Durham, North Carolina has several options for gifted students.
As Durham, North Carolina is the 85th largest city in the United States and ranked #36 in the top 100 Best Cities for Children in America, it should come as no surprise that they have a relatively broad selection of schools geared towards gifted and talented students.
Durham School of the Arts
The Durham School of the Arts is a magnet school that focuses on children who are attracted to a curriculum which includes a strong emphasis on the performing and visual arts. With a focus on recognizing and nurturing children of various intelligences, they seek to create a warm environment where the arts flourish. Ranked in Newsweek's "Top 1% of Public High Schools in the Nation", the Durham Arts School offers courses specializing in chorus, strings, guitar, piano, band, dance and theater. The visual arts are represented by drawing and painting specialty coursework, clay and sculpture, and photography. Students who are particularly talented in literature are encouraged to try the creative writing track. Auditions are held for all performance arts and applications can be obtained through the school's website.
The Raleigh School
Serving the larger Durham-Raleigh area is the Raleigh School. The Raleigh School features music programs for children and emphasizes an active, collaborative hands-on educational atmosphere where critical thinking is emphasized and where intrinsic motivation is nurtured. With its village-like non-institutional campus, children engage in indoor and outdoor learning; indoor classes meet in attractive, large and bright classrooms. Established in 1952 as a parent cooperative preschool with a strong emphasis on parent participation, the Raleigh School has expanded to include elementary school and prides itself on having been founded as a non-sectarian school. Inquire at RaleighSchool.org for more information for your preschooler or elementary age child.
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
With an emphasis on the sciences and mathematics, the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics specializes in helping those students who wish to prepare for a career in the science or medical field for their coursework in college and beyond. Students wishing to apply to the NCSSM should check their eligibility by following the application guidelines available on their website. Requirements include being in the tenth grade, having taken the SAT-1, obtaining teacher and counselor evaluations, and opening an application account with the school to facilitate the application process. Potential students also must attend Discovery Days on campus, during which they take math and essay writing tests.
Duke Continuing Studies
One of the greatest advantages for a gifted or talented student who lives in the Durham area is the opportunity to attend Duke University's Continuing Studies. This unique program enables students who have excelled in their normal high school studies to experience college-like classrooms and participate in this advanced placement program which includes a college prep workshop, Duke Young Writer's Camp, or a weekend workshop. The program offers camps in drama, computers, bio-sciences, and engineering. Students also may participate in drama workshops and many more courses including SAT preparation classes. To apply, visit the Learn More section of the Duke University website. Online courses are available for students for whom the commute would prove too far.
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