everyone to know that I have been to a place where you can walk in and make something completely new of yourself, and that place for me was Governor’s School. Thank you for letting me walk into Governor’s School and instead of making something new of myself, allowing me to find the true me.”

~ Humanities Student

“Thank you. Governor’s school was a life changing experience for me, and I really needed it. We always joked that we are ‘The Best and the Brightest,’ but really, we were just the lucky ones. I think most people would blossom and peek under those beautiful conditions.... And I always knew who I was when I was there. Between the button on my shirt, the encouragement to be myself from those around me, to my own personal free will and spirit, I found it out. Or I at least found out the tools to help me on my life long journey to solve that mystery of who I really am, and what I want to be if I ever grow up.”

~ Visual & Performing Arts Student

“ ‘Governor’s School’ is a misleading name. It isn’t school! School isn’t captivating, rather it’s the exact opposite. I think of school as a chore. Governor’s School is anything but. This program shouldn’t be called ‘Governor’s School.’ Its name should be something more along the lines of: ‘Best Summer of Your Life.’ ”

~ Humanities Student

“The years that one is eligible for the Governor’s School are those when one is at the summit of Idealism and adolescent vibrance. Teenagers are not only highly impressionable, but they are also capable of making impressions on others, especially their peers. Thus, such a forum for diversity and discussion as the Governor’s School has a dramatic impact on both the individual participants and their peers within their home communities- this impact ripples through society and will have long term ramifications for the individual and thus on his or her surroundings.”

~ Visual & Performing Arts Student

“I would most definitely recommend the program to anyone with an open mind who is willing to challenge and defend their pre-conceived notions on the world. It was the best thing that could have happened this summer.”

~ Humanities Student

“Governor’s School provides an educational opportunity that most public school students (in Virginia) are not exposed to: specifically the open classroom style, personal relationships with professors, broad discussion groups, long term projects, productive group work.”

~ Humanities Student

“It was so relaxing to sit on the Green, listening to the fountain flowing. To your right, violins and flutes hummed and whistled in vibrant union. To your left, laughter. Must have been a good joke you just missed. The sun was setting and the scent of dinner was wafting up from the Dining Hall. You should really go eat. Tonight you have another concert to attend. But you don't want to move. In front of you, an artist paints the sky and you watch, fascinated. But, it's time to go. Your roommate is pulling you to your feet. Dinner. But you'll be back here tomorrow night listening to the music, contemplating missed jokes, and watching the sky melt into night.”

~ Humanities Student