SAVY (Grades K-6/Rising Grades 1-8)
SAVY serves gifted and high-achieving students in kindergarten through grade 6 throughout the year. During the summer, students who have completed 6th or 7th grade (rising 7th or 8th) are eligible to participate in Career Connections at SAVY, a day program within SAVY designed specifically for this age group.
See the “How do students qualify?” section below for more information on student qualifications for SAVY or Career Connections. Learn more about summer options for rising 7th and 8th grade students.
What?
Classes are designed for the academically talented and motivated learner. SAVY offers accelerated courses led by Vanderbilt professors, master teachers, and/or graduate students in a variety of course topics that change each session. Class size is limited to approximately 14 students for grades K-2 and 16 students for grades 3-8.
Please visit the “SAVY Academics and Course Listings” page for more details.
Programs for Talented Youth may use curriculum and resources from a variety of sources to design classes that engage your learners. The extent to which particular resources are used varies by course. Please note that the publishers and content creators of resources PTY instructors use do not endorse Programs for Talented Youth.
When?
Fall and Spring classes are typically held for three consecutive Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 2:45 PM.
Summer classes are week-long sessions during June and July, Monday through Friday from 8:45 AM to 3:45 PM. Students may register for one or more sessions. Summer SAVY typically offers six one-week sessions. Course offerings differ per session.
Please visit the “SAVY Session Dates and Application Information” page for more details.
Where does SAVY take place?
SAVY is held on Peabody Campus at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN.
How do students qualify?
We accept any standardized achievement or ability test including, but not limited to, the following: RIAS, CogAT, ERB, Stanford Achievement Test, OLSAT, Woodcock Johnson, WIAT, WISC IV/V, ITBS, Iowa and MAP/NWEA. We also accept a variety of state achievement tests, including AIMSweb, STAR, TCAP, Fastbridge testing, and other progress-monitoring assessments for provisional placement. Out-of-level standardized assessments (e.g., Explore, SCAT) are also accepted.
While scores around the 90th percentile are typically a strong indication that SAVY is an appropriate curriculum match for a student, feel free to contact the SAVY office for questions about scores that do not meet these criteria, as alternative documentation may be acceptable. Returning SAVY students do not need to resubmit test scores unless their scores are more than three years old. Students without test scores should work with their schools to obtain documentation of their assessments.
Visit the Student Program Eligibility page for more information about eligibility for SAVY and Career Connections student programs.