PK-12 Student Programs
Student Programs
Applications are now available for the following programs:
Day Programs:
- Young Gifted Studies Program
- Summer In the Middle (SIM)
Residential Programs:
- Summer Gifted Studies
- Leadership Studies
- SPAATY
Registration Information: Please review the information below to decide on the program that is right for your child. Application links are available in each section that is open for enrollment.
NEW: The Karnes Center Staff Page will introduce you and your child to the teachers and Karnes Center staff that they will be meeting when they arrive for their summer program.
Day Programs
Day Programs are offered in the months of June and January.
This year's Saturday Program is now closed. Registration for Summer Programs will be available soon.
Dates and Costs
- January 4 - February 1, 2025
- $260.00
This program is thoughtfully designed to provide your child with the most innovative content and engaging learning methods available in gifted education today. With hands-on activities and the opportunity to engage with other children with similar interests and abilities, we are certain that your child will thrive each Saturday morning.
The five-week program compacts the curriculum in a way that provides accelerated and enriched learning experiences that meet the needs of advanced learners. These courses balance opportunities for engaging in projects that develop critical thinking skills and technology use with those that help students connect with artistic expression and design. All of our classes benefit from community and university mentors who will visit and spend time answering questions about future opportunities related to the class.
Eligibility:
Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on an individual IQ test, or students who score at or above the 90th percentile on nationally normed tests of achievement appropriate for their grade level, are eligible for this program
The Saturday Gifted Studies Program for 2025 was a great success. Applications will reopen for the 2026 program next fall.
Dates and Costs:
- June 9-13, 2025
- $290.00
Designed to serve the youngest of our students, the Young Gifted Students program is a one-week, half-day program offered in the summer each year. Students explore their own strengths and weaknesses as learners while they discover the joy of accelerated curriculum. Vocabulary development and broad exploration of integrated topics make this a program your young child will talk about for a long time.
Eligibility
Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on an individual IQ test, or students who score at or above the 90th percentile on nationally normed tests of achievement appropriate for their grade level, are eligible for this program. Provisional eligibility may be obtained for this program. Please contact our director for details.
Dates and Costs
- June 9-13, 2025
- $290.00
Designed with our middle grades students in mind, this program offers a format similar to our other popular day programs. Demonstrating creative and dynamic exploration of interesting topics, students can still embrace the flexibility afforded by a half-day program. Middle grades are wonderful years of growth and discovery and during this time there are wide differences in individual development. This program may meet your family's needs to serve as an extended transition to our residential programs.
Eligibility
Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on an individual IQ test, or students who score at or above the 90th percentile on nationally normed tests of achievement appropriate for their grade level, are eligible for this program.
RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS
We offer three residential programs each summer, The Leadership Studies Program, Summer Gifted Studies Program, and the Summer Program for Academically and Artistically Talented Youth (SPAATY) - NOW SPAATY Seminars. Both the Leadership Studies Program and SPAATY Seminars are part of the Mississippi Talent Development Initiative.
Students applying to one of our residential programs may also apply for a partial scholarship for the cost of the program's tuition. Scholarships are limited, need based, and awarded on a first-come-first served basis.
Donors are needed for our scholarship funds. We would love to talk to your organization about becoming a scholarship donor. Click here to visit our donors page.
Registration for Residential Programs will open SOON.
Dates and Costs
- June 16-20, 2025
- $1005.00
The Summer Gifted Studies Program is now in its forty-seventh year and is the one that started it all! The success of the very first summer program, prompted the University to establish The Center for Gifted Studies the following year. This one week intensive program offers students in grades four through eight the opportunity to explore interesting topics through an integrated unit of study. This program introduces our upper elementary and middle grades students to residential life and rigorous study. Students enjoy fascinating courses during the day and experience ample recreation and social activities in the afternoons and evenings.
Eligibility
Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on an individual IQ test, or students who score at or above the 90th percentile on nationally normed tests of achievement appropriate for their grade level, are eligible for this program.
Students who score at or above the 90th percentile on an individual IQ test, or students who score at or above the 90th percentile on nationally normed tests of achievement appropriate for their grade level, are eligible for this program.
Dates and Costs
- June 23-27, 2025
- $1005.00
Offered annually, this residential program invites students to assess their own leadership potential, gain individualized instruction on growing in that potential, and provides each student the opportunity to develop a platform for community development. Three Levels of courses are available in this program and must be taken in order. Community leaders provide mentorship and guidance during afternoon sessions and cheer students on during our Annual Leadership Banquet. During the Banquet students present their leadership platforms, impassioned speeches, or research on past leaders. Students in recent years have raised more than $5,000.00 for their various causes once they have returned home to execute their plans. Recreation, meals, room and board are included.
Eligibility
The Leadership Studies Program is open to all students who have a desire to grow as leaders and who are dedicated to helping their community thrive. That dedication is shown through an entrance essay of 500 words that completes and expands upon this framework:
"My goal for participating in the Leadership Program is to learn _______, to develop myself by _________, and to change my community through ______________."
Courses Available for Summer 2025
Leadership I
Learn your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. Build basic skills such as public speaking, team leadership, and idea generation.
Leadership II (Leadership I prerequisite)
Delve further into teams with an understanding of situational and transitional leadership. Help your team work together and know when to instruct and when to let them be creative.
Dates and Costs
- Session 1 June 16-18, 2025
- Session 2 June 19-21, 2025
- Session 3 June 23-25, 2025
- $900 per session or $2630.00 for all three sessions
Eligibility:
- Academically Talented Program: ACT or SAT scores
- Artistically Talented: Portfolio submission
This series of residential seminars brings together the talents of engaging professors and instructors from across the Southern Miss Campus and Community with highly able students who desire to try their hand at accelerated course work. Students spend three days in each session diving into courses designed to give them the experience of studying at their own rapid pace and gaining a sense of the world of work and the university resources. Students have opportunities to spend personalized time with the Honors College and Admissions team. Recreation, meals, room and board are included. A day option is available for students who provide their own lodging and meals outside of class time.
MORE INFORMATION ON COURSES AVAILABLE IN EACH SESSION WILL BE POSTED SOON.
