Every summer since 1982, high school students from Vermont and beyond spend up to two weeks living on college campuses and immersing themselves in current affairs, math, engineering, the arts, and other topics. This is the transformative experience offered by the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont which “provides young people with intensive, hands-on learning experiences in college settings, igniting academic and creative passions, building confidence and leadership, and expanding students’ sense of possibility.” Some 88 percent of alumni say GIV was one of their most important life experiences. Leaders and participants discuss the role and promise of GIV:

• Karen Taylor Mitchell, executive director, Governor’s Institute of Vermont
• Simon Norton, co-director, Governor’s Institute on Current Issues and Youth Activism, School for International Training, Brattleboro 
• Madelyn Koff, student and GIV participant, Hartford High School