WKU News

The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU hosted its 34^th annual Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY) from June 25 to July 15.

The 189 students represented 48 Kentucky school districts, five Kentucky private schools, three Kentucky Diocese, two homeschools and 11 other states. (More: List of 2017 VAMPY participants.)

Located on the campus of WKU, VAMPY provides advanced learning opportunities for academically gifted students who have just completed the seventh through 10th grades. In order to attend VAMPY, students must have earned a qualifying score on the SAT or ACT.

VAMPY classes met daily for the three weeks, allowing gifted young people to study one topic in great depth. This year, students could pick from 14 classes such as ancient civilizations, DNA and genetics, pop culture, Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, and Arabic.

During the rigorous and rewarding academic experience, VAMPY students took advantage of a wide range of opportunities, including a visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, using engineering to create a large chain reaction machine, a trip to the National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C., and holding multiple mock presidential debates.

Outside the classroom, students participated in many activities such as sports, a dance, a trip to a Bowling Green Hot Rods game, and a talent show.

The dates for the 35^th year of VAMPY are June 24 to July 14, 2018, with the application becoming available in mid-January.

To read stories about this year’s camp, go to http://gifted-studies.com/campblog/. To view pictures of the VAMPY program, visit The Center for Gifted Studies Flickr page at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/giftedstudieswku/albums.

For more information on VAMPY 2018 or to be placed on the mailing list for VAMPY 2018, contact Erika Solberg at (270) 745-3015.

About The Center for Gifted Studies: Located on the WKU campus in Bowling Green, The Center for Gifted Studies has been serving children who are gifted and talented, their educators, and their parents for more than 30 years. The Center provides exciting educational opportunities for gifted young people, rigorous professional development for teachers, and support for parents of gifted young people. Under the direction of Dr. Julia Link Roberts, The Center has become one of the preeminent centers for gifted education in the United States.  The Center believes that when gifted young people meet their extraordinary potential, our communities, our state, our nation—even our world—become better places. That is why each school year, The Center renews its commitment to encouraging excellence by providing quality programming and resources for gifted students, their teachers, and their parents.

Contact: Erika Solberg, (270) 745-3015