Who attends MGS
Mississippi Governor’s School (MGS) is designed to provide creative, academic, and leadership experiences for a limited number of rising high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic ability and achievement, community involvement, and high intellectual, creative, and leadership potential. MGS strives to have applicants from every school district in the state.
What the program does
Each summer, MGS brings together these high-potential learners from across the state for a two-week program that blends cultural, academic, social, and recreational components into a rich and natural learning environment. Unlike many traditional schools, the Governor’s School model emphasizes formal and informal learning interactions. The community of scholars created by MGS inspires in each other a discovery of self, a love of learning, and a desire to use their gifts and talents to improve society.
How the program works
The MGS curriculum varies from session to session as a matter of necessity, flexibility, and growth. MGS accepts new course proposals each year from university faculty and educators from across the state and beyond. Past courses have explored literary analysis, creative writing, astronomy, fractal geometry, ballroom dancing, historical research, entomology, and philosophy (just to name a few). In addition to MGS courses, scholars participate in a jam-packed schedule of personal development activities, team-building games, recreational activities, and more.
The History of Mississippi Governor’s School
In 1981, Governor William Winter and the Mississippi University for Women administration established the Mississippi Governor’s School (MGS) as a residential honors program. The pilot program ran from June 7-27, 1981, and over 150 students from across the state attended.
According to an executive summary of the pilot program, the “heart of the academic program was thirteen major courses in specific disciplines and one course that dealt with moral and ethical values in all areas. One-half of the student’s time was spent in their major course area, which yielded product and position papers. Short courses, skills courses, meet-the-scholar seminars, and enrichment activities completed the curriculum. Every student and faculty member felt it was the most challenging educational program they had ever known.” The first courses offered at MGS included Field Archaeology, Creative Writing, History of the Olympics, Introduction to Sign Language, Figure Drawing, and Social Psychology.
After the pilot program’s success, MGS became an annual event, providing creative and academic experiences to students from across the state. Since its establishment, MGS has served thousands of scholars, providing each with a high-quality educational program and 3 hours of college course credit. Recently changed from a three-week to a two-week program, MGS maintains its high standard of delivering rigorous coursework and engaging activities for Mississippi’s best and brightest students.