While academics come first, CTD summer programs also provide a rich, supervised setting for the social interactions and friendships so important to a student's developing self-concept. An added distinction of the Center is its accreditation by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools-the only Center for gifted education in the country to receive this distinction. Faculty Teaching staff for the CTD summer programs are drawn from premier schools in the Chicago area. Teachers are chosen for their mastery of subject matter, enthusiasm, ability to individualize their teaching, and skill in providing interesting, thought-provoking, and varied classroom experiences. Each class has a teaching assistant selected from students at university campuses across the United States.
Teaching assistants are available to students both in and out of class.
Students CTD students are uniform in their demonstration of high academic ability, but that is where the similarities end. In 2000, CTD students came to Northwestern from a variety of urban, suburban, and rural settings that ranged over 38 states and 13 foreign countries. Academic Life Apogee, Spectrum, and Equinox students at CTD enroll in one class for the three-week program. Classes meet for five to six hours a day, depending on the program, and are divided into morning and afternoon components. Classes are not held on weekends, but some study sessions for residential students are scheduled on Saturdays and Sundays.