What are Internships?

Internships

The Internship Program, a component of the Career Education (SDV 107) course, provides SWVGS students with extended learning experiences. The supporting sponsors who are willing to dedicate time, talents, and resources are recruited from the surrounding communities. They include businesses, industries, health care facilities, educational institutions, and governmental agencies. The support and efforts of the sponsors and mentors are vital to making the program a success. Their voluntary participation demonstrates developing partnerships among the Governor's School and business, governmental, medical, and higher education organizations.

The Internship Program is an integral component of the Governor School's Study Skills/Career Education class. The purpose of the program is to expose students to applications of science, mathematics, and technology in area businesses, industries, governmental agencies, health care organizations, and universities. The SWVGS guidance counselor and parents of SWVGS students, play important roles in securing opportunities to broaden the scope of the mentor/internship program. Each intern is assigned an internship mentor. The mentor coordinates and supervise the student's activities during his/her internship. Projects and/or problem-solving situations may be included in the internship experiences. Through these internships, students experience new aspects of science and technology outside the classroom and achieve insight into career opportunities.

Students meet with their mentor once a week for approximately three hours weekly during the months of March and April. This hands-on experience will provide the student with more career background information on their chosen career, before they decide on their college major.

What are Student Research Projects?

All SWVGS students are required to complete an independent research project on an approved topic as part of the SCT198 and SCT298 courses which are part of the Core Curriculum at SWVGS. Students are expected to complete meaningful projects that offer new information. Simple projects and step-by-step demonstrations found on many websites are not acceptable projects for SWVGS students.

More information about the SCT Science and Technology Seminar and Project courses is available here.

At the end of each January, SWVGS holds its own science consortium, usually in Edwards Hall at New River Community College. The SWVGS science fair is an opportunity to showcase independent research projects completed by all SWVGS students.

Place awards are given by judges in fourteen different categories. First, Second, and Third place, as well as Honorable Mentions, are awarded based on project merit. Grand award winners are selected in Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences. First place winners of the Southwest Virginia Governor's School Fair will attend the Blue Ridge Highlands Regional Science Fair at Radford University, March 2012. Additional place winners may also attend the Regional Fair according to availability of slots. Participants in the Regional Fair have the opportunity to compete to attend additional Fairs at the State and International levels. The Grand Award winners at the Regional Fair will also win an all-expense paid trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair.