The West Virginia Department of Education, in partnership with Governor Jim Justice, announced the return of the Governor’s Schools of West Virginia for full in-person sessions for summer 2022. Two of these sessions will take place at Marshall, the governor’s school of entrepreneurship, and the governor’s school for the arts.

The different sessions are eligible for grades as young as seventh and as old as 11th depending on the school. Over 300 students have committed to the different sessions, others include two sessions of the governor’s STEM institute at West Virginia University, the governor’s honors academy at Fairmont State and another STEM insitute at Greenbank Observatory.

The programs allow students to learn and engage in a university environment as well as connect with other students across the state, according to Joey Wiseman, director of middle and secondary learning at the West Virginia Department of Education.

“It gives students a great opportunity to be at these colleges and universities, especially for these high school students. We may have families who have never attended college and don’t know what to expect,” Wiseman said.

Wiseman said students get a taste of college life by living in the dorms, eating the campus food and spending their evenings on the campus, all while being chaperoned of course.

The programs are taught entirely by college faculty and immerse students in each particular area of study, and additionally plan field trips and other fun summer activities for the students. Students live in each university’s residence halls during the program

The four academies were postponed in 2020 and held virtually in 2021, with this year’s programs planned at pre-pandemic levels.