Students in Southwest Virginia are often confronted with challenges their peers in other parts of Virginia do not experience. The distance between schools, the rugged terrain, and the harsh winter weather serve as formidable impediments to providing a traditional, single-building Governor's School. Consequently, an innovative solution to these barriers had to be created. The result was Virginia's first "virtual governor's school," the A. Linwood Holton Governor's School, which is named for a former governor of Virginia who grew up in Southwest Virginia.Using sophisticated distance learning and Internet based telecommunications technologies to deliver an advanced curriculum especially designed for gifted and talented students in their home schools, the A. Linwood Holton Governor's School fills a unique need in a very innovative way. Students from 42 high schools use "state of the art" LearnLinc software to attend classes, listen to lectures, participate in discussions, complete lab activities, etc. - from their school, home, or almost anywhere. Many of their tests are also completed and submitted online. Students enjoy a number of other advantages as well: Most of the content for the school's courses is online, as well as available in the textbooks provided, and is accessible to students at any time and place. Many educational tools and a large collection of supplementary material are available on the school's web site. The technology provides students with their own email accounts, and makes it easy for them to communicate with their teachers, collaborate with other students, etc. Teachers can post announcements to students, distribute class notes that may have been missed, provide a quiz which can be taken online and much more. Class sessions are recorded and archived and are available from the school's web site. This feature enhances the learning environment by providing students the opportunity to revisit material they need to review, catch up on classes they may have missed, etc. The Holton Governor's School serves students in 15 separate school districts and 42 high schools in Southwest Virginia including the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe, in addition to the cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton.