Summer School 2003 is on the way
The National Academy for Talented and Gifted Youth Summer School 2003 is on its way, offering new opportunities and challenges for Academy members.
With an expanded format the summer school offers 900 places at 5 institutions, including Warwick, for students aged between 11 and 16. This represents a massive increase in the number of students involved from the first school in 2002. The school will be running for 3 weeks starting from 20 July 2003.
The Academy's summer schools are designed to support and nurture gifted and talented students by giving them a chance to study at a pace and depth that match their abilities and to enhance and expand their learning experiences. Whilst the learning experience is the primary focus, the Academy summer schools also provide a rich social and recreational experience outside the classroom.
Claudie Combelas, the Summer School Programmes Administrative Officer, said: "This is the first full pilot and it will be so much bigger, but the experience from last year will be really helpful. With the other universities involved we can offer places for more students, provide regional support and offer some new exciting courses. I look at some of the courses and think, I'd like to do that."
The scheme has been expanded with places on offer from Warwick, Canterbury Christ Church University College, Durham, York and Exeter.
The range and variety of courses available for Academy members is impressive. Students will be solving murder mysteries, designing a light transport system for Coventry or working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Courses will also challenge students to address topical issues relating to religion and politics in the 20th Century.
For 4 lucky students the Academy is offering a chance to study abroad at the Center for Talented Youth summer school in North America as part of an exchange programme, which will see the first overseas students studying at the Academy's school.
This is also the first year where students will have to make a financial contribution in order to attend the summer school. The Academy has made a commitment that no child will be deterred from participating in any of the Academy's activities because of inability to pay. Claudie explained: "We are having to charge a fee this year, but this will be subsidised by the DfES and by the student's schools. We also have additional funding for low income families and a number of bursaries from Transco for students attending an engineering or science based course."
Claudie is confident that the students will gain a lot from the summer school. "The kids will get the great experience of being with students and other kids like them in an environment where it's ok to be bright, ok to ask a question. For 3 weeks they will either study a subject that is new to them, or look at an old subject from a new angle. And it’s also not just learning 9 to 5. It’s also about learning to enjoy yourself too."
The applications process is open now with a closing date of Tuesday 6 May 2003.
The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth was established in February 2002 following a national competition organised by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) of the UK government.
The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth is a key part of the government's national strategy for education and is socially inclusive, ensuring access for disadvantaged students. It will improve the range, standard and effectiveness of education for the top 5% of the student population in England, and will raise the self-esteem and improve the attainment of gifted and talented students. The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth's key existing partners are the DfES Able Pupil Unit, the Universities of Warwick, York and Durham, the Research Centre for Able Pupils, and CTY.
Additional information about The National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth is available at http://www.warwick.ac.uk/gifted.