A summer educational program offered to Georgia’s gifted high school students may soon be shortened due to state budget cuts.

The Governor’s Honors Program, a six-week program offered to rising high school juniors and seniors, may be condensed to four weeks, based on a recommendation from the state schools superintendent, Kathy Cox.

The recommendation is in response to Gov. Sonny Perdue’s request from state departments, including the department of education, for budget proposals that reflect a 4, 6 and 8 percent cut. Cox’s budget proposal includes a 22 percent cut in funding for the Governor’s Honors Program, according to an article from the Atlanta Journal- Constitution.

“We realize the state is in tough economic times, and that all government agencies have to cut back,” said Casey Sharp, a senior from Powder Springs who attended GHP in 2005. “But the Governor’s Honor Program represents such a miniscule fraction of the education budget. It is the most efficient educational program in the state.”

To attend GHP, high school students must be nominated by their teachers based on their demonstration of exceptional intellectual or artistic abilities. GHP candidates must pass two interviews – at the county and state levels – before being accepted into the program.

Over the summer, students live at Valdosta State University, taking classes in their chosen major and minor six days a week and five days a week, respectively, for six weeks. Major areas of study include communicative arts, science, art, music and foreign language.

“Classes were amazing because they delved into different subjects that you wouldn’t find in high school, like a class on satire and The Simpsons and a Vietnam poetry class,” said Monica Cresse, a communicative arts major and Spanish minor at GHP in 2006.

Cresse said four weeks is not enough time.

“I think six weeks is very important because you can settle into the experience and go deeper,” she said. “Four weeks wouldn’t allow you to go deeper. You would just scratch the surface.”

One reason students accomplish so much learning at GHP is because they are not graded on their work, said Melissa Harward, a junior from Hoschton.

“Probably one of the best things about GHP is it entices people to learn on their own, instead of worrying about their grade point average or SAT score,” Harward said. “You follow and build your own interest. You get what you put into it.”

Being surrounded by other students eager to learn also enriches the learning environment, she said.

“You’re with all of these people who aren’t exactly minded as you, but very similarly minded – very intelligent and very creative people – all in this ‘one big magic square,’ is what we called it,” she said. “Most people I’ve talked to and most people who went to GHP dreaded going back to their regular high school after experiencing GHP because it’s such a different environment and such a great learning environment that your high school experience seems miniscule compared to it.”

Harward joined a Facebook group called “Save GHP!” to show her support against cutting the program.

“It would be absolutely horrible if they shut it down forever,” she said.

Sharp thinks the cut will severely affect the value of the program. He created an event asking all GHP alumni to write their state legislators and Gov. Perdue expressing why the program is important and should not be shortened.

“I believe the Governor’s Honors Program is one of the programs that makes our state great,” he said. “It is the hallmark of the public education system at our state, and it should be preserved at all costs.”