History
Founded in 1980 through a grant from the Duke Endowment, the Duke Talent Identification Program has become a major leader in identifying academically talented students and providing innovative programs to support the development of their optimal educational potential. Since 1980 over 1.8 million students have benefited from one or more of Duke TIP's unique services, resources or programs--many of which have become models for the education of academically talented students worldwide.
The first Talent Search in 1981 attracted just fewer than 8,700 participants; this number increased to over 81,000 in 2005. Duke TIP held its first Summer Residential Program for verbally and mathematically talented youth on the Duke campus in 1981 for a total of 151 students. The total combined enrollment for the Duke campus and other Duke TIP sponsored residential program sites—spanning six states and six international locations—was nearly 2,500 students in 2005.
Built on the foundation of the Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search, the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search (originally named Motivation for Academic Performance) was launched in 1994 and identifies students at a younger age with broader eligibility criteria. In 2005, over 41,000 participated in the 4th/5th Grade Talent Search.