Northwestern University

Center for Talent Development
Evanston, Illinois

For More Information, Contact
Center for Talent Development
617 Dartmouth Place
Evanston, Illinois 60208
847-491-3782
http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu

Type of Program: Residential and commuter academic summer program for academically talented youth
Participants: Coeducational, students completing grades pre-K–12
Enrollment: 1,000 per session
Head of Program: Deborah Jung Lee, Summer Program Coordinator

Location

Northwestern University (NU) is located in Evanston, Illinois, approximately 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Northwestern University’s 240-acre campus includes beaches, tennis courts, a lagoon, and a sports and aquatics center. The parklike campus also offers convenient access to Chicago’s vibrant cultural life, famous architecture, and bustling metropolitan atmosphere. However, Northwestern is more than another pretty campus. Established in 1851, it is considered one of the premier universities in the United States, well known for its top-notch academic programs, world-class faculty members, and superbly qualified student body.
    Center for Talent Development (CTD), part of NU’s School of Education and Social Policy, provides services and resources to academically talented students and their families. The summer program also occurs at sites other than Evanston and the Chicago suburbs. Sites include the Civic Leadership Institute in downtown Chicago and Equinox (for students completing grades 9–12) and Spectrum (for students completing grades 7–8) at Case Western Reserve University. Spectrum and Equinox are joint programs of Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development and Case Western Reserve University.
    Participants in the Civic Leadership Institute live on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). This location, adjacent to Chicago’s Loop, allows students access to educational and recreational opportunities throughout the city. Field studies and service projects take students to vibrant ethnic neighborhoods like Greektown, Chinatown, and Pilsen. On evenings and weekends, students visit the city’s famous historical and cultural sites, as well as tourist attractions like Navy Pier, Millennium Park, and the Magnificent Mile. Living downtown provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to experience all that this incredible city has to offer.
    Case Western Reserve University, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation’s leading independent research universities. It occupies 550 acres in University Circle, a parklike concentration of approximately fifty cultural, medical, educational, religious, and social service institutions located at the eastern edge of the city center. University Circle attracts visitors from throughout the region to its concerts, theater performances, athletic events, art shows, public lectures, exhibits, and restaurants. Housing, shopping, and recreational facilities are all located in the area.

Background and Philosophy

Celebrating more than twenty years of summer programming, CTD has continued to expand its scope to provide high-quality academic enrichment and acceleration for gifted precollegiate students. The success of these programs stems from CTD’s unique commitment to research on the psychology, sociology, and education of gifted learners; the staff’s experience of working with academically talented students on a year-round basis; and the program’s ability to attract innovative master teachers.
While academics come first, CTD summer programs also provide a rich, supervised setting for the social interactions and friendships so important to a student’s developing self-concept. An added distinction of CTD is its accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is the only center for gifted education in the country to receive this distinction.
CTD’s high academic standards and diverse student body ensure that students learn not only from their teachers but also from one another. While students share a passion for learning and discovering and the intellectual capacity for advanced academic work, they also possess unique backgrounds and experiences. In 2007, CTD students came to Northwestern from urban, suburban, and rural settings in more than forty states and thirteen countries. About one half of the students return for a second year, and about 70 percent choose to reside on campus for their three-week class.

Program Offerings

The Center for Talent Development offers four academic programs: Leapfrog (students completing pre-K–grade 3), Apogee (completing grades 4–6), Spectrum (completing grades 7–8), and Equinox (completing grades 9–12). Leapfrog is a commuter-only weekly program held for three 1-week sessions.
    Apogee, Spectrum, and Equinox students at CTD enroll in one class for a three-week period. Apogee also provides a one-week option for those students completing grade 4. CTD offers more than ninety classes in the sciences, humanities, writing, mathematics, and more. Classes meet for 5¼ hours a day. Classes are not held on weekends, but study sessions for residential students are available on Saturdays and Sundays. In order to maximize personal attention to the learner, CTD summer courses are limited to 18 students per class, and each class has both a master teacher and a teaching assistant.
    Equinox also offers the Civic Leadership Institute, which combines engaging academic work with community service and hands-on field experiences, in order to help young people develop the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills they need to make a positive impact on society.
    Participants have opportunities to interact with intellectual peers and develop friendships, engage in recreational activities, and enjoy local events and resources, ranging from swimming in Lake Michigan to attending Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts under the stars.

Facilities

Residential students live in dormitories under the supervision of specially trained residential staff members. Boys and girls may share a floor but have separate bathrooms. Students eat with residential staff members and other members of the University community in a dormitory dining room and, on weekends, enjoy a broad range of activities, such as off- and on-campus theater, concerts, movies, sports events, dances, and talent shows.
Students have access to many campus facilities, including recreational sites, libraries, and student centers. CTD students have access to computer facilities owned by both CTD and the University, but hours are somewhat limited. In 2007, 60 percent of enrolled students reported that they brought their own computers to the campus. Students who own portable computers, especially those enrolled in writing-intensive classes, may find it convenient to have their computers and printers with them while attending CTD. Students should note that CTD, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Case Western Reserve University cannot provide technical support for personal computers.

Staff

Teaching staff members for CTD Summer Program are drawn from premier schools throughout the country. Teachers are chosen for their mastery of subject matter, enthusiasm, ability to individualize their teaching, and skill in providing interesting, thought-provoking, and varied classroom experiences. Each class has a teaching assistant selected from students at university campuses across the United States. The residential staff is drawn from undergraduate and graduate institutions from around the country and consists of mature, responsible, well-trained undergraduates who exhibit both academic achievement and a love of learning.

Medical Care

The residential Summer Program fee covers basic health services at each of the campuses’ fully staffed and equipped health centers. Students who require more extensive assistance are taken to nearby hospitals. The residential fee covers clinic services; it does not provide medical insurance coverage. All Summer Program participants must be covered by a major medical insurance policy.

Costs

Residential tuition in 2008 is $2800 and commuter tuition is $1600. Leapfrog tuition is $220 per week for a half-day course and $450 for the all-day course (for students completing third grade only). In addition, a nonrefundable $50 application fee ($100 for international students) is required. Interested students should visit http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/summer for specific information for each program ($110 lab fee for some courses). Financial aid is available.