Resources For Educators

“ In my almost twenty years of teaching, I have never seen a student come back from their experience at Governor's Institutes unchanged. They gain so much more than skills in their chosen content areas; they come back tall with empowerment, confidence, and a wider worldview. The Governor's Institute has the power to critically change the trajectory of a student's future for the better, and we know our youth need these experiences now more than ever.”

— Natalie Gaines, North Country Union High School, 2026

GIV Works With Every Vermont School

Thank you for supporting your students as they apply for GIV! We know you work so hard to inspire and challenge them.

By supporting students in attending GIV, you are giving your students a summer they’ll never forget. Our Institutes are defined by powerful learning, lifelong friendships, and exposure to whole new horizons for their futures. We are incredibly grateful for your initiative and support.

Student Application Information

The student application has two steps that educators can support: recommendations and reviews.

The recommendation step asks student applicants to elect two non-parent adults to receive requests for recommendations. These adults will be sent a recommendation form via email that allows the adult to speak to that student’s strengths.

The review step is automatic and is only for GIV Ambassadors assigned at each school. When a student from a Vermont-area school applies, their GIV Ambassador is notified via email. GIV Ambassadors can leave brief reviews for students based on their readiness.

2026 Application Season Important Dates:

Monday 1/5/2026 Applications Open
Tuesday 3/31/2026 Applications Close for Students
Thursday 4/2/2026 Portal Closes for all Recommendations/Reviews

Useful Links:

Have questions about the application process? Please contact us at [email protected] or (802) 865-4448.

Each Institute Offers Credits & Proficiencies!

GIV can support your students by offering them high school credit, PLP entries, proficiency-based graduation requirements, or even college credit.

Explore our latest Academic Guide for a detailed overview of the many opportunities for students at each GIV Institute, including those that offer college credit!

2026 GIV Academic Guide

Compare & Explore the 2026 Institutes

GIV 2026 Institute- Global Issues & Youth Action

GIV 2026 Institute- Mathematical Sciences

GIV 2026 Institute- Weather & Climate Science

Want to see the impact of GIV’s offerings?

Learn more about how GIV supports young people in Vermont.

Bring GIV Into Your School Community!

We are eager to work with you and your school to encourage your students to apply to GIV! We would love to visit your school community and share our student-focused and student-driven presentations about GIV. Click here to contact us about visiting!
Speak with students in 9^th, 10^th, and 11^th grade about GIV and encourage them to apply during open application time (January-March). Helping students stay on track of deadlines is a huge help!
Share text blurbs or promotional photos on social media, Front Porch Forum, or in newsletters. Check out the ready-to-share assets at giv.org/promo
Put up flyers and share promotional materials in your school and community. Contact us at [email protected] to have physical copies mailed to you!
Come see the magic for yourself! GIV can help arrange a visit while the Institutes are happening. We find that folks who have seen the transformative experience that is GIV are our best advocates! Contact us at [email protected] and we can arrange a visit and tour.

Student Fit and Accommodations

Are you wondering if GIV is a good fit for a student you know? To attend, students should have:

Deep interest in or passion for the topic matter of the Institute.
Ability to participate fully in the Institute (with accommodations if needed).
Readiness to attend a residential overnight program, with both a personal desire to participate fully and the emotional maturity to succeed through an extended period away from home.

GIV is fully committed to student accessibility. Though not every student will be a good fit for our programs, we encourage you to recommend students despite any physical or mental challenges, language barriers, or academic achievement.

For more information on how GIV can accommodate your students’ specific needs, please reach out to [email protected].

2026 Institute Information & Promotional Materials

Here's what GIV educators and students want you to know:

Jesse Rufenacht (Asian Cultures 2002 Alum & VT Educator)

Isabel Pless (Arts 2016 Alum and Professional Musician)

And some more thoughts...

“ As a rural state, many of the high schools GIV draws from are unable to offer advanced [or specialized] instruction. As a result, the exposure GIV is able to give attendees is simply irreplaceable through other avenues. Without question, GIV is the best experience I can recommend to Vermont families interested in enrichment for their students. The leadership of the program is strong and the structure of the camp is exemplary. I give GIV my highest recommendation!”

– Christopher Danforth, Professor, UVM Department of Mathematics and Statistics

“ The change I saw in my students during our second year together after coming back from GIV was beyond measuring; they grew in maturity, complexity, energy, and compassion. They learned to network, build relationships, and seek communities within their interests and aspirations.”

– CTE Media Arts Teacher, 2021

“ These institutes offer students the opportunity to participate in a rigorous, relevant, focused study. ”

– Harwood Union High School Teacher, 2022

“ [The GIV Institutes] are very diverse and focus on topics and activities that excite students. The activities are interesting, hands-on, and relevant to today's world. My students value the experience every year.”

– Montpelier High School Teacher, 2022

“ [I was surprised by] how much I was actually excited to get up and go to class every day. I started off very nervous, but everyone was so welcoming and nice that I ended up really excited and happy to be there!”

– Arts Institute Student, 2022

“ When talking to a faculty member and hearing her describe all the research she does, it made me realize how diverse opportunities are in the scientific field, and that I really could find something I love and do it as work.”

– Environmental Science Student, 2022

GIV Ambassadors from Schools

GIV Ambassadors act as our connection to each school community and can help with the application process.

GIV Ambassadors will be notified via email when students from their school apply. Ambassadors will then be prompted to provide a brief review of those students’ readiness to participate in GIV.

Thank you to all of our GIV Ambassadors for their help supporting student applicants!

Learn more about GIV and see how the experience kickstarts careers with our Alumni video series!

Check Out GIV Videos