Lennox scholar Erikk Pech at his CTY summer program at Seattle University.

In an effort to provide scholars with college preparatory opportunities, Partnership Scholars Program has enjoyed a collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) since 2012. The CTY Academic Exploration program is an academically challenging summer learning opportunity available to students 7^th grade and above. In the spring, PSP arranges for 7^th and 8^th graders to take a challenging standardized test, the SCAT, to qualify for participation in the program. Once qualified, students are given the opportunity to engage in three weeks of academically rigorous courses offered on designated college campuses over the summer.

“One of the most memorable experiences I had through PSP was being able to participate in Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth,” says recent PSP graduate Raul Estrella. “In this program I was able to spend a summer at UC Santa Cruz and take actual college courses, while experiencing the college scene by dorming and participating in many different activities. I made many friends through this once in a lifetime experience, and I will actually be dorming with one of these friends that I made at CTY.”

Through PSP’s partnership with CTY over the last four years, 20 PSP scholars have taken part in the Academic Exploration program on campuses throughout the country, including UC Santa Cruz, Roger Williams University in Rhode Island, Notre Dame of Maryland University, and Haverford College in Pennsylvania.

The CTY program presents PSP’s bright, motivated scholars with a chance to engage in challenging academic work in the company of peers who share their exceptional abilities and love of learning. While the focus of CTY is rigorous academic course work, the social experience that results from bringing these students together is hugely beneficial.

One of the challenges PSP faces is providing ample opportunities for the cohorts of scholars to connect with each other as a group throughout the six years they are in the program. The advantage of partnering with programs like CTY is allowing students more chances to make those important connections and benefit from exposure to other young people with similar goals.

“It’s great that students are able to participate in the Academic Exploration,” says PSP Program Coordinator Maria Hernandez. “The students are gaining the experience that awaits them in college.” Hernandez points out that the experience is not only beneficial for preparing students, but also for parents. “The fact that the summer programs are away from home exposes parents to that aspect of going away to school,” says Hernandez.

CTY is not the only residential program that PSP students are taking part in over the summer. Thanks to a survey put together by PSP mentor Brook Gamble in Ukiah, we know that other summer programs our scholars are participating in include University of California’s COSMOS, Education Unlimited Leadership Camp and National Youth Leadership Forum. Scholars can add their summer camps to our growing list through a survey that will be distributed at the end of the summer. To find out more about participating in a summer program, contact Maria at maria@partnershipscholars.org.