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SAVY Student Life

Spring Programs Accepting Applications

SAVY Information

Fall and Spring SAVY

SAVY Saturday classes are designed to provide students access to interesting topics, to teach students higher-order thinking skills, and to encourage development of conceptual frameworks for understanding new knowledge. We encourage students to enroll in classes that sound interesting to them. The short sessions provide students the opportunity to enroll in a class they already know they will love or take an intellectual risk and sign up for a class they have little experience so they can explore a possible new area of interest!

  • Session Structure

    Fall and Spring programs typically meet for three consecutive Saturdays. Students enroll in the session and attend all three Saturdays, taking the same class each day of the session.

  • Sample Schedule: Fall/Spring
    Photos by Joe Howell
    8:45-9:00 AM Arrival
    9:00-11:30AM SAVY Accelerated Courses (all SAVY students)
    11:30 AM-Noon Lunch
    12:00-2:45 PM Students continue SAVY Accelerated Courses
    2:45-3:00 PM Dismissal
  • Lunch

    During Saturday sessions, students will be provided a pizza lunch for each Saturday. Lunch is included as part of the tuition fee, but students are encouraged to bring their own snack from home each day. Dietary restrictions will be collected after admission into the program. Feel free to contact our office via email for additional questions or concerns – savy.pty@vanderbilt.edu.

Summer SAVY

SAVY classes are designed to provide in-depth study on interesting topics, to teach students higher-order thinking skills, and to encourage development of conceptual frameworks for understanding new knowledge. Vanderbilt faculty and graduate students, Programs for Talented Youth, the Center for Gifted Education at the College of William and Mary, and the University of Connecticut have designed some of SAVY’s curriculum. Many of the published units used at SAVY have won the Outstanding Curriculum Award from the National Association for Gifted Children, have been well researched, and have been shown to be effective with this unique population of learners.

  • Sample Schedule: Summer
    8:30-9:00 AMArrival
    9:00-11:00 AMSAVY Accelerated Courses (all SAVY students)
    11:00-11:30 AMOrganized Recreational Activities
    11:30 AM-NoonLunch (students pack a lunch)
    12:00-3:30 PMStudents continue SAVY Accelerated Course
    3:30-4:00 PMDismissal
  • Session Structure

    Students gain experience in a rigorous and engaging environment by participating in an academic course taught by Vanderbilt scholars, graduate students, content experts, or educators.

    These full-day courses provide an in-depth look into a discipline and expose students to the habits of scholars. Students participate in one course for the entire week. Courses are also designed to be fun!

  • Lunch

    During summer sessions, students should plan to bring a lunch and water bottle from home. One snack will be provided for students during summer sessions.

  • Organized Recreational Activities (ORA)

    All SAVY students have a 25–30 minute period of structured recess that is built into each SAVY day. Led by trained PE teachers from local schools, ORA gives SAVY students a chance to engage socially with grade-level peers in a fun, non-academic setting. ORA typically takes place outdoors on Peabody campus, weather permitting. 

Career Connections at SAVY

Similar to SAVY, Career Connections courses offer accelerated opportunities where students explore a topic in depth with like-ability peers.

Different from SAVY, these courses have a particular focus on how content knowledge is applied in unique ways in different fields or industries. Students will gain a better understanding of the importance of knowledge application as they begin to envision possible careers in content areas that most interest them.

  • Sample Schedule: Career Connections
    8:30-9:00 AMArrival
    9:00 AM-NoonAccelerated Course
    12:00-12:30 PMLunch in a campus dining hall
    12:30-1:30 PMAccelerated Course Continues
    1:30-2:00 PMBreak/Organized Recreational Activities
    2:00-3:30 PMAccelerated Course Continues
    3:40-4:00 PMDismissal
  • Lunch Options

    Career Connections at SAVY Students have the option to eat in a campus dining hall, just like college students at Vanderbilt. There are two meal options for students. Students may bring lunch from home to eat in the dining hall or may pre-purchase lunch for the week from the dining hall. Pre-purchase options will be sent to families after admission into the program.

  • Organized Recreational Activities (ORA)

    All Career Connections at SAVY students have a 25–30 minute period of structured recess that is built into each day. Led by trained PE teachers from local schools, ORA gives students a chance to engage socially with grade-level peers in a fun, non-academic setting. ORA typically takes place outdoors on Peabody campus, weather permitting.