About Us and Photo Gallery

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When MasterSchool is in session, the forest around MasterSchool comes alive with child-created magic! 

At MasterSchool Summer Program for Gifted Youngsters, we strive to provide fun and safe summer activities where children with intellectual and creative gifts can learn, grow, and create lasting memories. MasterSchool is a unique place where gifted young people are encouraged to direct their own learning, creativity, and socialization in an outdoor environment, without the pressures of the school year, grades, and the constant distractions of technology and electronic devices.

Our summer programs are designed to meet the unique needs of gifted children, as well as encourage their natural curiosity, creativity, and intellectual exploration. MasterSchool youngsters build self-confidence, independence, and leadership skills, while also working on collaboration skills, teamwork, and community building. MasterSchool classes promote student-led activities and interest based learning, guided by educators with a love of learning themselves. At MasterSchool we create a space where exploration and creativity are welcomed and guided. We want our students to have the freedom of choice in what they do, to be empowered to communicate their thoughts and ideas, and to be able to problem solve and work through challenges. 

MasterSchool teaches youngsters to keep a positive mindset! We offer mindfulness and teaching strategies to help young people learn to manage their emotions, thoughts, and relationships. We emphasize the interconnectedness between ourselves, others, nature, and the planet. MasterSchool encourages discussions on a variety of topics and welcomes students to share their own ideas. 

All activities at MasterSchool are held outdoors which provides young people with the rare opportunity to be completely immersed in nature. From the forest, to the many paths and trails, to the dry creek bed, to the ponds, youngsters will explore and connect with nature in ways not possible in the city.  MasterSchool is home to many ranch animals such as chickens, horses, goats, and one pig. Young people who are keen observers often get the chance to discover native wildlife in its natural habitat as well! Your budding naturalists and animal-lovers will adore spending time among the plants, animals, and bugs who call MasterSchool home. (And we'll work on those children who aren't so sure about nature too!) 

MasterSchool Program for Gifted Youngsters is deliberately small. This allows us to offer small student-teacher ratios, individual attention, and to get-to-know our students on a deeper level. MasterSchool provides gifted kids a place to meet and collaborate with their high-level-ability peers. Youngsters have the chance to form friendships with like-minded individuals outside of school that can last for years! At the end of MasterSchool it's a tradition for us all to sign each other's MasterSchool t-shirts to memorialize our new friendships and celebrate another successful summer!

We hope your youngster will join us this summer! 

MasterSchool Summer Program for Gifted Youngsters was founded in 1982 by owner and creator, Terry Masters Cortes-Vega. Terry taught school for 7 years, was a curriculum writer for diversity in schools, began gifted programs in the Austin School District and was the Director for Gifted Education in AISD before opening MasterSchool. She was named Texas Gifted Educator of the Year and MasterSchool was named Gifted Summer Program of the year. 

MasterSchool has become an essential summer experience for generations of gifted Austin area youngsters! Many children love MasterSchool so much that they return year-after-year until they "age out" or become staff. One fun Masterschool tradition is that Masterschool alumni keep track of the number of years they’ve attended, by writing it right on their MasterSchool t-shirt! 

One element that defines the tone of warmth and magic that surrounds MasterSchool is that it is a family affair. Gustavo Cortes-Vega, Terry’s husband, is a teacher, counselor, and manages the ranch property. Terry’s daughter, Jennifer Griffin, has taught classes at MasterSchool for more than 30 years. Her husband, Brad Griffin is our MasterSchool doctor. Their son, Landry (a first year med student) and his girlfriend Kenzie (an elementary teacher) will be counselors at MasterSchool this summer. (Their other children—Chase (now Dr. Chase Griffin) was a counselor. Shea (now a Public Defender Attorney) was a counselor. Nataly, who will graduate from high school next year, will be our Assistant Counselor at MasterSchool this year. Terry’s son, Christopher Masters and his wife, April have helped out at MasterSchool in a variety of ways, from counselor to transportation to teaching. Their son, Hunter, who just graduated from college and is a new Marine 2nd Lieutenant will be a counselor. Their other son, Jakob, has been at MasterSchool for all of his 14 years. 

Joan Tennison feels like another of Terry’s children. She started attending MasterSchool when she was 6 years old. Over the years she became a CIT, then an assistant counselor, then a counselor then… a teacher! This year we are excited to announce that Joan will be stepping into the role of manager at MasterSchool! Joan can count more than 30 MasterSchool summers on her MasterSchool t-shirt! During the school year, Joan (aka Ms. Tennison) is the Coordinator for Gifted and Talented 6-8th grade, and a 7th grade Science Teacher at Lake Travis Middle School, and has taught in a classroom for 15 years. She has a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Science and Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Texas State University. 

If you've been to MasterSchool before, you will remember one of our favorite counselors, Joan’s boyfriend, Joe Bowker. Well this year, he will join MasterSchool as a teacher this year! Joe was born and raised in Austin, Texas and works in the entertainment and events industry. He also has a background in industrial printing including studio art, event signage, and 3D textured art. His interests include playing with kids, street art, writing, and music. He is looking forward to working with the MasterSchool kiddos on lots of fun and enriching art projects! 

MasterSchool will be joined this summer by our friend Manuel Reyes, an Oaxaca-native and Spanish teacher. Manuel is the father of a 5-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy. He was born in a Zapotec village in the mountains of the southern Sierra of Oaxaca. He has been teaching Spanish as a second language for over 13 years and operates a small virtual school where he teaches Spanish online. We are so excited to welcome Manuel to our MasterSchool family!