Since 1979, the Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University has focused on the needs of students with exceptionally high academic abilities. The CTY community includes very bright students from all over the world whose talents place them well ahead of their agemates. These students need special attention: greater academic challenges, interaction with intellectual peers, and teaching strategies designed especially for the gifted. CTY offers gifted students, and their families and schools as well, a wide range of programs and services to nurture their intellectual abilities, enhance personal development, and foster better understanding of the needs of talented youth.