Jobs and Kentucky workers are the backbone of the state’s economy.
Preparing young students for secondary education and careers is a critical step in this economy. That’s why I am proud to discuss one of our longest-running statewide education programs, the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA).
The program has, for 36 years, engaged and educated young people by expanding their artistic and academic horizons to support their dreams as artists and to enhance skillsets in non-arts jobs and careers.
Each summer, rising high-school sophomores and juniors gather at a college campus in an immersive residential program to learn from art educators, as well as each other.
Often, finding peers who see the world in the same ways opens their eyes to possibilities that did not exist before.
Many of these young relationships forged at GSA last for years and decades.
During their three weeks at GSA, students learn in one of nine focus areas of their choosing: creative writing, dance, design, drama, film and photography, instrumental music, musical theatre, visual art and vocal music.
Throughout their time during the tuition-free program, they are immersed in the arts, attending classes, guest lectures and performances, and conferring with arts educators. They emerge with a newfound understanding and confidence of how their talent can impact their academic and career futures.
While many students do pursue arts careers after attending GSA, many do not.
They instead take the skills they honed during the program, like critical thinking, decision-making, collaboration and more, and funnel them into non-arts professions, such as medicine, law, business, management and more.
GSA, if anything, is an excellent training ground for students to build skill sets that apply to all professions.
We have seen 8,000 students graduate from GSA over the last 36 years. Graduates are from every Kentucky county, and many have remained in Kentucky. In fact, 95% of the students from the 2023 class reported that the experience inspired them to be a better advocate for Kentucky.
It is my goal to continue to educate the people of Kentucky about this amazing opportunity that has impacted the lives of thousands of young people, with many sharing success stories about how GSA changed their lives.
For many students, GSA creates opportunities for potential life-changing college scholarships.
GSA is a public/private partnership inaugurated in 1987 by the Kentucky Center, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and numerous private supporters.
Today, the vital funding required to make GSA a reality is provided by the state through the leadership of the General Assembly, the Governor’s Office, and the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, as well as the Kentucky Center Endowment Fund, David F. Young and Cheryl Cahill, Toyota Motor Manufacturing and more than 300 corporations, parents, educators, alumni and friends of GSA.
The University of Kentucky is the current host campus for GSA.
To learn more about GSA, visit kentuckygsa.org.