On a crisp summer day, the campus of Hood College in Frederick teems with tribes of young men and women dressed in baggy jeans, colorful T-shirts, shorts and sneakers.
At first glance, the atmosphere looks an awful lot like summer camp: Kids toss Frisbees, play volleyball and hang out in small groups, talking and laughing.
But this isn't camp. It's more of a cross between camp and summer school for some of the nation's best and brightest young scholars, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Talented Youth. Approaching its 21st anniversary, the center develops programs to help identify, nurture and develop academically talented, pre-collegiate students.
"The stereotype has always been that high-achieving students are going to make it anyway, but that's not necessarily true," says the center's executive director, Lea Ybarra. "The focus is often on at-risk students, which is definitely needed, but we strive to help gifted students reach their highest level of potential. It sends a message that studying and being smart are cool."
This summer, more than 8,000 students, ages 12 to 17, have taken part in the talented youth experience. For up to six weeks, they commute from home or live in dormitories at 16 colleges nationwide - including local sites such as Hood, Goucher and Johns Hopkins - as well as at secondary schools such as Garrison Forest.
The students hail from at least 40 states and 42 countries. And already these kids are academic powerhouses. Besides having good grades, they rank in the uppermost percentile on national standardized achievement tests, with many earning SAT scores on par with Ivy League college entrants.
Perhaps even more amazing: These young scholars have given up part of their summer vacations to attend school.
`Like being in college'
This is the second summer 14-year-old LaPorcha Ezekial has taken part in the program. But last year, having learned that her summer break would also mean a three-week psychology course at Hood, she wasn't exactly enthusiastic.
"My mother said there was no TV, 12 hours of class and no telephone," recalls Ezekial, a rising sophomore at Baltimore's Western High School. "I didn't want to come, but I had to. And after I gave it a chance, I really liked it."
The talented youth curriculum can sound a bit daunting - particularly for youngsters planning to wile away the hours poolside, in front of the tube or no place in particular.
"This isn't your ordinary summer program," says Daren Dorm, the center's community outreach liaison, who recruits top students in the Baltimore area. "Those who come here have to work really hard. It's like being in college."
Students receive a year's worth of advanced high school and college-level course work, condensed into three-week sessions. Each course focuses on a single subject, from Latin and digital logic to genetics and 20th century art. The weekday schedule includes seven hours of class, with additional time allotted for meals and recreational activities. On weekends, they get a break from classes with events such as carnivals, dances and movies.
Although most days are basically structured, students also manage to squeeze in social time. These kids may be bright, even brilliant, but they still have raging hormones.
"I wasn't too excited about coming at first," says 13-year-old Jackson Sarter, an honors student at Alice Deal Jr. High in Washington.
He breaks into a grin. "Then my mom told me it was co-ed. As soon as I heard that, I said OK."
`Urban initiatives'
From a small classroom partly lit by afternoon sun come the sounds of youthful voices reciting Shakespeare.
On this particular afternoon, Ezekial and about 10 other students are studying "Hamlet" as part of the program's Shakespearean Drama course. They read aloud the intricate Elizabethan language with ease, seemingly absorbed by the tale of a young medieval prince in Denmark who must avenge his father's murder.
Instructor Matthew Buchanan tries to give the plot contemporary relevance. "We might compare Hamlet's early life to that of Prince William of England," he says. "The main theme is duty: If you know something is wrong, is it your obligation to fix it?"
In recent years, center officials have faced a similar dilemma while tackling the issue of diversity. In the program's two decades, African-American, Hispanic and Native American youths have accounted for barely single-digit enrollment percentages, although Asian and Indian students have been represented in greater numbers.
About two years ago, in response to criticism, administrators established so-called "urban initiatives" in the form of scholarships and other outreach efforts to bring top academic performers from city school districts into the talented youth fold.
