The Irish Centre for Talented Youth
10 June 2002

Here at DCU the Irish Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI), established in 1992, provides Saturday classes and summer schools for young students with exceptional academic ability. The summer schools are due to start Sunday 16 June. In the current year over 2000 students attended programmes with CTYI. CTYI had over 100 academic courses in various centres around the country.

Young students, aged 8 - 12 years, who wish to attend the summer school, are assessed by an aptitude test. Once successful, the students can participate in the summer school or Saturday classes. There are scholarships available for students; this support is based upon financial means.

Students aged 13 - 16 years take subjects which are often first year university level. Entry to this summer programme is by successful completion of the SAT (the Scholastic Aptitude Test) as part of CTYI Talent Search. The SAT is an international examination and is used in the United States of America for college entry. There are also merit scholarships available for this programme; these are awarded on the basis of outstanding performance in the SAT. Each student will gain a certificate of participation from DCU, with awards for top scorers.

For students who are unable to attend courses on campus there are also correspondence courses that run over a six-month period.

Parents and teachers also receive support from CTYI; this can take a number of forms including a series of lectures that run over a four-week period. These lectures cover various topics; for example parenting and teaching the highly able child.

CTYI believes that a student with exceptional academic ability requires stimulation to develop further. CTYI is designed to provide a high degree of academic challenge to young students while supporting their social and emotional needs.

For further information CTYI website