Mission

The Center for talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University is dedicated to identifying and developing students with exceptional ability in academic domains. we are proactive in aproviding a structure that

• challenges students through an advanced or enriched curriculum;
• creates an environment conducive to interaction with intellectual peers;
• motivates students to meet high standards of achievement and persist through difficulties and challenges;
• develops the general attributes students need to become successful adults.

CTD has served more than 350,000 families since 1981, providing a variety of learning alternatives for the gifted student. Led by nationally recognized scholar Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, PhD, CTD also conducts and publishes academic research on gifted students, particularly in the areas of accelerated learnig nd special populations of gifted learners.

As members of the gifted community have clamored for more services, the Center for Talent Development has evolved from a single focus on talent identification to a multi-faceted operation with four central foci: talent identification, talent development, research and advocacy.

Talent Identification (see Midwest Academic Talent Search)

The foundation of the Center's work, the Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS), use above-grade level tests to identify academically talented students in grades 3-9. Talent searches identify students whose abilities may not be recognized fully by their schools, and provide them with information and access to resources that enable them to develop their talents, set appropriate educational and career goals, and define academic paths.

Talent Development (Explore programs on home page)

Our programs seek to provide supports to students to enhance their talent development. Specifically, our academic programs:

• provide learning experiences matched to students' identified abilities
• inspire in students a love of learning and a desire for self-development
• provide a community of intellectual peers who value scholarship, academic achievement, and creativity
• promote the development of autonomous, disciplined approaches to learning
  

Research

The center conducts studies and prepares reports in areas directly related to its services and as part of funded projects. Studies have investigated the short and long term effects of career and college counseling programs on students, the relationship between off-level scores and family and student background characteristics, gender differences in achievement and factors that influence boys’ and girls’ choices, the long-term effects of summer programs on students' achievement, the articulation between local school programs and extra-educational experiences for gifted students, and the effects of family values and characteristics on talent development. The research of the Center is an integral part of its program model development activities. Some research findings are published in the resources section.

Advocacy

The center aspires to positively affect educational policy and educate the public about gifted and talented learners. Through our development and advocacy efforts the Center: informs parents, teachers and school personnel about the characteristics and needs of talented learners; encourages them to meet these needs; and provides them with the tools to do this. CTD accomplishes this through publications, seminars, classes, presentations, manuals, program materials, and the efforts of our MATS state liaisons and advisory board members. Our newsletter, Talent, provides current information about the Center and other services and programs to gifted students and adults working with gifted.
For more information on CTD’s goals, visit Support the Center.