Summer means more time to study for thousands of the world?s brightest students in the Johns Hopkins? Center for Talented Youth Program.
“It?s a place where kids who are usually the highest in their class can be challenged. Some children are never exposed to other gifted kids and learn quickly that other children can actually know more than them,” said Pamela Fox, who teaches high school-level Geometry and Spatial Sense to children ages 9 to 11.
The “exceptionally bright” second- through 12th-graders come from around the world to study with like-minded individuals, according to Matt Bowden, spokesman for the center.
“In the past, I?ve had students I would consider a genius. … Often, I?m challenged by their level of intellect and background knowledge,” Fox said.
Students choose from more than 100 fast-paced courses, including archaeology, existentialism and robotics. The all-day classes can run into the evening for some of the high schoolers.
“In their regular classroom, they are slowed down by other students. … We spend a few minutes on concepts that in a regular classroom would be dragged on for days,” Fox said.
To qualify for the program, seventh- and eighth-graders take the SAT or ACT and must score what an average high school student scores. Second- through sixth-graders take the SCAT, which resembles a scaled-down SAT, Bowden said.
For a three-week session with the program, which boasts alumni such as Google co-founder Sergey Brin, parents pay $1,400 to $4,000. Older students who participate in the residential program also pay for board and meals, Bowden said.
The program is also a social experience for gifted students who enjoy the camaraderie with other bright students, Fox said.
“It?s a tough choice between summer fun and studying, but stuff that may seem like work to people is fun to them,” said Kenneth Dickinson, coordinator of Baltimore County?s gifted and talented education.
“They are actually encouraged not to study too much outside of the class day, and we have no weekend classes,” Bowden said. “We want them to have as much interaction with kids as possible.”
At a glance
The Center for Talented Youth Program is respected around the world and draws more than 10,000 gifted and talented students from across the United States and 80 countries to study at 26 different sites. The current programs are being held at Garrison Forest School in Owings Mills and the Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus.
Source: The Center?s Information Office
