Academic Talent Development Program
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Academic Talent Development Program
Website for ATDP: www-atdp.berkeley.edu/
Feb 2008
Can anyone tell me what their experience has been with these
classes for 9th graders. My daughter is thinking of taking
Marine Biology, which meets 2 days a week with 4-6 hours of
homework per class. My question is.... is this really a
hard pushing academic class? When she was in 6th grade she
took a math class which was really fun. I'm wondering if
she really needs to be taking a tough class during summer
vacation.
thanks much.
My son had great experiences with the ATDP program the
summers after 6th, 8th and 10th grades. In the latter 2
summers, he was in the secondary division and took 2 day
per week/5 credit afternoon classes on the Berkeley
campus. The 5 credit classes, like the one probably being
considered by your daughter, are much less demanding
timewise than the 10 credit/3 day per week classes. My son
was able to sleep late every day, go to his afternoon class
2 days a week, complete the 4 to 6 hours of class prep two
other days, then have one whole weekday and the entire
weekend off (15 - 20 hrs. of work per week spread over 4
days). So, my kid liked it, had plenty of time off, slept
late, played lots of video games, but still had a light,
built-in academically oriented structure 4 days a week for
6 weeks. I think he also liked taking classes on the UC
campus, taking the bus, and eating on Telegraph or Euclid
with all the UC summer students around. Each kid's
tolerance for summer academics is different, but I would
guess that the schedule is pretty comfortable for students
who like academics and aren't trying to do a lot of other
activities on top of ATDP. Good
luck!
ATDP mom
Feb 2007
Does anyone know about the gifted summer camp program at UC
Berkeley ? We are thinking about signing up our son. He's 9
(4th grade) and very advanced in math. Does anyone here have
experiences with that program ?
Kim
We were not impressed with the program about which I think you ask - ATDP (Academic
Talent Development Program). Over the course of two summers both of my very bright
sons took classes there and they didn't feel that it was anything much different from
their regular public school.
The drive (at least from our neighborhood in Oakland) is a total schlep and it is
pricey also.
Disapointed
Feb 2002
My son's kindergarten teacher has recommended that we send him to one of the
summer classes offered through the UC Academic Talent Development Program.
Can anyone who has send a kindergartner/first grader to the program tell me
what the program for that age group is like? The only review on the web
site is regarding a high school student's experience. Would you recommend
it? Did your kids like it? What is it like? How is it structured? The
concept of an "academic" summer program for a six year old gives me pause.
Thanks!
ATDP has wonderful classes. Yes, they're kind of academic,
but all the teachers our daughter (who started as a kindergartener)
has had in their claases have been energetic and made
the subjects fun. I would not be scared away by the academic
label at all. Location in Pt. Richmond is not as convenient
as the former location in a school near El Cerrito Plaza
BART, but it's still a wonderful program. If you decide
to do it, better move quickly since I think the deadline
is coming up soon.
a Dad
My son went to ATDP the summers after 2nd and 3rd grade.
The first year he took geology and loved it. The second
year he took physics and liked it less. He also went to
the sports camp associated with ATDP, so he was there
for the full day. He went strongly objecting to the
sports camp, but actually enjoyed many aspects of it--
martial arts, team sports, arts and crafts. In geology,
they made models of the earth, of fault lines, and finally
of a volcano, using techniques that ensured that they
understood about contours and mapping as well as the
geology. They learned about lots of different kinds of
rocks. In physics they built Rube Goldberg machines.
Actually, it was a family project we built at home.
Probably the hardest thing for my son in adjusting to
the program was that it was at a new school with no one
he knew. However, he made friends, particularly in the
sports camp. You can send me e-mail if you have other
questions.
Cynthia
My son took one of the ATDP kindergarten classes two
summers ago. If you have the opportunity to take
advantage of this program, you should. My son studied
oviparous animals, and the course was both stimulating
and challenging--he talked about it all the time and he
looked forward to going. The teacher was absolutely
fantastic. There is enough variety (reading, writing,
art, computer projects, study trips, class projects)
that he didn't get bored. The classes meet 4 days a
week for 1/2 day (students can also enroll in an
optional recreation program for the other half of the
day), and there are plenty of breaks. On Wednesdays
there are exploration classes (an additional charge);
we only did this once, though--my son is quite shy and
meeting new kids is hard, so the Wednesday classes,
which were comprised of students from a variety of
classes, didn't work so well for him. The elementary
program is held at Washington School (at the end of
Richmond Parkway) so we had to adjust our commute
schedule to make sure he got to the program on time,
and parking around the school is pretty difficult, so
if you plan to enroll, arrive early for pick up and
drop off.
Yvette
re-UC Academic Talent Development Program - For program specifics see their
website: http://www-atdp.berkeley.edu/ My son has attended for several
years, he started the summer after 2d grade. He loves it and looks forward
to attending every summer. He chooses the class he wants to take, not me.
The classes are 1/2 day, with a morning recess, four days/week. The
classes are pretty academic, teachers are excellent, and if your child is
interested in Geology, Simple Machines, Photography or Lab Chemistry or
whatever, they will have a blast. My son took Geology as a 2d grader, he
absolutely loved it and learned alot. The teachers do an incredible job of
introducing the class to the subject in an interesting and engaging way.
Both the kids and the teachers seem to really like the opportunity to spend
4 weeks focused on one subject. There is a small amount of daily homework.
The classes work toward a final project of some sort and there is a day at
the end of the session where the classes present their projects. It's
amazing to see what they've spent 4 weeks working on. There is also a
schedule of fun, optional one-day classes for the fifth day. There is a
sports program to fill out the day if you need a full day program. The
sports program was quite poorly run a few years ago when we first
participated, but seems to have improved significantly since then though I'm
not sure I'd enroll a to-be first grader.
My children went to the program after Kindergarten and
enjoyed it. They are in 4th grade and we will return
this year and have gone every year in between. The
teachers are great and the classes are age appropriate-
-for kindergarten the choices are rocky reefs and tide
pools or oviparous eggs. Deadline to apply is March
29th. Check out www.atdp.berkeley.edu.
barbaramann
Both of my children have attended summer camp at ATDP for the past 2-3
years, and they both have enjoyed it very much. It's not so much
Feb 2002
Re: summer programs for 15-year-old
I would recommend the Summer Academic Development Program here on
campus. Their web site is: http://www-atdp.berkeley.edu/
My daughter took classes two summers in a row. She adored it. Her
taking a class in mythology totally turned her around and gave her
the direction she needed. She's now a college freshman classics
major.
If you have a child who is very bright but is turned off to the
social aspects of high school this program gives them an opportunity
to really study something of their own choosing and be around kids
who are there for the sake of learning.
April 2000
Re: Math enrichment classes for 6-year-old
Check out UC Berkeley's Academic Talent Development (ATDP) program.
It's a summer program, and although the deadline for applications has passed,
they still will accept applications for classes that have not yet filled.
For course descriptions of "Fun with Math" (for those who have just finished
Kindergarten) and "The Joy of Math" (for those who have finished 1st grade),
To inquire about course availability, you should call the ATDP office.
The staff is wonderful and will be happy to help.
Ilana
March 2000
My daughter, who is now a junior, attended this program last summer.
She got into her second choice class, mythology. She adored her
class and really got along great with the instructor. She also
enjoyed meeting kids from other high schools. As a result of the
class, she had a real advantage over her current classmates in
English Lit and European History, because both courses covered
certain aspects of mythology. And, she can answer all the Jeopardy
mythology questions!
She is reapplying for this coming summer. We both highly recommend
the program. Olga
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Last updated: Aug 24, 2008
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