Sessions & Classes

Third-Grade Project EXCITE Classes

Ten after-school classes are held at Evanston Township High School and Northwestern University per academic year for Project EXCITE third graders. The sessions are held on Tuesdays, from 4:00 to 5:15 PM, beginning in November and ending in May of each year. Activities are hands-on – involving biology, chemistry, mathematics, and physics.

Experienced Evanston Township High School teachers from the ETHS Mathematics and Science Departments teach the Tuesday after-school mathematics and science classes for third graders. They are assisted by elementary teachers familiar with the curriculum in the lower grades.

The 2007-2008 schedule of Project EXCITE classes for third graders has not yet been finalized. Look for it to be posted early in October, 2007.

Saturday Enrichment Program (SEP) Classes

Project EXCITE students in grades 4-8 are required to participate in the Center for Talent Development (CTD) Saturday Enrichment Program classes held on the campus of Northwestern University. Fourth, fifth and sixth grade students attend fall and winter sessions; seventh and eighth grade students attend the winter sessions. Classes are held on 8 successive Saturdays (See dates below.). Morning (9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.) and afternoon (12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.) classes are available.

The SEP classes for the fourth and sixth grade Project EXCITE students are integrated mathematics and science classes for Project EXCITE students only. Fifth, seventh and eighth grade Project EXCITE students may attend any of the mathematics or science SEP classes offered by CTD. These enrichment classes include not only Project EXCITE students, but also other high-performing students in the greater Chicago-area.

SEP classes are taught by teachers with strong backgrounds in mathematics or science and who are experienced in teaching gifted and talented students.

Project EXCITE also offers mathematics review classes for students in the fifth grade. These classes are offered on five Saturday mornings during April and May.

SEP Sessions and Dates

For more information, visit the Saturday Enrichment Program home page.

Summer Classes

A five-week summer school session is available to Project EXCITE students who have completed third or fourth grade. Students who attend this session receive instruction in reading and mathematics.

Project EXCITE students who have completed seventh grade are required to attend a three week summer session at ETHS where they are introduced to honors-level high school science. These classes include one week of physics, one week of chemistry and one week of biology. High school teachers from ETHS teach these “mini-courses.”

After completing grades six and eight, Project EXCITE students are required to attend three-week mathematics and science courses in the Apogee (sixth graders) or Spectrum (eighth graders) programs of the CTD Summer Program. Courses are taught by teachers with strong backgrounds in mathematics or science as well as experience teaching gifted and talented students.