Saturday Enrichment Program

Apply for CTD's Saturday Enrichment Program

Exceptional Teaching

Leapfrog educators are master teachers selected for their content expertise, familiarity with the needs of gifted children, enthusiasm, ability to individualize their teaching and skill in providing interactive and engaging classroom experiences

Saturday Enrichment Program (SEP) educators understand the needs of gifted children and respond to those needs with enthusiasm and exceptional skill. They quickly get to know their students in order to provide just the right balance of challenge, encouragement and support. They are also masters of their subject matter, instructing students on the breadth and depth of a class topic with creativity and ease. By establishing a friendly and stimulating learning environment, SEP instructors earn the trust, respect and appreciation of students and parents alike.

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Active Learning

Leapfrog students learn engineering and architectural science by building bridges, constructing pyramids and designing sailing ships

Saturday is not just another school day when students participate in the Saturday Enrichment Program. Whether enrolled in science, math, social studies or language arts classes, students engage in hands-on activities that bring the subject matter to life. Walk into SEP classrooms on any given Saturday, and you might hear PreK students singing “Wheels on the Bus” as part of a physics lesson, see grade five students suturing two sides of an orange in Veterinary Science or wonder at the rhetoric of Persuasion & Debate Honors students in grade nine. Instructors design SEP courses based on decades of nationally recognized research into how to help gifted students realize their potential, and interactive, experiential activities are a vital part of this process.

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Friendships

Teachers and parents alike often comment on the remarkably strong bonds formed by Leapfrog students

Parents say that it is a revelation for their children to meet other kids “like them” in the Saturday Enrichment Program. Rather than being singled out and labeled as the “smart kid” in a classroom, students are surrounded by other children who share their abilities, interests and curiosity. Learning alongside intellectual peers often results in friendships as deep and meaningful as the knowledge students acquire. These friendships, along with the exciting learning environment in which they are fostered, prompt kids to jump out of bed in anticipation of a day spent with the Saturday Enrichment Program.

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Fun!

Given the innovative curricula and camaraderie that develops among classmates, Leapfrog classes are not just great learning experiences; they are fun!

Given the innovative courses and camaraderie that develops among classmates, it is no wonder that participants call the Saturday Enrichment Program the favorite part of their week. “… [We] were having fun and learning at the same time. It was awesome!” says a recent SEP student. Whether students are constructing robots, reading Shakespeare or calculating the distance to the moon, participants enjoy discovering that laughter and learning go together in the SEP classroom.

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Evaluation & Academic Credit

Leapfrog courses are for enrichment only; students in this program do not receive grades for the course(s) they complete

All Saturday Enrichment Program students receive a narrative evaluation that includes comments on the student’s performance in class as well as recommendations for future study. Students enrolled in high school credit-bearing courses also receive an official Center for Talent Development (CTD) transcript with the course grade. Whether taking classes for enrichment or academic credit, students benefit from the feedback and guidance they receive at the end of each session.

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Parent Involvement

The Center for Talent Development understands the importance of the role of a parent in a child’s education and strives to make parental involvement in Leapfrog easy, accessible and fun through a brief orientation, thorough curricular information and an Expo at the end of each course

Center for Talent Development understands the importance of a parent’s role in a child’s education and strives to make parental involvement in the Saturday Enrichment Program easy, accessible and fun. SEP staff members conduct an orientation session for parents or guardians on the first day of each session. Parent seminars take place throughout the course, and on the final day of classes, parents and guardians are invited to attend an Expo featuring students’ work. Students love the chance to share what they have learned, and parents beam with pride at their accomplishments.

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Parent Seminars

The Center for Talent Development (CTD) is committed not only to its role as a gifted education provider but also to its responsibility to advocate for the gifted community

Meeting the needs of students is an important goal, but at CTD we recognize that parents of gifted children have needs, too. Parents often have questions about how to support and encourage their children and help them reach their potential. This is why we offer free, interactive Parent seminars at each of our three SEP sites while the students are in class. By featuring a range of speakers and experts on topics related to giftedness, CTD empowers parents to play an active and informed role in ensuring the best education for their children.

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next: Student Work