Alumni and Friends Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
Before diving into that crisp pile of autumn leaves, let’s look back at a rich and rewarding CTY summer. Our 10 residential and day sites hosted a collective 4,500 students for 71 in-person courses, and each online session drew about 1,000 enthusiastic young learners. I’d like to offer sincere thanks to the donors whose generous support ensured that more than 380 students received tuition assistance for their summer experience. I am also deeply grateful to the alumni who returned as instructors and as resident assistants, bringing their CTY experience full circle.
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Now, we’re preparing for an exhilarating fall, with fresh course formats, engaging CTY events, and more. Let us know which activities interest you, and help keep our community of CTY alumni, donors, and friends thriving.
April C. Horton
Senior Director, Development and Alumni Relations
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Inaugural Conference Lays Strong Foundation for 17 CTY Scholars
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In July, the CTY Scholars program hosted its first Leadership Conference, welcoming 17 rising ninth- and tenth-grade students for four days of college admissions preparation and community building. Themed “Ready, Set, Go! Creating a Foundation for Success in High School,” the event equipped these bright, motivated teens with essential tools to support their academic and individual growth. It also included personality and interest assessments, a career panel, strategies for effective college visits, and workshops to prepare the students for college and beyond.
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CTY, Hopkins Teams Investigate How Advanced Students Use AI in Classrooms
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As a center for innovation at Johns Hopkins, CTY collaborates with colleagues across the university. Recently, our research team has partnered with experts from the Whiting School of Engineering and the Center for Research and Reform in Education to examine AI’s impact on the advanced learning classroom. This pilot project showed that students did not use the technology as much as expected. When they did, it was mostly for background information, such as disease symptoms or relevant medical diagnostic tests, to complete activities, rather than collaborating with the generative AI to learn in a more interactive way. These insights suggest that, with the right guidance and tools, AI can help both students and educators personalize and deepen learning. Read about the study’s findings here.
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| Alumni and Friends Match Wits During Virtual Trivia Night
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About 30 CTY alumni, students, and other brainiacs came together for a fierce and fun Virtual Trivia Night, featuring Jeopardy! champ Harvey Silikovitz (CTY ’82-’85) as our special guest. The evening commenced with three rounds of CTY-style cerebral shenanigans, with leaderboard domination and prizes up for grabs. After the game, participants joined virtual hangouts to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Thank you to everyone who helped make the event both lively and enjoyable!
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October 16—JHU Sesquicentennial
Johns Hopkins marks 150 years of firsts in research and more!
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October 16—CTY Advisory Council Meeting
Thirteen volunteers meet quarterly to help CTY promote and raise funds for our programs.
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December 2—Giving Tuesday
CTY thanks our community and celebrates our shared joy of investing in advanced learners.
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December 9—Deadline to Enroll in Early Spring Courses
Sign up now for courses to begin the week of January 26.
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Author Amity Gaige ’86-’88 Reflects on Early Inspirations
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Long before Amity Gaige topped bestseller lists, she was putting pen to paper at CTY’s Dickinson College site.
“The teacher for my first CTY course, Writing I, talked about how he once started Paradise Lost at sunset and finished it at sunrise,” she recalled. “I thought, ‘I want to be like him!’ At CTY, I got to see that I had real strengths as a discussant and a writer.”
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Over three summers, Gaige completed six CTY courses, ranging from Etymology to Global Politics.
“Where I attended school, I was not surrounded by kids who enjoyed wonky conversations about politics or literature,” she said. “As an emo adolescent, I will be forever grateful for the feeling of belonging I had at CTY.”
Gaige returned to CTY to teach Crafting the Essay at Skidmore College and now lectures at Yale. Her fifth novel, Heartwood, was The Today Show’s “Read with Jenna” pick in April.
Follow Gaige’s career highlights at amitygaige.com.
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| CTY Courses Helped Data Scientist Find His Professional Path
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Over his nine CTY summers, Kelson Shilling-Scrivo, Ph.D., ’99-’07 enrolled in such disparate courses as Bugs and Butterflies, Exploring Ethics, and Writing Your World. Today, Shilling-Scrivo works on projects like the Home Fire Risk Map and generative AI for the Red Cross in Baltimore. The freedom to pursue diverse academic interests before college was invaluable.
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“In middle school, I watched CSI religiously and wanted to go into forensics,” he said. “I took a CTY class and quickly learned I did not, in fact, want to go into forensics. I also took a Cognitive Psychology class and ended up finishing a doctorate in neuroscience before becoming a data scientist.”
Both he and his parents vividly remember one year when they arrived at a CTY site. Shilling-Scrivo dropped to the ground and proclaimed, “I am home!”
“Finding a place of like-minded individuals was so important during my childhood,” he shared. “CTY showed me that there is a community out there for me.”
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| Coming Soon: New CTY Systems on Horizon
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We’re making upgrades to CTY’s website, course catalog, family portal, and enrollment processes soon—all designed to make your experience smoother, smarter, and better aligned with families’ needs. Families can look forward to browsing a single catalog with online, day, and residential courses in one place, as well as filters for grade level, subject, modality, location, term, and eligibility level, so users can find the perfect fit. Our MyCTY family portal will let families manage all their children and experiences in one place. The new systems will include a streamlined checkout experience, and returning families will enjoy pre-filled applications, making future enrollments even easier. Stay tuned for more information about these system changes.
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Staff Spotlight: Political Science Instructor Laura Young
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“This summer reaffirmed why I keep returning to CTY. The students brought incredible energy and curiosity to the classroom. They embraced the Legal Speed Dating exercise and class debate on a recent Supreme Court ruling with creativity, strategy, and genuine engagement. This summer, in particular, the students’ intellectual growth and sheer enjoyment of the learning process were so tangible.”
Tell us about your favorite CTY instructors on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
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Readers: How Would You Like to Engage with the CTY Community?
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CTY always has been about more than coursework—it’s about making meaningful connections! Take our quick survey, and let us know your favorite ways to mix, mingle, and make more CTY memories.
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In the spring, an anonymous donor began matching gifts designated for the CTY Scholars program. CTY parent Maria Shim shares why she accepted that challenge.
“As someone who benefited significantly from scholarships and financial aid, I strongly believed that, when I was able to, I would give those same opportunities to other promising students. CTY Scholars fulfills that promise, ensuring that students have all the opportunities they need to succeed. I am continuously inspired by the young people who can study, learn, and be mentored through this program.”
The gift match is still active, so donate now to double your impact in support of future Scholars.
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Your gift to CTY can help provide a rewarding and challenging academic experience to bright learners from diverse backgrounds who may not be able to attend without financial assistance. Support our students today!
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CTY rewind! See how you fared on the Spring 2025 trio of trivia.
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Q. What was CTY’s first residential site? St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 1980, which enrolled 109 students.
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Q. What do CTYers call the ritualistic toasting of their friends with juice? Passionfruit.
Q. The first lanyards were introduced in 1994. What color was the lanyard and its text? White, with red lettering.
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Join one of our Facebook groups and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram to stay connected to everything CTY.
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Contact the Development and Alumni Relations team at ctydevelopment@jhu.edu.
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CTY is accredited for grades K-12 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
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