CTD Offers Curiosity-Driven, Interactive Learning for the Whole Family

By Ed Finkel 

When Elizabeth Podczerwinski-Diaz’s son was four—and developing a reputation as a very picky eater—she came upon an ad in Northwestern Magazine for the Center for Talent Development’s Online Family Program. She became particularly intrigued by a course called “Growing and Eating Food,” aimed at 4-year-olds. 

When she read the description detailing how the course encouraged children to learn about and try different foods, she and her husband, Ricardo Diaz Milian, signed up for the course. While the topic caught their eye, the course is part of a program for children PreK through third grade that aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity and whole-family interaction. 

“He loved the course—and he started eating vegetables,” says Podczerwinski-Diaz (who was also interviewed on video about it), whose son, now 9, has since taken about 18 courses in the Online Family Program while her daughter, 6, has completed four. “I’m not saying it made him do a 180. But we were planting things, and he was trying new foods.” 

The Online Family Program provides a four-week, asynchronous learning experience full of engaging, playful, hands-on projects in subjects that include science, technology, math and the humanities, according to Rashida Clark, assistant coordinator for the Online Program at CTD. 

“OFP helps students explore complex topics with curiosity and creativity, while empowering parents to become active partners in their child’s intellectual growth,” she says, adding that the program “centers on deep thinking, exploration and meaningful feedback, creating a space where students and families learn together.” 

Course materials are delivered in weekly modules that begin with pre-assessments to ensure students start at the right level and continue with the projects as well as discussion threads and opportunities for reflection—all delivered by experienced instructors and designed around best practices such as flexible pacing and multiple pathways to demonstrate understanding, Clark says. 

“Students may explore animal adaptations, build simple machines, create imaginative stories or engage with beginner coding—all in ways that connect to real-world thinking,” she says. “Instructional materials are diverse—videos, texts, simulations—and students are encouraged to share ideas in discussions and showcase their work through images, videos and written posts.” 

Parents of younger students often help facilitate and document learning, while by second and third grade, students are more often taking the lead when corresponding in the discussion boards and showcasing their work with their online peers; all benefit from both personalized feedback from instructors as well as peer reactions and insights, Clark says. 

“Parents are not expected to teach but, instead, to model curiosity, ask thoughtful questions and guide students through creative problem-solving,” she says. “Instructors play a key role here, modeling for parents how to provide rich, constructive feedback and how to support reflection, resilience and risk-taking in learning.” 

In so doing, parents become a “thinking partner” for their children, Clark says. “Through side-by-side exploration, parents see their child’s learning in action,” she says. “They learn how to stretch thinking, deepen engagement and celebrate both the process and the product. Many parents tell us that OFP helps them better understand their child’s learning preferences—and builds a foundation for being an educational partner long after the course ends. … We often hear from parents that they learned just as much as their child.” 

Clark’s testimony squares with the experiences of Podczerwinski-Diaz, whose children continued taking courses because of the family’s great experience with the “Growing and Eating Food” offering, and because they provided warm, engaging moments during the pandemic. 

Her son has particularly enjoyed courses like “Chronicles of Myth Legends,” which involved reading and discussing Greek mythology and writing their own stories; and “Math and Space,” in which they explored the NASA website and figured out how to solve math problems on a grand scale, like the distance between stars. 

The standouts for Podczerwinski-Diaz’s daughter have been “Animal Builders,” which features an “animal of the week” and talks about where it lives, how it gathers food and what roles it plays in the ecosystem; and “Exploring Our World,” which covers a variety of ecosystems, ranging from coral reefs to the deep sea. 

“They often have choices on how to complete activities. Sometimes I think I would know what activity they would choose, and then they choose something completely different,” she says. “It’s interesting to see them take control of their own learning. … It also has allowed me to approach this in a very lighthearted manner because I think that creates a playful energy and genuine, joyful curiosity amongst them. I kind of give them some things to think about, and look at, and learn, but then they do their own thing.” 

To that end, Podczerwinski-Diaz and her husband give their son and daughter free rein to sign up for what they want and only what they want, and their children have come to enjoy giving and getting feedback. “One thing that these courses have really helped my kids with is developing how to organize their thoughts and create short video presentations and formats,” she says. “This, I notice, has helped them with in-person activities at school, like orchestra. They present themselves well and have confidence.” 

The entire family—including at times grandparents and other extended family—has enjoyed the resulting bonding experiences, Podczerwinski-Diaz says. “We often would include and invite other members of the household to participate. They made it special. They’re good memories,” she says. “We had one course where our son needed to interview a small business owner, so he interviewed his uncle, who’s a dentist. It was really cute watching them interact.” 

Ultimately, the program develops strong academic habits in a joyful, developmentally appropriate way as students learn to share ideas, reflect on their learning, and give and receive feedback, Clark says. 

“Courses reflect how advanced learners truly thrive,” she says. “They develop the ability to think critically, persevere through challenges and engage in academic conversations. … Parents, meanwhile, gain tools to support their child’s intellectual and emotional growth. They see how learning can be collaborative, creative and personally meaningful.” 

The community aspect of the program also matters, Clark says, noting that every student has a voice through thoughtfully designed online discussions. “Whether they’re shy, confident or somewhere in between, OFP creates equity in participation and builds communication and collaboration skills,” she says. “It’s not just about what students know—it’s about how they learn, how they express themselves and how they connect with others.” 

To hear more from Elizabeth about her family's experience with the Online Family Program, please visit our Youtube channel.