CTY : The Center for Talented Youth
Created | Updated Mar 23, 2002
The Center for Talented Youth is an educational institution that spans much of the Earth. From the United States (and abroad), hundreds of junior high and high school students are selected to attend a summer camp at which they take classes and get one of the most intense social experiences of their lives.
The concept behind CTY is simple: it gives students the chance to learn more than what is offered at school. It also offers a social experience in which you make friends that you keep for a lifetime. Almost everyone who has attended CTY has been majorly affected by it; many students return later as RAs (residential advisors) or as students.
There are also many traditions at CTY, including the weekly dances on Friday nights (in which American Pie is always the last song). Most sites (there are many throughout the United States, and even one in Ireland) have a list of "canon" songs which students like, if for no other reason than nostalgia. Traditions such as Passionfruit are also common.
Many CTY students also share the love of similar things; many like science fiction, such as Star Trek or Star Wars; many enjoy certain card games, such as Mao or Egyptian Ratscrew, and the vast majority are great fans of, of course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the camp is how close-knit the community is; most alumni find themselves in touch with friends years afterwards. When alumni meet one another, even if they attended CTY on opposite sides of the globe or many yearrs a part, an instant link is formed. An e-mail mailing list (http://www.mattababy.org) keeps old members in touch. No one can dispute the community formed at CTY.
The love of CTY is so great that many students cry on their last days, when they become "nomores." The last dance is frequently tear-filled. When they hear American Pie outside of camp, they will frequently also break out in tears.
The concept behind CTY is simple: it gives students the chance to learn more than what is offered at school. It also offers a social experience in which you make friends that you keep for a lifetime. Almost everyone who has attended CTY has been majorly affected by it; many students return later as RAs (residential advisors) or as students.
There are also many traditions at CTY, including the weekly dances on Friday nights (in which American Pie is always the last song). Most sites (there are many throughout the United States, and even one in Ireland) have a list of "canon" songs which students like, if for no other reason than nostalgia. Traditions such as Passionfruit are also common.
Many CTY students also share the love of similar things; many like science fiction, such as Star Trek or Star Wars; many enjoy certain card games, such as Mao or Egyptian Ratscrew, and the vast majority are great fans of, of course, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Perhaps the most amazing part of the camp is how close-knit the community is; most alumni find themselves in touch with friends years afterwards. When alumni meet one another, even if they attended CTY on opposite sides of the globe or many yearrs a part, an instant link is formed. An e-mail mailing list (http://www.mattababy.org) keeps old members in touch. No one can dispute the community formed at CTY.
The love of CTY is so great that many students cry on their last days, when they become "nomores." The last dance is frequently tear-filled. When they hear American Pie outside of camp, they will frequently also break out in tears.
