Center for Talent Development (CTD) offers a variety of flexible program options, ranging from online to commuter to residential, which take place on Northwestern University's Evanston campus and sites around the Chicago area. Courses provide challenging enrichment, honors, and Advanced Placement options taught in a highly supportive environment. CTD programs give students the opportunity to explore subjects of interest and delve into fields not typically a part of the core curriculum at school. Course activities, which build on students' strengths, place an emphasis on higher-order thinking, facilitate creative thinking, and provide early exposure to advanced concepts in fun, developmentally appropriate ways. Classroom activities are student-driven and taught at a pace in sync with how they learn. Courses extend student learning to real-world problems and provide students with insights into emerging careers.

View all CTD courses online at www.ctd.northwestern.edu/courses.

CTD Program Offerings

Weekend Programs (Age 3 - Grade 8)
CTD offers a variety of weekend courses at multiple Chicagoland area sites. CTD offers single-weekend Accelerated Weekend Experiences (AWE), as well as courses on eight Saturdays in fall and winter, or six Saturdays in spring. Sunday Advanced Enrichment courses are also offered at our Evanston site for extra flexibility for families.

Summer Programs (Age 3 - Grade 12)
CTD's summer residential and commuter programs provide challenging enrichment, honors, and Advanced Placement® courses taught in a highly supportive environment. PreK through grade 3 students can take part in CTD's Leapfrog program, which includes enrichment courses for young students who have demonstrated a keen, early interest in learning. Students in grades 4 through 12 have the opportunity to participate in a variety of residential and commuter programs throughout the summer.

Online Programs (K-12)
CTD provides a variety of online and hybrid (a combination of online and in-person) courses. Online courses offer academically talented students from around the world the opportunity to take exceptional enrichment, high school honors, and Advanced Placement (AP)® courses in a flexible and interactive online setting. Courses are created specifically with advanced students in mind and taught by caring educators with deep content expertise.

Service-Learning Programs (Grades 7-12)
Service-learning courses are offered through CTD's Civic Education Project (CEP). CEP combines hands on-education and community service to promote civic responsibility among young people. Through innovative school-year programs and summer courses, CEP offers students opportunities to learn and serve in communities across the country, developing the knowledge, experience, and leadership skills they need to make a positive impact on the world.

Hybrid Courses (Online and In-Person) (Grade level varies)
CTD Hybrid programs combine the best elements of online and in-person learning. In-person course elements build relationships and support experiential learning, while online components support in-depth exploration and personalized guidance and feedback for each student.