University Gifted Programs

Universities are a valuable resource for gifted children and their parents. Gifted centers provide talent identification, gifted summer enrichment, and support.

Aside from their school’s GATE program, one of the first stops for a gifted child’s parent should be a university gifted program. Gifted centers at some of the nation’s top colleges conduct groundbreaking research in gifted education. They develop tools like the Iowa Acceleration Scale, used by educators to screen grade acceleration candidates. College gifted programs also present gifted students with unique learning opportunities. They sponsor talent searches to identify gifted youth and offer gifted students rigorous coursework.

Programs vary by center and different services are available depending on a gifted students age. Summer programs are often the most popular with gifted students and their parents. Gifted kids cite their summer learning experiences as some of the most memorable of their academic years. Courses are fun, challenging, and offer a chance to make friends with intellectual peers. Johns Hopkins CTY, Northwestern’s CTD, and Carnegie Mellon’s C-MITES, are three of the nation’s best university gifted programs offering gifted elementary student summer day camps.

My elementary aged daughter is just getting old enough to participate in some of these summer programs (maybe next year), but it helps if you live near a major university or are willing to travel. The classes can be costly, but financial aid is often available for qualified students.