The Governor’s Institutes of Vermont is a collection of nine intensive, residential summer learning programs hosted at college campuses all over the state. Each Institute focuses on a unique area of interest, and introduces you to mentors and friends who will help you pursue your passions and create your future.
GIV has a 37-year history of providing academically rigorous summer residential learning programs to Vermont high-schoolers. Applicants select an Institute that correlates with their passions and interests. Within each Institute, students are offered “tracks” of sub-topics for them to get a “deep dive” into a particular field of study. Institute topics are: Arts (both visual and performing); Astronomy; Engineering; Entrepreneurship; Environmental Science & Technology; Global Issues & Youth Action; Health & Medicine; Mathematical Sciences; Technology, Design & Coding; and a new Governor’s School that offers Architecture, Writing, Forensic Science, and Philosophy in addition to advanced leadership training. With Institute topics spanning the Arts & Humanities and STEM fields, there is something for every curious young Vermonter at GIV!
GIV programs take place in-residence at Vermont colleges and universities. The design of the program readily lends itself to students “getting a feel” for college: staying in dorms, eating in the dining commons, having access to cutting edge technology and resources, and experiencing courses at a collegiate level. Moreover, two GIV Institutes, Entrepreneurship and Environmental Science & Technology are eligible for college-credit: Vermont students can use their dual enrollment vouchers to get three college credits from Vermont Technical College and University of Vermont, respectively.
GIV is dedicated to being financially and geographically accessible for all young Vermonters. GIV is a state-wide non-profit that partners with every school in Vermont to provide these opportunities to all Vermont high-schoolers. Additionally, a sliding scale tuition model enables families to pay only what they can afford. GIV also takes into account any “extenuating circumstances” that impact a family’s ability to pay: this has included everything from siblings in college to single-parent/income households. Additional discounts/incentives are available for young women in STEM Institutes and young men in Arts & Humanities Institutes.
