FAQs
Academics
- Who teaches the classes and/or facilitates Project EXCITE programming?
- What types of classes are offered through Project EXCITE?
Admissions
- How can I get my child enrolled in Project EXCITE?
- What schools partner with Project EXCITE?
- How many students are in the program?
EXCITE General Information
- What is Project EXCITE?
- When was Project EXCITE founded?
- Why does Project EXCITE exist?
- Why should my child participate in Project EXCITE?
- What can I expect when my child completes the Project EXCITE program?
EXCITE Program Details
- Are there any fees/costs associated with Project EXCITE?
- Where does Project EXCITE programming take place?
- Is transportation provided?
- How often does Project EXCITE meet?
Academics
- Who teaches the classes and/or facilitates Project EXCITE programming?
Experienced teachers from the Evanston Township High School mathematics and science departments teach classes with assistance from elementary teachers familiar with curricula in the lower grades. For more details on EXCITE instructors, click here.
- What types of classes are offered through Project EXCITE?
Project EXCITE students participate in classes such as Robotics, Neuroscience, Advanced Topics in Math, and Solving Math Contest Problems on the Northwestern Campus, and in specially designed biology, chemistry and physics classes at Evanston Township High School.
Admissions
- How can I get my child enrolled in Project EXCITE?
Project EXCITE recruits students in grade 3. Students are selected based on a combination of teacher recommendations and test scores from the Iowa Test of Basic Skills Survey Battery and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test. For more details on the recruitment process, click here.
- What schools partner with Project EXCITE?
Project EXCITE begins by partnering with five elementary schools in the Evanston/Skokie District 65:
- Bessie Rhodes Magnet School
- King Lab Magnet School
- Kingsley Elementary School
- Lincoln Elementary School
- Lincolnwood Elementary School
At the middle-school level, Project EXCITE partners with Haven and Nichols Middle-School, the two schools which the majority of the program’s students attend after graduating from elementary school.
- How many students are in the program?
Project EXCITE recruits approximately 25 students in grade 3 every fall. These students join a group of approximately 125 students in grades 4 through 8.
EXCITE General Information
- What is Project EXCITE?
Project EXCITE is a collaborative project involving Northwestern University's School of Education and Social Policy through its Center for Talent Development (CTD), Evanston/Skokie School District 65, and Evanston Township High School (ETHS) District 202. The program addresses the achievement gap existing between minority and non-minority students in the Evanston schools by providing supplemental educational opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the advanced mathematics and science courses at ETHS.
- When was Project EXCITE founded?
With funding from Northwestern University, Center for Talent Development created Project EXCITE in 1999, using expertise acquired from more than 30 years of research and work with gifted children.
- Why does Project EXCITE exist?
The impetus for Project EXCITE is simple. While well-represented in the area’s schools, Latinos and African-American students are underrepresented in Evanston Township High School’s Honors an Advanced Placement mathematics and science classes. Project EXCITE targets these students in five Evanston/Skokie District 65 elementary schools to foster interest in these academic subjects and enhance student’s readiness in advanced classes at the high school.
- Why should my child participate in Project EXCITE?
Project EXCITE provides outstanding learning opportunities for talented children while enabling them to build meaning friendships with other gifted kids from their community and from around the world. For more information, visit our “What To Expect” page.
- What can I expect when my child completes the Project EXCITE program?
Project EXCITE provides participants with excellent instruction in mathematics and the sciences and the chance to bond with like-minded students over a six-year period. With a strong foundation of knowledge and a supportive network of friends, Project EXCITE graduates can enroll with confidence in Evanston Township High School’s most challenging honors and AP® courses.
EXCITE Program Details
- Are there any fees/costs associated with Project EXCITE?
No, the cost of the program is underwritten primarily by Northwestern University. The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and the Evanston Township High School also provide funding and in-kind support. Corporate donors have included AT&T, Citicorp, Coca-Cola and Morgan Stanley. Because Project EXCITE is a research initiative, parents do not pay any tuition or fees in order for their children to participate in the program.
- Where does Project EXCITE programming take place?
Classes and activities take place at a number of locations including, Northwestern University, Evanston Township High School, schools from District 65 and the Center for Talent Development.
- Is transportation provided?
Transportation is provided for the grade 3 after school program at Evanston Township High School (ETHS). Students in grade 3 are picked up from their school in a bus and then dropped off at ETHS. Parents have the option of picking up their kids from the high schoolnor having their children ride the bus home. Once children are in the fourth grade, parents are responsible for transportation to and from the Project EXCITE classes that include weekend (Saturday) classes in grades 4-8 and summer classes in grades 3 to 8. All locations are easily accessible via public transportation and some families work together to car-pool.
- How often does Project EXCITE meet?
Programming varies from grade to grade and EXCITE offers a variety of after-school programs, Saturday programming and summer/weekend activities. For a full program schedule, click here.
