The deadline for the application package for the 2022 Governor's School will be January 31st, 2022. Please note that this is a new extended deadline.
 

The Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Global and International Studies (“Governor’s School”) will help tomorrow’s business, political, and intellectual leaders think critically about our world and the dynamic issues, connections, and perspectives within it. The Governor’s School accepts rising juniors and seniors from across the nation who are highly motivated, thoughtful, hard-working, and committed to helping others for a four-week residential program at the University of Pittsburgh from June 25 - July 22, 2022.  

  

Deadline:  Applications must be postmarked by January 31, 2022.   

Notification: Applicants will be notified of their final status via email by the end of February (Date TBD)

Program Overview  

Pitt’s Global Studies Center, in partnership with the University Center for International Studies, proudly brings the program’s prestigious 25-year legacy to a new generation. Through problem-solving activities and discussions with experts, participants will tackle overarching global issues while building intellectual confidence, cross-cultural understanding and critical language proficiency – key skills to successfully navigate college and prepare them for the broader global knowledge economy.  

Participants will live and learn together in a pre-college community focused on issues of human rights and human security, global health, the environment, and inequality. Morning classes in less commonly taught languages such as Chinese, Arabic, or, Portuguese, will help ground these topics in specific contexts. A core Global Studies course delves into the thematic issues and provides students with an intellectual framework for making sense of our complex and interdependent world. Afternoons are dedicated to experiential learning activities ranging from team projects and simulation games to discussions with Pitt faculty, guest authors, and policy experts.  

Evening cultural immersion programs highlight topical films and literature and expose students to food, music, and dance from around the world. Each week will conclude with a capstone symposium to provide broader regional perspectives on the central themes of the Governor’s School (led by Pitt's renowned area-studies centers). On the weekends, students will take field trips to partner organizations and participate in outdoor activities that illustrate Pittsburgh's own progress towards sustainable development.  

Participants in the Governor’s School will gain essential knowledge about our world.  Perhaps more importantly, they will learn a rigorous approach to thinking globally and acquire the analytic tools to understand processes shaping the globe and the communication skills to convey those insights to others. 

Student Life: Students will be housed in dormitories on the University of Pittsburgh campus (with a ratio of one live-in staff member for approximately ten students) and eat in the university dining halls during the program. Accommodations and roommates are by assignment. Members of the opposite sex are not allowed in the sleeping room areas at any time, with the exception of the program staff. Social activities will primarily be held in the common areas of the dorm and in other campus locations. Residence Life staff also offer a variety of field trips during the weekends to support the program curriculum and to encourage participant interaction. The University of Pittsburgh campus is urban; curfew and other program rules are strictly enforced for the well-being of participants.  

Fees and Expenses: The cost of the 2022 Governors School program is $ 4,000, with scholarships available.  

Facilities and Faculty: The University of Pittsburgh's Global Studies Center is one of seven nationally recognized centers in international studies, as designated by the U.S. Department of Education. The Governor’s School has been designed by Global Studies staff and affiliated Pitt faculty; the instructional team also includes expert secondary school teachers, along with Pitt graduate students as learning facilitators.   

Student Eligibility:  

• The applicant must be a current sophomore or junior in secondary school or homeschooled and will be between 16-17 years old by the time of the program.  

• The applicant who accepts an invitation to attend the program must commit to being in residence for the entire program, which does not allow trips home or other absences.   
• Completed application must be submitted in a single package postmarked by January 19, 2022.   

Failure to meet these criteria, incomplete applications, plagiarism, or falsification of information are grounds for disqualification.   

Application Information: Application to the Governor’s School is a competitive process:  Not all applicants will be accepted. A selection committee comprised of global professionals, educators and other officials read the applications. All information provided in an application is taken into account,with emphasis on the student's essays, activities resume, and academic transcript. The panel looks for a commitment to service and excellence in written expression in the essays. Students are asked to select a current issue related to global studies, discuss the problems and possible approaches or solutions they recommend, and explain their interest in the issue. The panel reviews the extracurricular resume for evidence of volunteerism, involvement in community activities and leadership. Teacher references are read for evidence of scholarship, maturity, responsibility, initiative, and positive reaction to criticism.