Summer Day Programs for Gifted Elementary Kids

Summer is a great time for gifted kids. Gifted elementary students experience challenge in their areas of interest, meet intellectually compatible peers, and have lots of fun in the process. Here are a few of the best college day camps in the U.S. for elementary aged gifted children. Most programs balance academics with time for recreation and socialization.

All of the sponsoring university gifted centers offer additional activities, so be sure to investigate comprehensive articles on their programs. For similar elementary gifted and talented camps in the Midwest and Eastern regions, please read the companion article “College Summer Day Camps for Gifted Elementary.”

John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY)

CTY participants take humanities, math, or science courses depending on subject area strengths identified by achievement tests. Younger gifted learners take courses such as Stories and Poems, Math Problem Solving, and Be a Scientist! Older gifted students explore topics including Bay Ecology, Robotics, and Elements of Drama.

• Serves: 2nd-6th (5th and 6th residential option available)
• Duration: 3 weeks
• Focus: Humanities, math, and science
• Locations: West Los Angeles and Pasadena, CA (also Baltimore-Washington, DC metro)
• Admissions: SCAT test
• Cost: $50 application + $1690 ($2060 for 5th and 6th grader commuter option)
• Financial Aid: Yes

Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) University of California- Berkeley

The Elementary Division of ATDP offers morning and afternoon sessions in a three-week commuter program for gifted children in kindergarten through 6th grade. Recent offerings include Greek Mythology, Mathmagic!, Rainforests, Writer’s Circle, Chemistry, and Electron Madness.

• Serves: K-6th
• Duration: Three weeks
• Focus: One course selected from grade specific offerings in math, science, and writing
• Location: Washington Elementary School, 9 miles northwest of UC Berkeley, CA
• Admissions: Standardized achievement test (3rd and up), teacher recommendation, report card, portfolio
• Cost: $30 application + $460-480 + materials fees
• Financial Aid: Yes

UCI Gifted Students Academy University of California- Irvine

The UCI Gifted Students Academy holds a six-week summer program for gifted middle school and upper elementary students. Gifted learners can participate as commuters or live on campus. Courses center on core educational subjects such as biology, history, and mathematics with additional topics focused on law, ethics, critical thinking, literary analysis, and social skill building in areas such as assertiveness.

• Serves: 5th-8th
• Duration: Six weeks, courses taught as one-week modules
• Focus: math, science, language arts, social studies, visual and performing arts
• Location: UC Irvine, CA
• Admissions: UCI Talent Search OR 95th-99th %ile on a standardized achievement subtest OR school gifted program participant or GATE candidate
• Cost: $50 application + $675 tuition (residential program available for $995)
• Financial Aid: No

Summer day camps are just one option for challenging your gifted child. Other summer gifted choices include residential campus programs targeted to older gifted students, courses for gifted minorities, subject specific gifted camps, and gifted programs limited to talent search students or those from specific states. Don't miss these great learning opportunities!

Summer Camps Challenge Young Gifted Students

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