Governor's School for Technological Innovation and Business Leadership (GSTIBL)
Are you seeking an enriching summer experience with college courses, nightly activities, and weekend trips? GSTIBL is a 28-day collegiate experience designed to expose the best and brightest Tennessee high school juniors and seniors to various concepts ranging from business plan writing to organizational management. Our program requires students to work in teams to form a business and pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Students learn from experiential learning activities and top-tier guest speakers who are experts in various fields while creating lifelong friendships.
The Experience
The Curriculum
- Financial Management
- Marketing Plan
- Human Resources
- Strategic Management
- Organizational Behavior
- Business Law and Ethics
- Problem-Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Human-Centered Thinking Models
- Creating Business Models
- Strategic Planning
- Computer Forensics
- Technology Management
- Artificial Intelligence
- Ethical Implications of AI
Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Governor's School for Technological Innovation and Business LeadershipTennessee Tech University
Campus Box #5205
Cookeville, TN 38505
Director:
Dr. Susan Wells(931) 372-3176
GSBIT@tntech.edu
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday8am to 4:30pm CST
2024 Staff
Frequently Asked Questions
- » Who is eligible?
Rising juniors and senior students who are bright, highly motivated, and enrolled in Tennessee‘s public and private high schools. To be eligible, students can either rank at the top of their high school class in performance/capability or be highly talented in the fields to which they are applying. Each student applying must submit confidential recommendations from their guidance counselor and two teachers who identify the applicant as talented, highly motivated, mature, and dedicated. Rising juniors will apply during their sophomore year of high school, while rising seniors will apply during their junior year.
- » What does it cost?
The only costs to attend Governor's School include:
- Personal spending money for outings and trips ($100 suggested)
- Personal items
- Off-campus meals
All other living expenses - residence halls, university tuition & fees, and on-campus meals- will be covered. The Department of Education funds the Governor's School program through funds appropriated by the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee. If transportation to the school is a financial problem, applicants should contact the school's director to which they are applying.
- » When is the deadline for applications?
Applications must be received by January 17, 2024. NOTE: Guidance counselors may set an earlier deadline for materials to be returned to the student's home school so that the applications can be mailed by the required deadline. Guidance Counselors should send all application materials directly to the governor's school(s) to which the students apply. Students applying to multiple schools must rank the schools in order of preference on the top right corner of the Certification of Application Form. Applications received directly from students will not be considered.
- » When will students be notified of selection for acceptance or alternate status?
Notifications will be emailed out to all applicants in early February. Applicants will receive separate notification letters from each school to which they applied. Suppose an applicant does not meet the Governor‘s School GPA requirement and other prerequisites. In that case, the application will go into an ineligible file, and the Governor‘s School will not send any correspondence regarding the ineligible application.
- » When will roommates be assigned?
You will find out your roommate upon arrival at Governor's School.
- » How will students be selected?
Committees appointed by the directors in consultation with the state Department of Education must receive all required application material, transcripts, personal data sheets, and recommendations. Based on the application information, the committees will be looking for the most exceptional students in Tennessee. The committees will also select several alternates for each school. Applicants will receive a letter from each school they apply to notify them if they have been accepted, rejected, or selected as an alternate.
- » Is transportation provided to/from church?
Applicants may obtain transportation information from the directors of the individual schools.
- » Can students apply for more than one school?
Yes, but the applicant must rank the schools (1 = most preferred, 2, 3, etc.) in order of preference. However, since the dates of the programs overlap, students accepted to more than one school will have to decide which program they would most like to attend.
- » Can students leave for social events, family gatherings, etc?
No. The program is intensive and highly individualized. Classes and special activities are planned for the entire four weeks, INCLUDING WEEKENDS. Absences from scheduled activities will not be permitted except in the case of emergencies or religious activities, with permission from the director. Students will not be excused to attend other camps, family vacations, weddings, etc. Students should come prepared to stay, study, and have fun!