Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences

The Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences (PGSS) is now the only remaining part of the Pennsylvania Governor's Schools of Excellence, a group of five-week summer programs for gifted and highly intelligent high-school students in the state of Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has hosted the program since its inception in 1982. Most recently, it has been directed by Physics Professor Dr. Barry Luokkala. Participants are required to be Pennsylvania high school students between their junior and senior years and are required to live in the dormitories for the full five weeks of the program. Admission is very competitive - approximately 500 of the most scientifically gifted students in the state compete for 56 to 60 slots in the program. The aim of PGSS is to promote interest in science rather than to advance students' knowledge in a specific area. The curriculum includes five "core" courses in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics, and numerous electives. In addition to taking classes, students are required to participate in a lab course and a research-style team project. The emphasis is on cooperation, rather than competition - students are encouraged to both collaborate with other students on academic work and to interact socially. The Residence Life staff provides a number of structured social events to foster friendship and teamwork. There is at least one event per day and is advertised on the social calendar in the dorm lobby. For many students, the social development gained from the program rivals the scientific knowledge they acquire. The students leave the program with a strong bond; most attend an organized reunion the following year after the 4th week of the program.

PGSS was discontinued in 2009 by Governor Ed Rendell who cut all funding for PGSEs from the 2009-2010 budget.

After the program closed, a group of PGSS alumni and parents worked on what was called the most important "team project": the restoration of PGSS. This included the following milestones: organizing PGSS Campaign, Inc. as a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, locating over 95% of the 2400 alumni, and many of their parents, collecting over $600,000 in donations from these individuals, meeting with former Governor Thomas Corbett and several former Secretaries of Education as well as the current Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, meeting with key legislative leaders in Pennsylvania, hiring a part-time Executive Director in Pittsburgh, gaining formal recognition as an Education Improvement Organization (EITC), and securing numerous corporate grants.

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