History

Center for Talent Development (CTD) is proud of its history of serving the gifted community with passion and excellence. Since 1982, CTD has evolved from a single focus on talent identification to a multi-faceted operation with four central goals: talent identification, talent development, research and advocacy. Over the years, CTD has created eight research-driven, thriving programs and educated, inspired and supported more than 500,000 families. By continually assessing programs, conducting research and surveying participants, Center for Talent Development always emerges at the forefront of gifted education, creating models and methods that others strive to replicate.

Timeline

	2008 CTD redesigns its logo and web site, adding media that more accurately convey the CTD experience and tools that make it easier, faster and more fun to do everything from searching for courses to applying for jobs. Using feedback from students, CTD overhauls Gifted LearningLinks with new learning models and course offerings. CTD partners with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to introduce Project BLAST, a tuition-free academic and cultural program for gifted students from low- to moderate-income families. Due to program enrollment increases and growing staff numbers, CTD expands its facilities to include three houses on the Northwestern University campus.
	2007 Summer Program introduces Apogee One-Week for students completing grade 4 and looking for an introduction to the Summer Program experience. Leapfrog, too, expands its summer programming to include an all-day option for students completing grade 3.
	2006 The Saturday Enrichment Program establishes a third site in Gurnee, Illinois, to serve Chicagoland's north shore area.
	2005 The Summer Program opens a new Leapfrog site in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to serve gifted youngsters living in Chicago's western suburbs.
	2003 The Civic Education Project invites students to a new Civic Leadership Institute site in downtown Chicago. The Summer Program expands its Equinox initiative to a site at Case Western Reserve University. All Gifted LearningLinks courses are offered online.
	2002 Due to program enrollment increases and growing staff numbers, CTD expands its facilities to include two houses on the Northwestern University campus. Gifted LearningLinks starts offering online enrichment ourses. The Saturday Enrichment Program  launches a western site at Glenbard West High School in Glen Ellyn, Illinois (which, in 2007, moves to Naperville, Illinois, to accommodate more students.)
	2001 CTD launches Project EXCITE, a collaborative initiative with local school districts, to boost minority students’ performance in science and math. The Summer Program adds to its programming with Leapfrog, for students in PreK through grade 3. Midwest Academic Talent Search participants register online for the first time and third grade students are now welcome to register.
	2000 CTD creates the Summer Scholars Program, enabling students with financial need to receive scholarship money toward Summer Program attendance. Project EXCITE  welcomes a new class of students in grade 3, adding to the number of minority students benefiting from CTD courses.
	1999 The Civic Education Project moves to CTD, empowering gifted students to work toward solving societal problems and improving our nation’s cities.
	1996 CTD holds its first annual family conference, acknowledging the joys and challenges of raising gifted children, supporting families through education decisions and offering a sense of community.
	1995 The Summer Program launches Apogee for students in grades 4 through 6. Midwest Academic Talent Search begins to test students in fourth grade.
	1994 CTD receives accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and begins to offer students rigorous, credit-bearing academic courses beyond their high school doors. CTD starts the CTD Scholar Project to increase the diversity of the student body served by CTD and to increase scholarship funding. Midwest Academic Talent Search begins to test students in fifth and sixth grades.
	1991 The Midwest Academic Talent Search (now Northwestern University's Midwest Academic Talent Search) adds the ACT to its list of above-grade-level testing options offered.
	1987 Paula Olszewski-Kubilius becomes director of CTD and receives the Early Scholar Award, presented by the National Association for Gifted Children to recognize early promise and career productivity in scholarly research.
	1985 Equinox, a summer program for students in grades 9 through 12, begins.
	1984 Northwestern University officially establishes Center for Talent Development, and CTD publishes the first issue of Talent, a magazine featuring news from CTD and best practices in gifted education.
	1983 CTD creates the Spectrum summer program and the Saturday Enrichment Program. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD, joins CTD.
	1982 Joyce VanTassel-Baska begins the "Midwest Talent Search Project" at Northwestern University and creates an advisory board. The first Midwest Academic Talent Search is conducted, administering the SAT to young, talented students as a more accurate assessment of their abilities. LetterLinks, a distance education program later to be known as Gifted LearningLinks, begins.

next:   People