The Center for Gifted Studies

VAMPY, the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth, assembles some of the brightest and most enthusiastic minds from counties around the Commonwealth, states across the nation, and countries all over the world. The VAMPY community reflects the diverse backgrounds, interests, and pursuits of its students who all have at least one thing in common: a love of learning.

Since 1984, The Center for Gifted Studies through a cooperative agreement with the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP), has made the VAMPY experience the centerpiece of summer vacation for hundreds of seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth graders. Each summer more than 200 students spend three weeks living on the Western Kentucky University campus in Bowling Green, KY, studying one topic in great depth. For gifted and talented students who crave knowledge and academic challenge, VAMPY offers a life-changing world of both learning and friendship.

The primary emphasis of VAMPY is academics. VAMPY’s rigorous educational environment reminds students that learning is an enjoyable process. Students spend six hours a day immersed in a topic of their choosing that ignites their curiosity and inspires their thinking. VAMPY instructors are veteran teachers, college professors, and experts in their fields. When not in class, students are playing sports, participating in cookouts, dances, and talent shows, or hanging out on the lawn in front of their residence hall, playing music, making crafts, and getting to know one another. VAMPY allows gifted students the opportunity to forge lifelong friendships with other young people who are also passionate about learning.

One participant described the VAMPY experience as "one of the most wonderful, enriching, and memorable of my life. I learned immeasurable things about myself as well as the subjects I studied… The knowledge and wisdom I gained through The Center has proven invaluable.”

Students can’t do it alone. As part of an ongoing effort to help schools meet the needs of high-ability students, The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University is pleased to offer the Advanced Placement Summer Institute. Since 1984, the Advanced Placement Summer Institute has assisted teachers in better understanding the demands of AP classrooms and high-ability learners. Consultants are experienced AP teachers who have demonstrated their ability to help other teachers prepare to teach Advanced Placement classes. Many are table readers, table leaders, test writers and even text authors for AP exams. The AP Summer Institute is endorsed by theCollege Board.

At the Institute, teachers are able to establish relationships with other teachers. One teacher remarked, “I learned a tremendous amount, and I will use it in my classes. I have a new ‘best’ friend as a source of info – actually several new friends to network!” As teachers have the opportunity to engage in professional development, they transfer their passion and commitment to learning to their students. Research by the College Board showed that “86 percent [of participants] indicate changing their instruction based on what they learned, and a quarter indicated that they followed up with a colleague they met there.”