Recruitment activities are underway for the 2014 Field Ecology Summer Regional Governor’s School to be held in two separate sessions this summer at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, VA. Applications and information have been sent to all participating school divisions. Important changes are being implemented in the governor’s school schedule for this summer, the 30th for this governor’s school. Jane DeGroot, a director and instructor for the program explains the changes. “This summer, instead of one, three-week session, we will have two independent sessions, June 16-25 and June 30 - July 9. Both sessions have three-day camping trips with the first session conducting salamander research in Laurel Fork area of Highland/Pocahontas counties and the second session conducting forestry studies in the Greenbrier State Forest. In both sessions, students are required to create digital field guides. Students may sign up for both sessions, but each session is limited to 16 participants. Second year participants are only eligible for the second session. We hope that qualified applicants who could not commit to a three week program will be excited to have the flexibility of two seven-day sessons.” Any current 8th or 9th grade student who demonstrates potential for excelling in biology is eligible to be nominated. Former Governor’s School students who are in 9th or 10th grade may apply to be considered for the advanced program during the second session. The student must be enrolled in a public or private school, including home schooling, in the counties of Alleghany, Bath, Botetourt, Highland and Rockbridge, and the cities of Buena Vista, Covington and Lexington. Participants may be nominated by their superintendent, administrator of gifted programs, principal, counselor or science teacher on the basis of academic potential, positive attitude, good citizenship and maturity of judgment. Students are eligible to attend if 1) they are academically gifted and/or show potential for excelling in biological field studies; 2) their overall achievement in school work is acceptable; 3) they have been a resident of the Commonwealth of Virginia for at least one year and live within the counties and cities served by Dabney S. Lancaster Community College; and 4) they are nominated from their schools or school division. All students, including private school and home-schooled students, must meet the Governor’s School selection criteria. Applications are available in each school’s guidance department. Deadline for the submission of completed applications to the student’s school is at the discretion of the individual schools, but will likely be by the end of the first week of April. For further information, contact Jane DeGroot at jdegroot@alleghany.k12.va.us or Dr. Susan Rollinson at amrollinson@gmail.com or visit the Governor’s School web site at www.fieldecology.org. Those interested may also contact their school division’s Administrator of Gifted Programs, school principal, or guidance counselor.
