The APEX Project, developed and conducted by the Center for Gifted Education Policy, and supported by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, is designed as an out-of-school program for adolescents identified by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation as Young Scholars. Those Young Scholars with deep interests in and commitment to selected disciplines or professions apply to participate in the APEX program.

The 2005 program at Williams College featured domains of biomedicine, creative writing, journalism, law/policy, math/computer science, and theatre. The objective of APEX is to provide support for transforming Young Scholars with demonstrated talents in these domains into the next generation of important scholars and practitioners.  APEX uses the research-based Pinnacle Model to integrate the creativity of eminent scholars, rising stars in the field, and highly gifted adolescents who demonstrate exceptional abilities.

18 Young Scholars were identified, for mentoring by eminent “Masters,” who are:

• Alan Shaw (Computer Science), Assistant Professor of Computer Science, Morehouse College
• Amy Goldstein (Journalism), Washington Post Staff Writer
• Andrew Thomas (Music Composition)
• David Vladeck (Law/Policy), Professor of Law, Georgetown Law School
• Mary Pendergast (Law/Policy), Executive VP of Government Affairs, Elan Corporation
• James Gallagher (Psychology), Senior Scientist, FPG Child Development Institute, UNC
• Michael Lotze (Biomedical), Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• Joan Harvey (Biomedical), Associate Dean for Student Affairs, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• Richard Askey (Math), Professor, University of Wisconsin, Madison

All the participating adolescents, now sophomores or juniors in high school, were selected based on their extraordinary academic talent and financial need in the seventh grade by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The Foundation provides scholarship and counseling support to the Young Scholars.

For further information about APEX, contact APEX Project Manager Jason Gorgia through email.