CTD History and Mission
Embracing Talent Development Then and Now
Programs
Enrichment and credit-bearing, accelerated programs designed for students at every age and stage of talent development.
Our Mission
Center for Talent Development (CTD) at Northwestern University is dedicated to helping academically talented students, age 4 through grade 12, realize their full potential. Through assessment, advanced enrichment, and accelerated programs, CTD’s unique Pathways approach helps students develop the knowledge and skills they need to become bold, creative achievers and contributors. The Pathways approach allows students to focus on a particular subject or explore different fields and interest areas. CTD offers programming at every grade level, as well as resources for parents to support their children’s growth and services for educators and schools to promote best practices and supplement local offerings.
"At Center for Talent Development, we believe giftedness is not a trait, like your eye color or fingerprint, but rather a process--a journey--that involves developing potential into achievement."
- Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Former Director, Center for Talent Development
CTD’s Role in Gifted Education
CTD’s primary function has been to provide excellent programs for students, their families, and educators, but we have also pushed the conversation to be about the broader issue of talent development. In our research, we have explored the role of outside-of-school programming in the talent development process. We’ve tried to understand what supplemental programs offer children, what the benefits are, and how to make them more available to more children. The thing that distinguishes CTD is our combination of application and research. All of our programs are evaluated and examined in the larger context of developing talent.
"I think the Center has made major contributions to research and development in the field of gifted education, especially with respect to what constitutes quality programs for highly gifted students." - Joyce VanTassel-Baska, Founding Director, Center for Talent Development
A History of Success
Program Milestones
Take a look back at the unfolding of our programs and the evolution of the programs today. A strong foundation has resulted in a flourishing future.
