Help transform the lives of South Carolina's most promising writers as they learn the value of craft and sound writing techniques from experienced, published authors.

The South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts & Humanities Foundation supports the Governor's School Creative Writing Department by funding needs not met by state operating funds, such as underwriting special programs, projects, and experiences offered at the school by providing financial and other assistance:

Guest Artists

Guests artists play a valuable role in the classroom and make the Governor's School experience so unique compared to other schools.  

"I believe that the guest artist program is extremely valuable for me, my peers, this school, and even my teachers. We’re constantly growing, and it's through other people that we learn how. An outside perspective (or in this case a writer) is extremely beneficial because there are certain things that can't be learned until someone asks a question. Through reading and talking to other artists I learn new skills and philosophies that my teachers, as intelligent and creative as they are, may not have thought to teach me because it's not their artistic style” - Class of 2022 Creative Writing Student

Last school year, the Foundation funded over $6,000 to bring professional guest artists to campus including:

  •  Stephen Graham Jones, a New York Times Bestselling Author who has published over twenty books and won numerous Shirley Jackson Awards, Bram Stoker Awards and a Ray Bradbury Award.
  • Emilia Phillips, currently a faculty member at UNC-Greensboro is a poet and the author of Embouchure. She is the winner of a Pushcart award and has published four chapbooks. 
  • Julia Ridley-Smith, the 2020-21 Kenan Visiting Writer at North Carolina-Chapel Hill is the author of The Sum of Trifles, released by University of Georgia Press in 2021. Her second book, a collection of stories will be released in 2024.

Department Support 

As a residential arts school, students have unique needs and opportunities, and the Foundation is committed to assuring access to those opportunities to all students. The Foundation supports special learning experiences and other costs including field trips, guest adjudicators, competition fees, and student reading awards.

How YOU can make a difference
 

Your tax-deductible gift to the foundation ensures that cost is not a barrier for any student who is accepted to the Governor's School, elevates the school’s learning environment, and makes our one-of-a-kind arts community possible.

Please consider making a gift today so our young artists can share their gifts for years to come. With a monthly donation, you can show your support of the Governor's School all year-round.