UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Applications are now being accepted for the 2014 Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences, which will take place July 13 to Aug. 9 at Penn State's University Park campus.
The application for this challenging program is available online at http://agsci.psu.edu/governors-school. Students applying must be current high school juniors and residents of Pennsylvania.
The application must be submitted by April 25. Students selected to attend the Governor's Schools receive full scholarships, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, participating universities, and private and corporate donations.
After being closed in 2008, the Governor's Schools were reinstated by Gov. Tom Corbett in summer 2013 with the reopening of the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. The Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences is one of two additional Governor's Schools for 2014, along with the Governor's School for Engineering and Technology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.
"I am pleased that Penn State and Lehigh universities have agreed to host these programs, providing high school students with opportunities to experience hands-on training and high-quality learning," Corbett said. "The agriculture, engineering and technology industries are critical to Pennsylvania's economic growth, and I thank each university for joining with my administration by investing in additional resources for students."
The Governor's School for the Agricultural Sciences will bring 40 academically talented and gifted students together to get a broad overview of the diverse fields of agriculture and natural resources, to learn about educational opportunities and careers in the agricultural sciences, and to get a taste of college life.
For four weeks, participants live and eat in campus residence halls as they explore such topics as animal and plant sciences, food science, engineering, environmental and natural resource conservation, and community awareness. Students will participate in challenging courses and research projects with Penn State faculty and program staff.
"To meet the challenges of feeding a growing world population and conserving and enhancing our natural resources, we need the best and brightest young minds to take an interest in these fields of study," said Tracy Hoover, associate dean for undergraduate education in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.
"The Governor's School is a great way for these students to learn about the diverse educational and job opportunities available in the agricultural sciences," she said. "Participants will have a leg up on pursuing a fulfilling career that will allow them to make a real difference in people's lives."