For three weeks this summer, Sophia Figueroa lived on the campus of Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., far away from her home in Newark, N.J.
It was the first time the petite 11-year lived away from her family, but she didn’t mind.
“I didn’t miss home because our schedule was so busy. I didn’t have time to miss home,” said Figueroa, who just began sixth grade at the Robert Treat Academy Charter School in Newark.
At Layfayette, Figuero studied advanced geography and participated in a model United Nations.
“It wasn’t just basic geography,” Figueroa said. “We studied the state of the countries. We learned about whether they were poor or rich. I met people from all over the world, like Beijing, Singapore, the Caribbean. It was really interesting to hear what it was like for them in their country.”
Figueroa is one of 43 students from Robert Treat this summer who attended a three-week program through the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Robert Treat, a national Blue Ribbon school, has sent a total of 331 students through the program since 2005.
“We are extremely proud of our students who want to continue their learning through the summer,” said Theresa Adubato, the school principal. “The students who opt to participate are truly motivated. They really don’t have much downtime during the summer.”
With 210 days of school, Robert Treat has a significantly longer school year than most other schools in New Jersey, which typically go 180 days. When most students were still enjoying the summer, Robert Treat students were in school, which started on Aug. 5.
The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth is a competitive program that identifies young people of great academic promise through a national talent search that involves rigorous testing.
In Summer 2013 CTY welcomed 9,500 students at 24 CTY Summer Program sites in the U.S. and Hong Kong. Day students, who are in grades 2-6, attend CTY Summer Programs on the campuses of private elementary and secondary schools. Summer residential students, who are in grades 5-10, attend CTY Summer Programs that are held on college and university campuses.
Some Robert Treat Academy students have also participated in CTYOnline programs, which this year enrolled 9,200 students. Since 1979, CTY’s summer, family, and online programs have enrolled students from some 115 countries worldwide.
“Students at Robert Treat Academy who come to CTY are high achievers whose families and teachers recognize the benefits of challenging them academically and surrounding them with other bright students who share their interests,” said Maria Blackburn, a spokeswoman for The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth.
“The fact that so many bright students from Robert Treat participate in CTY is a real testament to the leadership of the school’s faculty, the support of the school’s parents, and the academic achievement of the students themselves.”
The cost of tuition for the three-week program is more than $3,000. Robert Treat Academy covers the cost for students who cannot afford the tuition and who don’t receive financial aid through Johns Hopkins.
Stephen N. Adubato Sr., the founder of Robert Treat Academy, said the school puts an emphasis on giving students opportunities that they would not otherwise have.
“For these inner city students to spend three weeks at their age on a college campus is remarkable,” Adubato said. “For the first time, they can see and feel what it is like to go to college. It’s not a distant dream, but a real possibility.”
Figueroa doesn’t hesitate when asked whether she plans to attend college.
“Of course I’m going to college,” she said with confidence and a look that says, “Why would you even ask that question?”
Alana Garcia, 14, who just graduated from Robert Treat Academy, spent three weeks at Haverford College studying philosophy, a class typically taken by college students.
Garcia said she studied ethics, epistemology, metaphysics and utilitarianism and read some of the classic philosophers like Socrates, Aristotle, Plato, Locke and Kant.
“It was my first time studying philosophy,” said Garcia, who is attending Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, Conn., in a few weeks. “It was really interesting. It opened my mind to new views.”
She said a typical day consisted of morning classes for three hours, followed by lunch, then another two hours of classes in the afternoon. After dinner, students spent another two hours in class. It was her second time attending the Johns Hopkins program. Two years ago, she attended Washington College in Chesterton, Maryland, to study robotics.
Angel Bruno, 14, who also graduated from Robert Treat Academy in June, spent three weeks on the campus of Roger Williams University in Bristol, R.I. taking a class in biotechnology. It was also his second time, having spent a year at Lafayette last summer.
Bruno, who will attend St. Andrews School in Delaware, said he is interested in becoming a forensic scientist. Having participated in the program, Bruno said, made him certain he wanted to attend college.
“The program actually made me want to go even more because I just got a taste of the experience,” Bruno said.
Adrianne Davis, the executive director of The North Ward Center and the vice chair of the Robert Treat board of trustees said the program sets the students apart.
“The Center for Talented Youth is such a great experience for our students,” Davis said. “It’s such an important part of their education.”
