Erin Cantrell-Pryor, a rising Junior at DCHS, was among 80 young rising Juniors and Senior students from across the state to be selected to attend the Tennessee Governor’s School for Science and Engineering held on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. This year over 500 students applied and 80 were selected based on grades, test scores, essay responses, leadership and other selective criteria. While there, Erin will be earing six college credits in science and math during her five-week stay.
The Governor’s Schools were proposed by Governor Lamar Alexander and mandated by the legislature in 1984 to serve the needs of top high school students in the state. The Governor’s School for the Sciences began as the Governor’s School for Manufacturing Engineering in 1996. The two programs were merged under a single director in 2007.
In 2005, the Governor’s Schools were  changed from a four-week non-credit format to five-week college-credit programs. Students earn at least six hours of college credit by enrolling in two courses taught by college and university faculty carefully chosen for their ability to work with high school students. In the Governor’s School for the Sciences, all students take a core course, The Logic of Science, which teaches the essential deductive and inductive logic skills used by practicing scientists. In addition, students develop better writing skills and learn how to communicate effectively using the World Wide Web. The second course is an elective chosen from biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics. The specific courses vary from year to year depending on the instructor.
The formal academic program is supplemented by a series of evening guest lectures and an extensive social and recreational program. There is no cost to the student other than transportation to and from the site and incidental expenses. The Governor’s Schools are financially supported by a contract with the Tennessee Department of Education. Classrooms, laboratories and equipment, and other support are provided by the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Engineering and the departments and programs that offer the specific courses.