LAMORINDA WEEKLY | OIS Students Attend Summer Academic Programs for the Gifted


Brother and sister, John Mark and Haley Holbrook, smile together. Photo provided

Orinda siblings Haley and John Mark Holbrook, both incoming seventh-grade students from Orinda Intermediate School, will attend the Yale University Summer Institute for the Gifted and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth programs, respectively. Both programs are designed for academically talented second through 12th graders. This is John Mark's second year in the Johns Hopkins program and Haley's first year at Yale.

The format of the programs makes it possible for bright students to work at an accelerated pace, study topics in depth, and explore subjects that are not usually available to students their age. By participating in these programs, students will also have the opportunity to forge friendships with other students from around the world who share their interests.

This summer, John Mark will be taking the Writing and Imagination course as part of the Johns Hopkins program at Stanford University. Students in this course read, write, and discuss a variety of genres including poems, short stories, and essays. Haley will be taking a variety of courses at Yale, including law and jurisprudence, improvisational theater, and a literature course titled "Immortality: Myths, Legends, and the Supernatural." The courses at both campuses bring together students and instructors who serve as mentors to guide students through the advanced academic study. Through rigorous exercises to develop analysis, writing, and critiquing, students build confidence in their own creative and analytical powers.

Haley and John Mark qualified for the Johns Hopkins and Yale summer programs by participating in the Center for Talented Youth's Annual Talent Search, which accepts applications from early September through May. During the Talent Search, advanced young learners take above-grade level tests designed for older students as a means of gaining insight into their abilities. Seventh and eighth graders take the SAT or ACT-the same tests used for college admissions, while second through sixth graders take the School and College Ability Test, an above-level test scaled for younger students.

For more information about enrolling in the CTY Talent Search, go to www.cty.jhu.edu. For more information on the Summer Institute for the Gifted, visit www.giftedstudy.org.