Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Governor’s School Program

The Summer Residential Governor's Schools (SRGS) are month-long residential programs for current year tenth- and eleventh-grade gifted students in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The 2024 Visual and Performing Arts Summer Residential Governor’s School will be held June 23 – July 20, 2024, and programs include:

  • Dance 
  • Instrumental Music
  • Theatre
  • Visual Arts
  • Vocal Music

The 2024 VPA program has a separate application, process and timeline than the Academic and Mentorship Programs. Students interested in applying to the 2024 VPA program should refer to the information available ONLY on this page as it is different than the academic program information. The deadline to register for the VPA program is November 3, 2023. No late registrations are accepted.

Other Summer Programs

Students interested in applying to other summer programs need to refer to that program's page for timelines and applications.

GOVERNOR’S WORLD LANGUAGE ACADEMIES (GWLA) PROGRAM

The deadline to submit interest is November 10, 2023.
Governor’s World Language Academies Program Information

SUMMER RESIDENTIAL GOVERNOR'S SCHOOLS (SRGS) PROGRAMS

The deadline to submit interest is November 3, 2023.
Summer Residential Governor's Schools Information

Eligibility

  • Must be in 10th or 11th grade.
  • May not be a current applicant to another program in academics or world languages.
  • Must demonstrate above average ability in an artform.
  • Must be willing to attend adjudication on one of the 3 designated dates.
  • Must possess the self-discipline and maturity to live away from home for an extended period of time.

Student Interest Form and Adjudication

  • Any student wanting to apply for a VPA program must complete the interest form no later than November 3, 2023. No late applications are accepted.
  • Schools will be sent a list of all interested students in November. Each school has a limited number of adjudication spaces available and a panel of fine arts teachers will determine who may participate.  
  • A final list of FCPS students will be sent to the state and be scheduled for adjudication on one of the 3 dates:
    • January 5-6, 2024 at Briar Woods High, Ashburn
    • January 13, 2024 at Radford University
    • January 19-20, 2024 at Norfolk Governor's School for the Arts and Courtyard Marriott Downtown
  • Information about adjudication appointments will be sent beginning December 6, 2023.
In the case of inclement weather or illness on the day of adjudication, refer to the Radford University governor school webpage for directions.

Application

  • The application can be downloaded from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) webpage. Scroll down to the Applications and Resource Materials section.
  • The application is due to your school contact no later than January 31, 2024. No late applications are accepted. (See a list of school contacts below.)
  • You must use your legal name on the application.
  • Page 1 of the application should be typed, then signed and dated by the student.
  • Page 2 also should be typed and should highlight the top 3 for each category. A second page can be included but beyond 2 pages is not necessary.
  • Page 3 needs to be signed by a parent and then initialed by the student and parent.
  • Page 4 should be completed by the teacher or private teacher who currently works with you in your discipline.
    • The rating scale along with the letter of recommendation (for pages 4 and 5) should be returned directly to the school contact.
    • The letter of recommendation should be on letterhead and signed in ink.
  • Page 5: The second recommendation does not have to be a fine arts teacher but it should be completed a teacher who knows you and your work habits well.
    • Again, the rating scale along with the letter of recommendation (for pages 4 and 5) should be returned directly to your school contact.
    • The letter of recommendation should be on letterhead and signed in ink.

What Happens Next?

  • A district nomination committee meets and ranks all applicants based on final scores. The final list of applicants is sent to the state to be considered for selection in the 2023 SRGS program.
  • The state makes the final selections in March.
  • The state notifies students directly in mid-April of their status.

VPA School Contacts

Each school contact has one or more staff members available to support the student during the VPA application process. In some cases, the VPA contacts are different from the academic school contacts. Refer to the academic programs page for the academic school contact information, application details and timeline for the Schools for Humanities, Math/Science/Technology, Medicine/Health, Agriculture, Engineering, and Marine Science.

School Contact
Annandale High Nick Zubieta
Centreville High Charles Brinkley
Chantilly High Shuntina Taylor
Becky Clonts
Edison High Joann Quinia
Melissa Johnson
Fairfax High Dara Markenson
Falls Church High Madelein Doudaklian
Lan Nguyen
Hayfield High Kellie Rodriguez-Lee
Herndon High Wendy Labenow
Mathew DellOrso
Kie Anderson
Justice High Wilson Harvey
Lake Braddock High Megan Cashman
Langley High Natalie Malone
Lewis High Dave Checcino
Madison High Joelle Shin
Erin Kennedy
Marshall High Tiffany Powell
Mclean High Patty McNeill
Mount Vernon High Sara Freeland
Bryce Green
Oakton High Laura Osborne
Jessica Vilbas
Robinson High Taylor Oakley
Diana Glakas
South County High Laura Hanley
Mehreen Naghmi
South Lakes High Patrick Tubbins
Oliver Goodridge
Jefferson Sci/Tech High Samantha Wolf
West Potomac High Michael Shapiro
Stephanie Bluestein
West Springfield High Kay Rizzuto
Westfield High Jennifer Fargo
Donna Leone
Woodson High Neal Wentz