Who We Are
Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth (PTY) is part of Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development. PTY is led by Vanderbilt staff who are committed and experienced in providing quality talent development opportunities for advanced K-12 grade learners in a creative, supportive, and academically rigorous environment.
Academically advanced students need consistent and accelerated opportunities to fully develop their talents and interests. PTY educators and subject area experts understand your student’s unique needs and can offer guidance as well as educational enrichment that goes beyond standard curricula.
What We Do
PTY develops talents in advanced students and those who work with them by:
- Offering Saturday and summer pre-collegiate and accelerated programs for talented students in grades K-12
- Supporting families and educators in learning more about academically advanced students through specifically designed groups, workshops, and speaker events
- Creating community partnerships and seeking scholarship funding to support talent development in advanced students who might not otherwise be able to afford PTY opportunities
PTY Student Program Information
PTY’s accelerated courses focus on:
- Exposure to a variety of accelerated content areas in which students have documented potential and interest
- Efficacy in one’s ability to perform rigorous tasks in a content area and developing the social-emotional habits of a scholar
- Expertise and in-depth learning in an area of interest and talent
Academic Year Options
Saturday Academy at Vanderbilt for the Young (SAVY) provides a dynamic, fast-paced learning experience to qualifying academically advanced children in grades K–6. Academic experts and master teachers implement an accelerated curriculum for all SAVY courses. This program meets for three consecutive Saturdays in the fall and spring of each year.
Weekend Academy at Vanderbilt University is an intensive, Saturday program that provides qualifying students in grades 7-12 with an in-depth look at contemporary careers in math, science, engineering, and the humanities. Held for one full Saturday each winter, WAVU incorporates accelerated laboratory courses led by professionals in their field and an opportunity for in-depth career exploration along with support and resources for families.
Summer Options
Summer SAVY offers qualifying rising 1st through 8th graders a fast-paced accelerated curriculum taught by subject experts and skilled educators. Students in rising seventh and eighth grade have the option of participating in Career Connections at SAVY, a day program specifically designed for the age group. Summer SAVY is a weekday program in which students can select from a variety of courses. Students sign up for one SAVY class per session to explore a topic in depth. There are six one-week session options. Students may enroll in multiple sessions.
Vanderbilt Summer Academy (VSA) offers a residential experience for students in rising 7thvthrough 12th grade. VSA students engage in an accelerated course taught by Vanderbilt faculty or scholars while living in a vibrant social community of intellectual peers. VSA convenes each June and July with one- and two-week sessions by grade level.
Online Opportunities
PTY’s Mentor Immersion program is a unique experience for students in 10-12 grade that offers in-depth exposure in an academic field and the potential for independent research or a culminating product to be created with expert feedback.
In Mentor Immersion, students engage in accelerated content in a desired discipline and work toward creating an independent research product or project in their selected field of study with the support of a content expert with whom they are paired. Approximately 10 students are paired with a mentor and an additional teaching assistant. Through this unique experience, students deepen their understanding in a field of study while making new friends with peers and conducting research or creating a project similar to practicing professionals.
