Nurturing Intellect. Unlocking Potential.
Our mission is to recognize the nation’s profoundly gifted youth and support them holistically so they may reach their highest potential.
Providing community, resources & scholarships for gifted young people.
For 25 years, the Davidson Institute has grown into a robust organization that provides a community, opportunities, and resources for profoundly gifted young people and their families.
Applications Now Open
Davidson Academy
Application Deadline: January 30th, 2025
Davidson Academy Online
Application Deadline: January 15th, 2025
Explore
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Fellows Scholarship
Application Deadline: February 12, 2025
Programs and Scholarships
Young Scholars
We help profoundly gifted students and their families thrive by providing individualized support and a community of like-minded peers.
Fellows Scholarship
We award $100,000, $50,000 and $25,000 scholarships to gifted students who have innovated their respective fields.
Summer Programs
We offer four, 5-day residential, academic summer camp opportunities for Young Scholars ages 8-13, designed to engage them academically and foster community connections.
Explore
We provide advanced middle school courses online to gifted students, ages 9-13, to help them develop academically and socially.
Davidson Academy
We provide courses for profoundly gifted students that are designed to be different with classes grouped by ability, not age.
Alumni
We hope to foster lifelong relationships among alumni by providing them an option to stay connected and give back.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Davidson Institute do?
We provide a number of programs and scholarships to support the holistic development of profoundly gifted students, ages 5 - 18.
When and why was the Davidson Institute established?
The Davidson Institute was established as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in 1999. Our mission is to recognize the nation's profoundly gifted youth and support them academically, socially, and emotionally, so they may reach their highest potential.
How do I get in touch?
Please take a look at our Contact Us page!
Prospective Families
We have worked for more than two decades to contribute to the ongoing conversation on how to support our nation’s profoundly gifted youth, who are often overlooked in the traditional classroom.
Guiding Gifted Newsletter
Are you an adult who cares about a gifted or twice-exceptional child? Are you unsure of how to support the gifted child in your life? Let us help you find the resources and path that work best for you. Subscribe to this Davidson Institute newsletter today!
Latest News
Get the latest information on gifted education, state-by-state gifted updates, Davidson Institute news, gifted resources and articles, and more.
2025-2026 Davidson Explore application now available
Designed to be different than other online courses, Explore offers rigorous, advanced,…
Davidson Fellows Increasing Scholarship Amounts
The 2025 Davidson Fellows application is now available, with big…
Davidson Young Scholar Publishes Chemistories, a Collection of Works About Chemical Elements
Maya M., a Davidson Young Scholar, recently published a book,…
2025 Davidson Fellows Application Now Available
The 2025 Fellows Scholarship application is now available online. Young…
“The Young Scholars Ambassador Program has changed the way I look at the world positively. The seminars are what have helped me the most . . . These taught me how to become a better person and deeply influenced my thinking in terms of improving my charity.”
“Although a few years have passed since I aged out of the Young Scholars program, I will never forget everything the Davidson Institute has done for me and for my family. This group has given me the confidence to face even the toughest of challenges, and has made me both strong and proud of who I am. The strength of the other scholars is breathtaking, and I thank this group for teaching me so much.”
I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at Northwestern, working on cutting-edge nanochemistry at one of the finest research institutions in the world. I have no idea if I’d be here without my experience at Davidson’s THINK Summer Institute . . . but when I teach general chemistry, I look back to my teachers at THINK as an example of how to connect with my students and help them understand why what they are studying matters.
Davidson Institute Spotify Playlists
Now you can take Davidson with you! We’ve curated topic-specific playlists of the podcast episodes our Family Services Team has been listening to and recommending to families. Now, they are all in one convenient spot, so just follow us on Spotify, and listen along on your schedule!