Our Mission
CTY is a center for innovation dedicated to advancing the field of gifted education through our research on testing, programs, and other supports for academically advanced students. On the premise that advanced learners come from every community and demographic, we aim to understand and inform how they need to be nurtured to achieve their full potential as scholars and global citizens.
Our Vision
Our vision is to be innovative, inclusive, integrated, informed, and informative using forward-thinking, sustainable strategies that serve families, support educators, and influence the future of education.
Our Values and Principles on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism
As a center for innovation, CTY believes that the world of ideas expands exponentially when those with diverse backgrounds and perspectives share their knowledge and points of view. We believe that excellence lies within all of us, inclusive of all identities and experiences. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism are vital components of our approach in and outside of the classroom as we aim to build a community that contributes to a just society. CTY acknowledges the history of systemic oppression and exclusionary practices in education, particularly the field commonly referred to as gifted education. We are committed to dismantling racism, discrimination, and inequity in our policies, practices, and procedures.
Specifically, we are dedicated to:
BELONGING & COMMUNITY
- Creating an atmosphere of belonging for all students, families, and staff so that all feel safe to learn and grow.
- Striving for equity and inclusion in the talent identification and recruitment of academically advanced students.
- Implementing equitable and inclusionary practices to recruit, onboard, and retain a diverse staff.
- Inviting and listening to a plurality of voices throughout the CTY community to ensure all perspectives are valued and considered.
INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING & PRACTICES
- Ensuring that diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism are interwoven throughout all aspects of curriculum and programming.
- Providing students with the opportunity to critically engage with diverse perspectives in a safe and supportive environment.
- Engaging in research and programming that address systemic inequities in education and talent identification practices for advanced learners.
LIFELONG LEARNING
- Engaging in continuous self-reflection and learning to serve as a vanguard perpetuating diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism.
University Alignment and Key Terms
CTY’s values and principles were developed in alignment with Johns Hopkins University’s Second Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion, utilizing the university’s definitions for diversity, equity, and inclusion. We intentionally use the term “antiracism” to reflect the implementation of policies that lead to racial equity and justice, and are substantiated by ideas of racial equality (Kendi & Stone, 2023). Antiracism shifts the focus from the intent of our actions to the outcome of our actions and whether or not we are advancing racial equity (NLC, 2020). To be an antiracist organization we must actively work to eradicate racism strategically, systemically, and systematically from our policies and practices (Diem et al., 2022).
References
Diem, S., Welton, A. D., & Brooks, J. S. (2022). Antiracism education activism: A theoretical framework for understanding and promoting racial equity. AERA Open, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221126518
Kendi, I.X. & Stone, N. (2023). How to be a (young) antiracist. Penguin Random House.
National League of Cities (2020, July 21). What does it mean to be an anti-racist? https://www.nlc.org/article/2020/07/21/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-anti-racist/