North Dakota Governor's School

North Dakota Governor's School, a member of the National Conference of Governor's Schools, is a six week tuition free program offered to North Dakota high school students. It is a residential honors program offered during the summer for motivated students interest in math, science, business and the arts. The program starts in June and continues through the early part of July.

Areas of study

Areas of study for the North Dakota Governor's School include mathematics, science, computer science, performing arts, English, and visual arts.

Mathematics

Students involved with the mathematics program at North Dakota Governor's School working together as a group on college level math problems. In addition to working with math, they also work in the area of computer sciences. At the end of the program they are required to write a paper regarding a specific area inside of computer sciences.

Sciences

Students involved with the science program at North Dakota Governor's School choose and work with a mentor at the university. Typical areas of interest for mentorship include biology, chemistry, computer sciences, and microscopy.

Over the course of the six weeks, the student will work with their mentor on a project that either the mentor or student chooses. At the end of the six weeks, the student then gives a presentation accompanied by a PowerPoint to a group of students and adults on what has been a part of their project and what they have learned. In 2008, the science division at the North Dakota Governor's School decided upon also including a poster sharing session with their presentations.

Computer Science/Information Technology

Students involved in the computer science program learn how to write html, videogames, and general computer programming. This is a branch off the Math program and took the place of the Business program in 2009. For 2010 the program title has been changed to Information Technology.

Performing arts

Students involved in performing arts spend their time in the program studying and being actively involved in areas of performing arts including singing, dancing, and acting. They work continuously on a play throughout the six weeks and are integrated into all aspects of a play including the set design and acting inside of the play.The last week of the program the students involved in performing arts take their play on tour across the state of North Dakota. They perform their play for many of the cities or areas that members of the performing arts area come from.

English Studies

An intense study of the English language. This program is only three weeks. In the duration of the program, students receive lectures on the subjects of literature, creative writing,linguistics, multimedia, the teaching of English, and other assorted topics. Students create three magazines by the end of the three weeks and their presentations involve reading aloud one of the pieces written during the program

Life and Leadership

Life and Leadership (or L & L) is an activity that all students of the North Dakota Governor's School program attend put on by the NDSU Center for 4H. This activity takes place every morning before classes for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes. In this activity, the students learn life skills, gain trust, build teamwork abilities, and discuss issues concerning teenagers today.

Also, as a part of Life and Leadership, students spend one weekend in the local community spending their time volunteering to help out local organizations.

Other activities

Students also are a part of other various activities. They spend one weekend at Valleyfair in Minnesota and one weekend canoeing on the Crow Wing River, also in Minnesota.

References

[1] - the official ND Governor's school website