Harald WAGNER

Bildung und Begabung e.V., Godesberger Allee 90, 53175 Bonn, Germany 

The most significant role in the education and development of young people between the ages of 6 and 18 years is played, without doubt, by general education in elementary and secondary schools. They are expected to make provision in order that each child may achieve the highest possible level of development according to his individual ability and willingness. However, this commitment is met in the main only for the large proportion of average and below average pupils and for children with the most varied handicaps and impediments. Of course no school can be suitable for every pupil to the same extent and no pupil can expect his school to provide adequately for every type of talent, gift or specialized interest. But all too often children who are very talented generally, who are highly perceptive and have a well developed capacity for concentration and achievement, who are inquisitive and have broad interests at school face idleness, too few challenges, boredom and lack of motivation. The consequences, lamented again and again, are a reduction in the willingness to make an effort, a decline in achievement, behavioural problems or apathy. The less the school is willing and able to meet the special requirements of their highly able students, the more important outside-of-school provision becomes.

2. Residential programmes

Among the many options for such provision (e.g. afternoon courses, clubs, Saturday programmes, competitions or contests, mentoring programmes) residential summer programmes seem to be the most powerful and effective ones. This setting allows total involvement in a certain subject with intensive tutoring and a multitude of social contacts. Particularly in the United States, such programmes have long been a fixed element of outside-of-school provision for highly able students [1].

One of the most sound and consistent approaches was developed by the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. It has been emulated by several institutions in the USA (Duke University in Durham, North Carolina; Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; University of Denver in Denver, Colorado; University of Washington in Seattle, Washington) and in Europe (Dublin City University in Dublin, Ireland; University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain).

On February 19, 2002 the Johns Hopkins University published a press release stating that CTY will assist the British government in creating a new Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth, drawing on the CTY model and providing advanced courses for the top 5 percent of English elementary and secondary pupils. The Academy, scheduled to open in the summer of 2002 at the University of Warwick, will admit 100 English pupils for a three week programme of intensive academic work. The programme is eventually expected to enroll 3,600 of England's top pupils and to cost around 20 million GBP (32,4 million €) over five years.

The CTY approach to talent development relies on the use of talent searches via achievement tests to find pupils who belong academically to the top one-half of one percent of their age mates; they qualify to take part in special academic programmes. Since 1979 CTY has identified more than 800,000 highly able seventh grade pupils by means of regional, national and international talent searches. They provide detailed educational and career guidance to pupils who have qualified. A network puts parents in touch with other parents of academically able pupils.

The core activities for the able are, however, the three weeks residential summer programmes which have been held since 1980. In the summer of 2002 more than 4,900 pupils from all over the United States and from more than 20 foreign countries will participate in 14 sessions held at seven sites.

The pupils work in one course on their chosen subject for five hours per day, five days per week. Each evening pupils are expected to spend at least two hours preparing for classes the next day. The courses with an average size of 15 participants are tutored by an instructor and a teaching assistant. Each site offers a variety of courses for the 250-540 residents. Courses cover humanities, writing, mathematics, science and computer science. Parallel courses are provided for the most popular subjects precalculus mathematics and writing.

Time is allotted for socializing, sports and music to provide relief from the high-level academic programme. This, in addition to the actual work, contributes considerably towards the great success of the CTY programme. Many return to their home communities fortified to achieve better than before, both academically and socially. Students between the ages of 12 and 16 repeatedly attend the programmes, some even taking two successive three week courses. Some very bright pupils even as young as 13 or 14 can become teaching assistants. This helps them develop even more academic and social maturity. Many of the home schools will acknowledge results and achievements from the summer programmes by giving credit and/or advanced standing to the pupils.

In 1992 the talent search and the residential programmes were extended to fifth and sixth graders, while commuter programmes are already being offered to pupils in grade two with courses such as French, Mathematical Problem Solving or Introduction to Environmental Science.

CTY describes the benefits of its residential programmes as follows:

"Our courses permit students to work at a challenging pace, explore topics in depth, and study subjects and develop skills that often are unavailable to students their age. Students report that the summer programs experience gives them a better picture of their own academic abilities and potential, helps them to develop better work and study habits, and refines their educational goals. In this regard, all courses enhance the students' overall educational experiences and sharpen their academic skills. The residential component heightens the experience by providing the opportunity to live, work, and socialize with other bright, motivated young people. Students develop lasting friendships as they participate together in a true living and learning community." [2, p.3]

Experiences with highly able pupils have taught CTY "that the most productive classrooms are characterized by:

- high expectations for student performance

- low student/instructor ratios

- faculty who are well-versed in their fields

- motivated students

- active student participation

- flexible instruction." [2, p. 2]

2.2. Pre-college programmes

For pupils 16 years or older and who attend grade 11 or 12 in high school, many American universities organize pre-college programmes during the summer months on their campuses. As an example, the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore offer a wide range of undergraduate credit courses and open many of them to outstanding high school pupils [3]. Two regular college courses may be chosen which are compacted into five weeks of intensive work. Additional academic activities, guided tours to research facilities, cultural excursions, sports, concerts, a talent show and field trips offer many opportunities to socialize with the other participants and to get an impression of college life and work.

An interesting option for upper secondary pupils with high abilities and motivation in science are training programmes at research institutions or at universities. They are designed to provide the pupils with educational opportunities in science, engineering and mathematics beyond school level. Within these programmes, pupils are brought into contact with the instructional staff, research personnel and general resources of colleges, universities, and research institutions.

Programmes involve pupils as junior associates of a research team or as principal investigators on a problem of appropriate difficulty, under the direct supervision of an experienced research scientist. Other programmes provide courses specially designed for the pupils or regular early college courses.

One of the most highly reputed science training programmes is offered by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel [cf. 4, p. 752]. This institute is devoted to research and teaching in the natural sciences, in mathematics and computer science. Each summer some 75 outstanding science students (high school graduates) from Europe, Asia, the Americas and Israel work alongside top researchers and use sophisticated scientific instrumentation. Applicants are selected on the basis of previous experience in laboratory research, successful participation in national or international competitions or science olympiads, high motivation, interest in pursuing a career in scientific research, recommendations from their home school and interviews. The partcipants can choose a subject in accordance with their own interests. At the end of the three-week-long laboratory period the students are required to present their findings to a seminar and to write a thesis on the completed work. Additional parts of the programme are a four-day visit to a field-school in the Negev desert with an introduction to desert ecology, a tour of Jerusalem and other places in Israel, as well as lectures given by senior Weizmann Institute scientists.

Inspired by CTY's approach to provide for highly able young people, in 1988 Bildung und Begabung e.V., a non-profit German association sponsored by the Federal Government, developed residential programmes in the summer holidays for 16-19 year-old upper secondary school pupils thus filling the critical gap between the last school years and higher education with a pre-college type of summer academy. Within a few years these programmes have grown into an outstanding opportunity for academically highly talented and motivated adolescents which seems to be quite unique in Europe. They are now well-known by the name "Deutsche Schüler-Akademie" (German Pupils' Academy). Following a visit to one of the academies in summer 2001, the Federal President of Germany, Johannes Rau, assumed patronage over the Deutsche SchülerAkademie.

3.1. Objectives

The general purpose of the Deutsche SchülerAkademie is to provide an intellectual and social challenge for the participants, to enhance their abilities, to establish contacts with like-minded peers with similar potential and motivation and to engage them in demanding academic work under supervision of expert instructors.

The most important objectives of the academies are

- to develop and improve methods and abilities of knowledge acquisition, interdisci-plinary thinking, research techniques and autonomous learning

- to challenge intellectual potentials to their limits

- to improve techniques of oral and written presentations

- to exercise cooperation and coordination in group work

- to provide role models through encounters with highly creative, able, motivated and inspiring teachers and scientists

- to experience a community of able and motivated peers, to develop lasting friend-ships and thus to accept the own personality as valuable and "normal"

- to help pupils with career-planning decisions

- to raise consciousness, that exceptional abilities carry the obligation to use them in a prosocial manner and in responsible leadership.

Achievement motivation, willingness to exert oneself, ability to work in teams, creativity, communication skills, interdisciplinary thinking, initiative and readiness to take over responsibility are key elements of the pedagogical concept.

3.2. Structure

A 16-days academy typically comprises 90 boys and girls, each one participating in one of six courses covering a broad range of diverse academic disciplines. As an example, one of the academies in the summer of 2002 will offer the following courses:

- "Mathematical structure of fundamental theories in physics"

- "Tumour research – an interdisciplinary challenge (Biochemistry, Medicine, Bioinformatics)"

- "Introduction to jurisprudence"

- "Democracy and deliberation (How to deal with conflicts in a pluralistic society)"

- "Enlightened or mesmerized? The concept of 'culture' in our society"

- "Music in the 'Third Reich' and in exile"

A complete overview of the courses offered in all academies of 2002 is to be found in the internet under http://www.schuelerakademie.de/dsa/2002/index.html.

While there is in each academy usually one course in mathematics, one or two in the sciences, and one or two in the humanities, other courses may come from any academic or scientific or cultural area such as introduction to a foreign language and culture (Italian, Spanish, Polish, Chinese…), creative or journalistic writing, music history, computer science, economics, psychology, rhetoric or visual arts to name just same examples. Interdisciplinary subjects are favoured. The idea is to select a certain topic of a discipline which can be treated in thorough depth and breadth within the 16 days and which introduces participants to the terminology, the methods, the research techniques and the literature of that discipline. The total amount of time spent on course work is about 50 hours. The level of work is mostly comparable with advanced university seminars.

Two instructors (scholars, expert Gymnasium school teachers or free-lancers) plan and run each of the courses with a minimum daily duration of 4-5 hours. The rest of the day is filled with additional optional activities such as sports, music (instrumental, choir), excursions, discussions, drama etc. where participants from all courses mix and meet.

Special emphasis is put on the training and improvement of the ability to clearly formulate and present research findings in oral and written form. Prior to the academy the participants are expected to work through a compilation of relevant texts and to prepare a presentation. Extracts from the written reports are later published for each academy in a 150-page proceedings ("Dokumentation"; several examples are to be seen under http://www.schuelerakademie/kurse/index.html).

Between 1988 and 2001 62 academies with more than 5,400 participants were held in boarding schools which have proven to be ideal locations for such programmes in Germany. A complete listing of all academies and courses may be found in the internet under http://www.schuelerakademie.de/akademien/index.html. In the summer of 2002 another seven academies with a total of 630 participants will be completed.

Within a few days each of the academies develops an atmosphere which can hardly be described, filled with enthusiasm and motivation of both participants and instructors with intensive personal relations, discussions, and gatherings until late at night. The numerous overwhelmingly positive feed-backs and evaluations from participants, their home schools and parents as well as from scientific programme evaluation confirm the immense impact the academy has on the participants.

The ideal participant has a high intellectual ability, a strong motivation to achieve, diverse interests, and has already demonstrated far above average achievements. He should attend grade 11 or 12 in the 13-year German school system and thus carry back his impressions and experiences from the academy into his home school.

As there are no routine standardized achievement tests carried out in Germany (as e.g. the Scholastic Assessment Test – SAT in the U.S.) two different criteria are applied to find suitable candidates:

a) successful participation in one of the intellectually demanding national or state competitions and olympiads or

b) recommendations from schools; each year all ca. 4,300 high schools in Germany ("Gymnasium" or "Gesamtschule") are individually requested to nominate one or two outstanding pupils who would match the above-mentioned ideal profile. About 25 percent of the schools respond to this request. Over the years, both criteria have proven to be equally valid in finding the desired candidates.

In 2002 about 300 recommendations came from competitions while schools provided ca. 1,300 names. The total of 1,600 pupils receive a letter of invitation and the catalogue with the description of the academies and the courses offered. Regularly ca. 80 percent of the candidates apply for participation. As there are twice as many qualified applications as there are places in the academies, difficult decisions have to be made whom to admit and whom to decline. Additional relevant and comparable information on the qualifications of the applicants is not available. Therefore, some pragmatic strategies guide the decisions, including (a) the course chosen; (b) proper representation of: boys and girls, winners in competitions and school nominees, individual federal states; (c) school grade (higher ones preferred, lower ones may apply again in the following year); (d) usually not more than one participant per school and no repeated participation of the same pupil in order to include as many different schools and pupils as possible.

Each year some 50 pupils from more than 20 foreign countries are admitted. They are selected by partner organizations or their home schools. Fluent command of German is an additional requirement for these candidates. A one week homestay prior to the acdemy with the familiy of a participant of the same course is usually arranged to help practice oral communication in German. Pupils from former socialist countries in central and eastern Europe only have to pay for their travel to the German border while travelling in Germany and participation in the academy for them is free of charge, the cost being covered by donations and contributions from foundations.

The staff of an academy consists of a director, an assistant (usually a former participant), a coordinator for musical activities (choir, instrumental ensembles), and 6x2 instructors for the course work. In total, 105 people have to be found each year to make the seven academies happen. The ideal profile for these persons would include expertise in their fields, additional abilities and interests, pedagogical talent, cooperativeness, idealism, and willingness to an intense, exhausting personal involvment for 16 days. These idealists are found among expert Gymnasium teachers, academic faculty and (in some cases) free-lancers. They receive a modest remuneration for their considerable engagement, but most of them value the exceptional educational situation to work with a highly able and motivated group of young people and they return year after year.

During the 69 academies of the years 1988 to 2002 a total of 408 courses were held. Mathematics and the sciences were subjects of 175 courses, which is 43 percent of all courses and indicates the strong emphasis which is put on these disciplines in planning the programmes (cf. tab. 1).

Table 1: Deutsche SchülerAkademie – Mathematics and science courses 1988 – 2002

In the following paragraphs it shall be attempted to provide an impression of the variety of subjects and the level of work accomplished in these courses.

The most numerous courses (15) were held on "Geometry", "Modern geometries", "Non-euclidean geometries" or "Fractal geometry". Other topics which were treated several times: "Dynamic systems", "Axiomatic set theory", "Topology", "Games, Strategies, Optimization", "Group theory", "Number theory", "Stochastic processes", "Logic and axiomatic foundations of mathematics", "Graphs, networks, and algorithms". Further courses dealt with "Complex numbers", "Combinatorics", "Symmetries", "Ordinary differential equations", "Mathematical models in election systems", "Vectoranalysis" or "Mathematical methods in neurophysiology".

The last course is a good example for an interdisciplinary approach. The basis of the course work was Jane Cronin's book "Mathematical aspects of Hodgkin – Huxley neural theory". It covers linear algebra, linear and non-linear differential equations and their periodic solutions applied to a model of electrical activity in neurons, developed by A.L. Hodgkin and A.F. Huxley who received the Nobel prize in 1961 for their pioneering work.

Courses in astrophysics and astronomy were by far the most frequently offered (20), covering aspects such as time, velocity, and dimensions in the universe, development of stars, gravity, theory of relativity, galaxies and the structure of the universe, black holes, gravity lenses. Several courses treated subjects such as "Elementary particles and the beginning of the universe", "Quantum mechanics", "Fluid dynamics", "Properties of materials" or "Mathematical structure of fundamental physical theories". Other themes related to "Interference optics and holography", "Magnetism", "Ballistics", "Photonics – transmitting data through light" or "Hardware of mobile phones". Two courses treated topics of geology: "Predictability of earthquakes" and "Development of mountains".

The course on earthquakes explained the structure of the earth, continental drifts, tectonics, hot spots, physics of earthquakes, principles of seismographs, evaluation of seismogrammes, possible precautions against the damaging effects of earthquakes, indicators for imminent earthquakes. A seismograph was installed for the time of the academy by which the pupils were able to register the devastating earthquake that happened near Istanbul on 17 August, 1999.

Environmental analysis and ecological studies were performed in seven courses; the microcosm of the cell, its physiology and energy budget were treated in three courses. Other topics were "Neurosciences", "Evolutionary biology", "Biological fundaments of social behaviour", "Climate", "Insects", "Biodiversity" or "Self-organization of proteins".

Chemistry courses treated "Photochemistry – reactions with light", "Chirality (dissymmetric properties of molecules)", "Food analysis", "Bioanorganic chemistry", "Development of medical drugs", "Synthesis of natural substances" or "Chemistry of dyes". This latter course presented the history of dyes, natural dyes and their production, food colouring, indicators and gave ample opportunity for hands-on experiments.

3.4.4. Medicine, Genetics, Psychology

Two to three courses in this section dealt with "Neurobiology of learning and recalling", "Drugs and addiction", "Medical technology and health policies" and "Mechanisms of perception". Other courses treated "Tumor research", the "Human genome study", "Genetical engineering", "Viruses", "Neurophysiology", "The brain-mind problem", "Ethical problems in medicine" or an "Introduction to psychology".

"Medical technology and health policies" for instance gave an introduction into the history of infectious diseases, HIV and AIDS, therapeutic possibilities, effectiveness of drugs, ethical problems in clinical studies, genes and diseases, allergies.

An introduction into state-of-the-art technology was provided by courses like "PC-Networking", "Informatics of logistics", "Possibilities and limits of automatic planning", "Cyborgs and avatars – the society of informational bodies", "Bioinformatics" or "Datagramm networks".

Reports of participants are usually nothing less than enthusiastic. Apart from the academic level, the company of similarly interested and zealous young people is particularly praised which remains a lasting impression and results in a network of friendships, reunions and joint academic and leisure activities over the following years. Most of them are amazed by the energies that can be mobilized and the amount of work that can be accomplished by coordinated efforts of inspired instructors and participants.

Ari, an American girl who had previously attended a CTY summer programme in the United States last year, took a course on musical theory in one of the German academies. Afterwards her mother gave us the following report which may serve as a typical example for the overwhelmingly positive feed-back the academies receive:

The host familiy was a wonderful fit. Ari went to regular school with the daughter who later attended the Akademie with her. She also went to a prom and swam in the Baltic. I expect that her relationship with the entire family will continue for years to come. Since Ari's return home she has received dozens of e-mails and even phone calls from the kids and messages from the faculty and host parents as well. I can tell you that Ari savored and benefited from every hour that she spent in the program. The experience has already positively influenced some educational decisions Ari has had to make since arriving home. I couldn't have wished for a better experience."

Another girl - Sabina Hasanovic (19) - put her impressions into a poem (translation by the author):

für einige Tage

in einer anderen welt leben

die geschichte aus einer anderen

perspektive betrachten

kritisch sein und offen

für neue aspekte

die grenzen der imagination brechen

mit dem geist fliegen

für einige tage

lachen und glücklich sein

langsam größer werden

raus aus dem körper

groß werden und bleiben

to live for a few days

in another world

to look at history

from a different perspective

to be critical and open

for new points of view

to break the limits of imagination

let the spirit soar

to laugh for a few days

and be happy

slowly growing

out of your body

to become and remain grown up

 A more objective view on the effects of participation is provided by the results of extensive evaluation studies by Heinz Neber and Kurt A. Heller (University of Munich) [5;6;7]. According to self reports two to four years after participation and compared with the best possible control group (pupils who had equally applied for participation but could not be admitted simply due to lack of places) participants experience an improvement of motivation and social attitudes such as interests, self-confidence, cooperativeness and sociability. They report changes in the awareness and the assessment of their own potential – in most cases positive, in a few negative, however towards a more realistic view of their capabilities. Having been in an academy eases the transition from school to university and helps with decisions concerning university studies. The most important effect however seems to come from the guidance to independent studies, the very close personal contact to the instructors and the encounter with like-minded peers. Neber and Heller conclude: "The academy has primarily a general promoting effect on development and competence. It clearly contributes in a positive way to the psychic development of the participants and thus enhances prerequisites for coping with challenging tasks." [7, p.105; translated by the author]

3.5. Finances

The Deutsche SchülerAkademie is substantially subsidized by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research, the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, and several foundations (cf. table 2). Additional donations come from parents of the participants. This allows pupils to participate for a moderate fee. While the full cost per place (including the overhead) amounts to 1,477 € (1,315 $) participants are expected to pay a fee that covers accommodation and food (in 2002: 500 €, approx. 445 $). Financial assistance is available to needy families so that no one would have to refrain from participating just for financial reasons.

Table 2: Deutsche SchülerAkademie - Budget 2002 in Euro (US$)

participant´s fee for 16 days: 500(445)

programme cost per participant: 832 (740)

total cost per participant: 1,477 (1,315)

fee reductions/waivers (16%): 50,400 (44,860)

For the summer of 2001 a joint German-Israeli academy had been planned to be held at the Israel Arts and Science Academy in Jerusalem. In four courses 32 German and 32 Israeli pupils should have worked on the subjects "Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries", "The changing earth and the dynamics of life", "The strange world of the electrons. An introduction to quantum mechanics", and "Values in natural sciences", English being the working language. Two of the courses were to be held by German instructors, the other two by Israelis. – Due to the increasing violence in Israel it was decided to postpone this academy until more peaceful times have returned to Israel.

In the summer of 2002 for the first time an academy will be run which has with the concept of "Time" a general theme to which the six courses relate from different academic disciplines: (1) "Time and chance – stochastic processes in nature, technology, economy, demography"; (2) "Theory of relativity – the geometry of time"; (3) "Cosmic rhythms – the concept of time in astronomy"; (4) "Age and ageing – biological, sociological, and medical aspects"; (5) "The timeliness of life – philosophical questions"; (6) "Reflexions and realization – how visual arts treat the factor time". A lot of consideration in preparing this academy has been given to the question of how to coordinate the courses and how to facilitate communication of results between them.

An extension of the academic programmes over the next few years is intended in two directions: (a) the number of academies on the pre-college level shall be increased as the number of qualified applicants regularly outnumber the available places by 2:1. Furthermore we strive for an intensified cooperation with our Eastern neighbours; (b) there is a strong demand for residential summer programmes for younger pupils in Germany. Plans are being developed to establish a Junior Academy for 13 to 16 year-olds with an even stronger emphasis on mathematics and science as German universities register a dramatic decline of the numbers of students in the departments of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and engineering. It is essential to encourage highly able pupils – girls even more than boys – at the earliest possible age to pursue their interests and possible careers in these fields. The necessary funding provided, a first Junior Academy could be held in 2003.

[1] P. Olszewski-Kubilius, Special Summer and Saturday Programs for Gifted Students. In: N. Colangelo and G. Davis (eds.), Handbook of Gifted Education (2^nd ed.). Allyn & Bacon, Boston, MA, 1997, pp. 180-188.

[2] Center for Talented Youth (CTY), CTY Summer Programs 2002 - 7th grade and above. Johns Hopkins University /Center for Talented Youth, Baltimore, MD, 2002.

[3] Johns Hopkins University/Office of Summer Programs, Pre-college and Intensive English Language Programs 2002. Johns Hopkins University/Office of Summer Programs, Baltimore, MD, 2002.

[4] T. Subhi and N. Maoz, Middle East Region: Efforts, Policies, Programs and Issues. In: K.A. Heller, F.J. Mönks, R.J. Sternberg and R.F Subotnik (eds.), International Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (2^nd ed.). Elsevier Science Ltd., Oxford, U.K., 2000, pp. 743-756.

[5] H. Wagner, H. Neber and K.A. Heller, The BundesSchülerAkademie – A Residential Summer Program for Gifted Adolescents in Germany. In: M.W. Katzko and F.J. Mönks (eds.), Nurturing Talent. Individual Needs and Social Ability. The Fourth Conference of the European Council for High Ability. Van Gorcum, Assen, The Netherlands, 1995, pp. 281-291.

[6] H. Neber and K.A. Heller, Auswirkungen der Deutschen SchülerAkademie auf Schule und Studium (Effects of the German Pupils' Academy upon School and University Studies). Bundesmi-nisterium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn 1996. (Research Report Published by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology, Bonn.)

[7] H. Neber and K.A. Heller, Deutsche SchülerAkademie. Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Begleit-forschung (German Pupils Academy. Results of Evaluative Research). Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn 1997. (Research Report Published by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology, Bonn.)