There are many opportunities available to students. We post info here about any events that are shared with us but VCS does not endorse the opportunities. We will update the program dates/deadlines each year as information becomes available, but keep last year's list posted so that students can be aware of the opportunities.

NC House Page Program- 4 day experience This program offers young men and women the opportunity to learn about, and participate in, the legislative process of our state. It is a four day long experience that allows high school students that are currently in grades 10, 11 or 12 to observe firsthand how our laws are made. It provides them the unique privilege of working in the House Chamber in the midst of legislative action. For more info, visit www.ncleg.gov/House/​PageProgram. Applications are accepted until all weeks have been filled.

NC Senate Page Program- 4 day experience This program offers young men and women the opportunity to learn about and participate in the legislative process of our state. It is an experience that allows high school students in 10th, 11th and 12th grade to observe firsthand how our laws are made. It provides them the unique privilege of working on the Senate Chamber floor in the midst of legislative action. For more info, visit https://www.ncleg.gov/​Senate/PageProgram. Applications are accepted until all weeks have been filled.

NC Governor's Page Program- 4 day experience Since 1973, the Governor's Page Program has provided high school students an opportunity to spend a week in Raleigh learning about state government. Each week, Pages are assigned to a state government agency or office to assist employees with daily responsibilities. Pages tour several historic landmarks, including the State Capitol, the Legislative Building and the Executive Mansion. Pages also participate in service projects and have the opportunity to meet elected officials. Applicants must be a junior, senior or recent graduate. For more info visit http://governor.nc.gov/​citizen-services/governors-​page-program

Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce Student Leadership Institute - Sophomores and juniors attending schools in Vance County are invited to apply for this new program. The program is free and limited spaces are available. The program will include 6 sessions and a graduation. Contact Mrs. Seifert for details and the application. Applications are due by September 19, 2023.

Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center hosts several different types of summer leadership and service camps. These all take place in Durham, but if you are able to get there, they are open to students in our area.

• Impact Camps- 4 different week-long urban mission-type experiences for rising 9th-12th graders; Meet at a different nonprofit each day to learn what they do and then work on a service project; leadership training and reflective activities;https://thevolunteercenter.org/impact/
• Model UN- Grow student leadership and diplomatic debate skills, build confidence in public speaking and learn about global issues; Rising 10th-12th graders; Held at Duke Corporate Education Center July 17-21;https://thevolunteercenter.org/model-un-week/
• Civic Engagement Leadership Institute- intensive leadership enrichment experience; explore root causes of social issues, hear from community leaders and address a community need; Rising 10th-12th graders; Held at Duke Corporate Education Center July 24-28;https://thevolunteercenter.org/celi/
• Check out their additional student opportunities that occur during the school year -https://thevolunteercenter.org/other-student-resources/;Voices: An Oral History Project is an opportunity for high school students interested in journalism and writing. Register by April 21; starts in late April and runs to mid-May.

ACE Academy - An Aviation Career Education Summer Camp Learn about UAV safety training, basic aeronautics & airport operations, aviation history/career exploration, drone pilot training, model rocketry and other STEM activities. We'll have guest speakers and field trips. Daily sessions 9am - 3pm; Open to rising 7th-12th graders (limited to 15 students per week); Cost: $125 (financial assistance available); Register athttps://www.vgcc.edu/​dronecamp/

• June 12-16 at VGCC Main Campus in Henderson
• June 19-23 at VGCC Franklin Campus in Louisburg

Free Enterprise Leadership Challenge Learn the power of free enterprise and the power of the American Dream. Meet influential business leaders and grow your personal network. Rising sophomores, juniors and seniors are invited to apply for this 5-day leadership program.  Camps are held at 6 different colleges (2 in NC - Wingate and Campbell University) and virtually. More info at www.felcexperience.org.

US Senator Thom Tillis is hosting a 2023 Service Academy Information Day virtually on April 15th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Representatives from the Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy, Military Academy at West Point, Naval Academy, the North Carolina National Guard, and ROTC will discuss opportunities for graduating high school students.  If you are interested in learning more about these programs and application process, make sure to join this virtual event. Below are several links from Senator Tillis about his 2023 Service Academy Information Day and nomination process. Click here to register for 2023 Service Academy Information Day Click here to learn more about my Service Academy nomination process

Future Teachers of NC: Eastern NC Symposium is a free 2-day event open to rising high school juniors, seniors and current seniors who are interested in becoming a teacher. The Eastern NC Symposium is a collaboration among East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke and the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. This is a great resume builder and a great highlight for scholarship opportunities! More info - https://encfutureteachers.ecu.​edu

National Student Leadership Conference offers precollege summer opportunities to high school students. They sponsor programs at 12 different universities covering a wide range of career interests. Program spaces are limited, so apply soon if interested.

Institute for Future Agricultural Leaders (IFAL) is week-long leadership development program for rising high school seniors interested in careers in agriculture. Sponsored by NC Farm Bureau, the IFAL will run June 11-16, 2023 at 2 locations - NCSU and NC A&T University.  It's an exciting week filled with leadership development, exploration of agricultural career opportunities, and service learning. Applications are due by the end of March.

NC State University hosts three pre-college programs for rising juniors and seniors to learn about higher education opportunities and cultural reinforcement. This is for students to find and build a strong sense of community while also preparing for the college application process and university experience. All summer programs will be in person, and students will stay in residence halls for their participation. Please encourage students to apply if they have a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.4 or higher or are in the top 15% of their class and are interested in pursuing college. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 7. For more information, visit the Pre-College Programs website.

The NCSU Red Hat Shelton Challenge is a six-day residential enrichment program designed to teach high school students leadership concepts such as ethical decision-making, effective communication, goal setting and more. Students will participate in team-building exercises like low-high ropes courses, service projects and social activities in the evenings. Each student must submit a 2023 Red Shelton Challenge application along with two references. Students are assigned their program week based on availability and preference once their application and references have been submitted. Cost and Timeline- If selected, the student will receive an acceptance notification and will be prompted to pay $800 total, including lodging, meals and program curriculum. In their application, students will be able to indicate if their attendance is dependent upon receiving financial assistance and they will receive an email with further support. Program applications and financial assistance applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, beginning in March. Dates for Summer 2023

• Week One: June 11 - 16
• Week Two: June 25 - 30
• Week Three: July 9 - 14
• Week Four: July 16 - 21

AI Summer Camp- Interested in learning about AI, gaining technical experience, and AI internship opportunities? We are AI Camp! Founded by Stanford Ph.D.s, we provide quality AI education, opening doors into the tech industry and providing scholarships to top students! We want to offer Vance Charter students priority access to our 2023 Summer Scholarship application! In 2022, we taught over 1000 students who developed hundreds of awesome AI projects! Some of these include:

• Video games like Temple Run, Super Mario, and Stardew Valley!
• Software to detect plant species, heart disease, and food allergies!
• AI Bots that can be your friend, tell you jokes, or write your emails!

Our spots for our Summer 2023 Camp are filling up fast! We want to offer Vance Charter School students priority access to our early decision scholarship to secure their place for Summer 2023! Students can apply now till February 19 to receive a decision by March! You can find the application here.

Wake AHEC Virtual Mini Medical School- This ​live, online program includes:  anatomy & physiology (dissection), pharmacology, cardiology, epidemiology, medical genetics, a health careers roundtable, and genomics, among other topics taught by Becky Brady, a registered nurse and chemical engineer and guest speakers.  In addition, you will learn how to perform CPR (please note, due to the online nature of the camp this is not CPR certification).  Students must have internet capabilities to join the live Zoom conferences in order to participate. The program will be Thursdays from 4 – 6 pm March 16 - April 13, 2023 with additional instruction on Tuesday, March 21st and Tuesday, April 11th from 4 – 6pm.  The cost is only $50.00 for the whole program, which includes materials and kits (including organic chemistry set, blood pressure kit, inflatable CPR manikin, and more) which will be mailed prior to camp.   You may register via the website. Space is limited and the program usually fills up very quickly (within a couple days) so be sure and sign up as soon as possible!

Chowan University invites students to apply for their summer Campapalooza - a 5-day academic summer camp for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors. They will live on campus, have their meals in the University cafeteria, and spend their days engaged in exciting academic activities with our University Faculty. Complete the online form for more information.

Emerging Journalists Program at Elon University - Explore what it means to be a journalist, to report and to produce news that informs communities. There are 2 programs. Applications are now open. Apply ASAP because the Exposure program starts this month. 1. Exposure is a virtual program that is open to any high school student who wishes to apply. There will be 4  online workshops on foundational journalism skills, including News Gathering & Writing; Editing & Design; Photojournalism & Multimedia Broadcast; and Law & Ethics. You'll receive a certificate of completion for completing all 4 session assessments. 2. Immersion is a summer, on-campus residential learning workshop hosted at Elon University. Current high school juniors who successfully complete the Exposure program may apply (you can apply for both concurrently). Students who complete the Immersion program will be assigned two mentors — an Elon communications student and a professional journalist — to help identify, report and produce multimedia stories during their senior year of high school.

Meredith College is hosting an on-campus leadership conference for high school juniors who are interested in developing and sharpening their leadership skills. The Meredith College Office of Student Leadership and Service, in conjunction with the Office of Admissions, will host this free conference on Saturday, February 11, 2023. Register by Feb 5.