Georgia Governor's Honors Program


The Georgia Governor's Honors Program is a summer educational program in the state of Georgia, in the United States. It is a four-week summer instructional program for intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students of Georgia.
Rising juniors and seniors in Georgia's public and private high schools may be nominated for the free program by their teachers. The program's entire cost is covered by the state of Georgia. The Governor's Honors Program began in 1964 with 400 participants and was hosted at Wesleyan College. It took place at Valdosta State University from 1980 through 2016, but relocated in 2017 to Berry College in Rome, Georgia.
There is no cost to attend GHP for students. Tuition, room, and board are covered under appropriations made by the Georgia General Assembly. However, students are asked to bring basic school supplies for class. GHP is an ungraded summer program. Students are not required to take any exit exams or standardized tests regarding major courses of study. Credits are not issued for completion of the program. Students that complete the entire four weeks of study receive a certificate of completion.

Nomination

Students are nominated in a specific instructional area in which their abilities, aptitudes, and interest lie. Each school system or private school is assigned a nomination quota based on the average daily attendance of its 10th and 11th grades.
Transcripts of grades and records, nomination forms, endorsements and other pertinent information are submitted to substantiate the nominations. Selected nominees then submit written essays and/or videos of their work. Each district or county has a different nomination process. From there, selected applicants are sent to statewide screening interviews/auditions.
The written evidence and data gathered in the student interview/audition are used to rank nominees and select finalists.
The overall acceptance rate of the program in 2017 was 21%.
In 2017, 58% of GHP students were from metro area public schools, 32% of students were from non-metro area public schools, and 10% of students were from private schools or were home schooled.

Instruction

Major instructional areas are communicative arts, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Mandarin Chinese, mathematics, science, agricultural science, social studies, visual arts, theatre performance, theatre design, music, dance, and engineering. Staff in four support areas also work to assist the student body.
In 2017, the program hosted 450 students in academic major areas and 217 students in fine arts major areas. Among that student population were 72 world language majors, 75 communicative arts majors, 78 social studies majors, 225 STEM majors, 32 dance majors, 35 theatre majors, 46 visual arts majors, and 104 music majors.
Students may choose an elective in the first week of the program. The electives are commonly known as minors and include all the major areas of study along with others including Journalism, Counseling, Education, Ballroom dancing, Gender Studies, and Songwriting.
Each student receives 4.5 hours of major subject time on Mondays to Saturdays and 2 hours of elective subject time on Mondays to Fridays. Other time is free for meals, research, performances, practice, or seminars.
GHP instructors are chosen according to their experience and recommendations. The student to teacher ratio is mandated to be at or very close to 15:1. In 2017, the student to faculty ratio was 13:1.

Seminars

Residential Advisors and faculty host seminars outside of instructional time, ranging from learning Hebrew to making friendship bracelets

Alumni

The following are notable alumni of the Georgia Governor's Honors Program, listed with their GHP major, year of attendance, and notable accomplishments:
NameGHP MajorYearNotable Accomplishments
Christopher David SarzenMusic1977Concert Pianist, Physician
Lane DaviesDrama1967stage, film, and TV actor—best known as Mason Capwell from "Santa Barbara"
Eve CarsonSocial Studies2003Student Body President at UNC-Chapel Hill, murder victim
Wycliffe GordonMusic1983Prolific jazz trombonist
Dale LylesVisual Arts1970educator; GHP asst. program director for instruction, 1997-2009; GHP director, 2011-2013
Joseph SearleMusic1968educator; GHP director, 1996-2010
Michael HesterComm Arts1987educator; 3-time coach of debate national champions; Board member of JADE
Wayne KnightTheatre1971stage, film, and TV actor
Linda GriffithEnglish1977biological engineer
Jack McBrayerTheatre1990film and TV actor
Donald GloverTheatre2000TV actor/writer, rapper, comedian
Hunter BellTheatre1988Author and star of broadway musical title of show|
Jeff GreensteinScience1979television writer and producer
Robert Duncan McNeillTheatre1980Actor "All My Children" and "Star Trek Voyager"
Randy EvansMathematics1975Advisor to Newt Gingrich
Matt MooreMathematics2000Chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party
Brad StricklandMathematics1964Novelist and writer, University professor
Jamie BartonVoice1999Mezzo-soprano, 2013 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition winner
Antoine KearneyVoice1989Baritone, 2013 Executive, Higher Education Services
Tyler HarperAgriscience and Biotechnology2003State Senator since 2012, representing the 7th District
Wendi Bryan CarpenterScience197331st woman designated as a Naval aviator; 1st woman Navy pilot promoted to rank of Rear Admiral; 10th President of SUNY Maritime College
Carl SweatSocial Studies1981President and General Manager, FUZE Division of The Coca-Cola Company, SVP Global Beverage, Starbucks; Awarded Gold Effie for Advertising Effectiveness by American Marketing Association
Carla Wong McMillianSocial Studies1990Court of Appeals of Georgia; 1st Asian American elected statewide in Georgia
Alec MauCommunicative Arts2013Broadcast Meteorologist