Does your first grader want to know why airplanes fly and cars don't? Why buildings don't fall down?
Does your 9th grader update her blog 10 times a day and yearn to be the next Amy Tan?
Does your child want to take AP® Calculus in three very intense weeks?
Do you live with an 11th grader who wants to save the world?
A Summer Program course at CTD will stimulate students' intellectual interests and provide appropriate academic challenges in a group of like-minded peers.
PROGRAM OFFERINGS PROVIDE ANSWERS Academically talented students in PreK through grade 12 may choose from more than 150 classes in the sciences, literature, humanities, writing, history and language.
Enrichment courses are offered to students completing PreK through grade 3 through the Leapfrog program. These provide substantial and engaging hands-on activities designed to give students exposure to advanced concepts in age-appropriate ways. Courses are one week in length and students may enroll for one, two or three weeks.
Students completing grades 4 through 6 enroll in advanced academic enrichment courses in the Spark and Apogee programs. High school honors level and Advanced Placement options are available to students completing grades 7 through 12 in the Spectrum and Equinox programs. All classes meet five days a week for five hours each day over the course of one, two or three weeks. Students may opt to reside on campus or commute. To maximize personal attention, courses are limited to 18 students and each course has both a master teacher and a teaching assistant.
CTD's Civic Leadership Institute (CLI), which combines engaging academic work with community service and hands-on experiences, helps students completing grades 9 through 12 develop the knowledge, experience and leadership skills they need to make a positive impact on society. Three-week CLI courses are held in Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco. A service-learning course for students completing grades 7 and 8, Taking Action: Leadership & Service, is offered through the Spectrum program.
TOP-NOTCH STAFF Instructors in CTD's summer programs are drawn from premier schools throughout the country. Teachers are chosen for their mastery of subject matter, enthusiasm for their content area, ability to individualize their teaching and skill in providing interesting, challenging and varied classroom experiences.
The residential staff is drawn from undergraduate campuses from around the country and consists of mature, responsible, well-trained undergraduates and graduates who exhibit both academic achievement and a love of learning.
LAKESIDE CAMPUS Northwestern University (NU) is located in Evanston, Illinois, approximately 12 miles north of downtown Chicago. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Northwestern's 240-acre campus includes beaches, tennis courts, a lagoon and a sports and aquatics center. The park-like campus also offers convenient access to Chicago and its famous architecture, vibrant cultural life and bustling metropolitan atmosphere.
However, Northwestern is much more than another pretty campus. Established in 1851, it is 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.
During CTD's Summer Program, residential students in Spark, Apogee, Spectrum and Equinox live in dormitories under the supervision of specially trained residential staff members. Male and female students may share a floor but have separate bathrooms. Students eat with residential staff members and other members of the University community in a residence hall dining room. A broad range of activities is available in the afternoons and evenings and on weekends - both on campus and in greater Chicago. Some Summer Program offerings, such as Leapfrog and the Civic leadership Institute are held at other sites in Chicago and surrounding suburbs.
CTD’s Civic Leadership Institute is based in the heart of downtown Chicago, at the University of Illinois at Chicago campus. From a home base adjacent to Chicago’s “Loop,” students have access to educational and recreational opportunities throughout the city, from vibrant ethnic neighborhoods to famous historical and cultural sites. Living downtown provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to experience all that this incredible city has to offer!
WHY CHOOSE CTD?
Our programs have gained in popularity every year since we offered our first in 1981. Why? As a nationally recognized and accredited learning center and research facility serving the gifted community, we design our programs and courses around basic tenets of successful gifted education programs by:
Promoting interdisciplinary study around key concepts
Encouraging the development of independent learning strategies
Providing opportunities for students with similar academic abilities to interact with peers from around the world. Last summer CTD students came from urban, suburban and rural settings in 41 states and 17 countries.
