Important reminder: Super Saturdays does not meet tomorrow.  Classes will meet again on Saturday, November 7!  See you then!

October 17, 24 & November 7, 14

October 22, 10 am & 7 pm

October 26 and 27

October 29 & 30

Ready for tomorrow?  We hope to see you at our excellent event on Diversity and Developing Gifts and Talents.  From 8:30 to 3:30 (CST) at the Carroll Knicely Center in Bowling Green, nine experts in the field of gifted eduction will discuss strategies for identifying gifted children of diverse populations and developing their talents.  Cost is $50/participant.  EILA credit is available.  We hope to see you there.

Click here for a list of sessions and locations.

Fall is here and so is Super Saturdays! 

Click here to download an application!

Click here for course offerings!

On Friday, September 25 parents, teacher, counselors and school leaders are invited to attend Diversity and Developing Gifts and Talents, presented by The Center and The association for the Gifted of the Council for Exceptional Children. During this daylong event, nine experts in the field of gifted education will discuss in focused sessions strategies for identifying diverse gifted children and for developing their potential. 

This is a unique and important opportunity for educators and families to hear from experts and gain fresh insight into the minds and lives of gifted young people.

Hear what eight high school seniors have to say about their experiences as gifted students.  They discuss effective teacher practices at all grade levels, challenges gifted young people face, the importance of rigor, and the opportunities afforded to them at the Gatton Academy. 

On Thursday, August 20, Governor Brashear visited the GEMS Academy. He came to the Warren County Board office to present a check for adding turn lanes at the new schools that Warren County is building. After the presentation, Governor Brashear walked next door to make a surprise visit to the sixth graders from Lost River Elementary School and Cumberland Trace Elementary School who were spending their first day at the GEMS Academy. GEMS stands for Gifted Education in Mathematics and Science. This one-day-a week program is for third through sixth graders, and it is a part of the Javits grant in which The Center for Gifted Studies and the Warren County Schools are partners.  It was wonderful to have Governor Brashear visit and talk with students! 

The Center for Gifted Studies is thrilled to support The International Year of Astronomy 2009 (IYA2009), a global celebration of astronomy endorsed by both the United Nations and the International Council of Science. In honor of IYA2009, The Center is co-sponsoring Galileo 1610, a one-of-a-kind musical exploration of the life and mind of the father of modern physics, Galileo. 

For more information contact Doug Jenkins at dougjenkins@insightbb.com or 270.792.0142.

During last week's world conference on gifted education in Vancouver, Dr. Julia Roberts was elected treasurer of the Executive Committee of the World Council on Gifted Education.   

A section of PSY 432G, Psychology of the Gifted, has just opened.

Download the most recent issue of The Center's award-winning magazine, The Challenge.

The SCATS and VAMPY slideshows are now available on Flickr!

Thanks to the efforts of advocates across the country, the House Appropriations Committee included $7.46 million for the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act in its fiscal year 2010 bill, the same amount the program received in 2009.

But our work has not ended. We still need to secure funding for the program from the Senate!  We need your help TODAY!

If you are in Kentucky, contact Senator Mitch McConnell’s office and tell him how important it is that he support funding the Javits Act at least at the level of $7.46 million.  Click here for Senator McConnell's email.  

If you are outside Kentucky, contact your senator or a member of the Senate Appropriations Committe and tell them that by supporting the Javits Act they are supporting gifted children.  And when gifted children meet their potential the future becomes brighter and better for us all.  Click here for a list of the members of the Senate Appropriations Committee.  

Speak out!  Support gifted education! 

September 25, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm

July 30 at 3:00 pm

Did you know that July 19-25 is National Parenting Gifted Children Week?  A parent is a child's greatest advocate and now is a great time to reflect on the exciting and important work of parenting a child who is gifted and talented.  Sponsored by SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted Children) and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), National Parenting Gifted Children Week is a great opportunity to call attention to the special academic needs of gifted children. How can you contribute to the effort?

Check out The Center's brand new Facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/giftedstudieswku.

September 23 & 24

Advocacy makes a difference.  Thank you so much for calling and faxing Congressman Chandler and Congressman Rogers about restoring the funding for the Javits legislation.  The funding was restored in the House Appropriations Committee, so the next step is to have at least $7.4 million (the amount in the House budget) in the budget in the Senate.  Please contact your U.S. Senators about the importance of keeping the Javits Gifted and Talented Program - the only legislation for gifted children.  This legislation focuses research on gifted children who are disadvantaged.

Please call or fax today before 5:00 EDT members of Congress to tell them how important it is to include funding for the Javits Gifted and Talented Student Education Program in the 2010 budget. This twenty-year-old program is the only federal legislation for gifted education. Members of the House Appropriations Committee will meet tomorrow so it is important to get a message to them today. The message is to please restore the funding for the Javits in the 2010 budget.

If you live in Kentucky, Congressman Ben Chandler (202.225.4706 or fax 202.225.2122) and Congressman Hal Rogers (202.225.4601 or fax 202.225.0940) are on the Appropriations Committee so they are the members of Congress to contact.

A complete membership list for the Appropriations Committee is available online for our friends who are not from Kentucky.

The Center for Gifted Studies was funded for a five-year Javits grant last October. The focus is on developing high interest and increasing achievement in mathematics and science among elementary children, especially those from backgrounds that have been underrepresented in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The research study includes six schools in Warren County. Four of the school will have professional development on problem-based science and math, and two of those schools will send 15 students each for an all-day magnet program in problem-based math and science. Two of the schools serve as the control group. This research can provide data on best practices for teaching students who are gifted and talented, especially those children from low-income families and children with special needs.

Please make your voice heard today. You can send an email to the office of your Representative at the following link.

You can follow updates regarding funding for gifted education on Twitter.

For more information, contact The Center for Gifted Studies at WKU at (27... or gifted@wku.edu.

Click here, to view a slideshow of The Center's trip to France. 

Click here, to view a slideshow of the My Enemy, My Friend tree planting and book signing.

In the spring of 1972, 15,000 feet above North Vietnam, WKU alumnus Major Dan Cherry, shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 piloted by Lieutenant Hong My. Thirty-seven years later, the two were reunited in Ho Chi Minh City and became friends. On April 20th, The Center for Gifted Studies and the Western Kentucky University Office of the Provost commemorated Dan and Hong’s unique journey from enemies to friends by a planting an oak tree in their honor near the Guthrie Bell Tower on WKU’s campus. Lowell Guthrie, CEO of The Center’s business partner Trace Die Cast, participated in the tree planting with Dan and Hong. At 7:30 that evening, the two gave a joint presentation in which they recounted their first "dogfight" experience and their historic reunion and friendship.  To view a slideshow of the event, click here.

Recently, their story was featured on CBS.

Just recently, WKU's 'View from the Hill' spotlighted The Center's Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY.)  To view the segment, click here, and find out what campers love about VAMPY!

Campers share their love of learning and VAMPY with the Bowling Green Daily News!

Check out The Center's brand new science education program, "Science Says...", in the Bowling Green Daily News!

Campers tell the Bowling Green Daily News what it's like to get a taste of college life at SCATS!

July 13-16

June 28-July 3

June 28-July 18

June 14-26

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky at Western Kentucky University has been named to Newsweek’s 2009 list of “The Public Elites.” 

Though 15 Kentucky high schools appear on Newsweek’s list of top-performing high schools, Dr. Julia Roberts, executive director of the Gatton Academy, noted the Gatton Academy marks the first occasion in which a Kentucky high school has been recognized as a member of The Public Elites.

“What an incredible honor for the Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky to be named one of Newsweek’s Public Elite Schools,” Dr. Roberts said. “The Gatton Academy’s goal is to provide exceptional educational opportunities to young people from across the Commonwealth who are talented in science and mathematics.  Such an honor will help spread the word of the quality of the education at the Gatton Academy.”

For more information, click here.

The Course List and Class Preference Worksheet for SCATS 2009 are in the mail and available here.

For the 27th year, The Center sponsored the Kentucky ceremony for the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP) on Friday, May 29th.  At the ceremony, 7th graders who performed well on tests intended for college-bound high school students, the ACT or SAT received medals acknowledging their accomplishments.

Scottie-Beth Fleming, of Scottsville, KY, keynoted the event. Scottie-Beth has had a long and happy relationship with The Center. She participated in Super Saturdays, SCATS, VAMPY, and traveled to England, France, and Italy with The Center’s travel study program. Scottie-Beth will graduate in December from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta with a degree in aerospace engineering and plans to complete a master’s in the same field. She is currently doing her fourth co-op with NASA at the Johnson Space Center.

To view video of the event, click here.

Recently, The Center received two grants, one from the National Girls Collaborative Project for $1,000 and another from the Science Alliance at Western Kentucky University for $2,700. Both of these grants will fund a brand new science education project called “Science Says…”

Scheduled for a December release, “Science Says...” will be a education video, crafted around middle school science curricula and distributed on the web via TeacherTube and SchoolTube. The show is intended to increase interest in math and science amongst middle-school aged young women. “Science Says…” will be written by, produced by, and feature both middle-school aged young women and STEM professionals who are women.

For the 27th year, The Center for Gifted Studies will sponsor the Kentucky ceremony for the Duke Talent Identification Program (TIP) to honor 7th graders who performed well on tests intended for college-bound high school students, the ACT or SAT. The ceremony will be held at 2:00 pm CDT in Diddle Arena. Students will receive medals acknowledging their accomplishments. This year 1,300 of the 2,870 Kentucky students taking the tests qualified for state recognition.

Scottie-Beth Fleming, of Scottsville, KY, will keynote the event. Scottie-Beth has had a long and happy relationship with The Center. She participated in Super Saturdays, SCATS, VAMPY, and traveled to England, France, and Italy with The Center’s travel study program. Scottie-Beth will graduate in December from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta with a degree in aerospace engineering and plans to complete a master’s in the same field. She is currently doing her fourth co-op with NASA at the Johnson Space Center.

For more information about Duke TIP, visit their web site: www.tip.duke.edu.

The Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act is the only federal program that specifically addresses the needs of gifted and talented children. The purpose of the Javits Act is to coordinate research, projects, and strategies to help elementary and secondary schools meet the needs of students who are gifted and talented.  Gifted education supporters in the U.S. Senate are circulating a "Dear Colleague" letter urging the appropriations committee to allocate $11.25 million for the Jacob Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act in 2009.  

May 12th was the last day for senators to sign the Dodd-Grassley letter. Follow up with your senators now about supporting gifted educcation.

From March 27 to April 5, Dr. Julia and Dr. Richard Roberts of The Center for Gifted Studies and 21 others, both students and adults, spent nine days in France exploring the cities of Caen and Paris and the picturesque countryside of northern France.

“The trip was just fantastic.  It was one of the most enjoyable trips I’ve ever taken.  There’s not a lot that we missed the entire time we were there because it was just jammed packed with great things,” traveler John Gallagher from Prospect, KY said.

Beginning in Caen, the group traveled to the beaches of Normandy to view the site of the D-Day invasion.  Walking through the American cemetery above Omaha beach, travelers felt honored and moved to be in a place of such historical significance.  In Caen, the group paid a special visit to the Peace Memorial.  Regarded as the very best World War II museum in France, the Peace Memorial chronicles the events leading up to the D-Day invasion.  

To read more, click here.

June 18

April 20 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm

Dr. Julia Link Roberts has been elected as a member of the seven-person Executive Committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC). 

Members of the Executive Committee are chosen to represent the organization and only one person from a country can serve on the Executive Committee.  For the past four years, Dr. Roberts represented the United States as one of three U.S. delegates.  The Bowling Green Daily News covered Dr. Roberts' election to the Executive Committee.

On April 20, the Office of the Provost and The Center for Gifted Studies co-sponsored two events in honor of WKU alumnus Dan Cherry and his friend Hong My. The first of these events commemorated their unique journey from enemies to friends with a tree planted in their honor near the Guthrie Bell Tower on the WKU campus.  At 7:30 that evening, they gave a joint presentation in which they recounted their first encounter in combat and their eventual friendship.  Click here to view a webcast of Dan and Hong's presentation at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

On April 16, 1972, 15, 000 feet above North Vietnam, Major Dan Cherry was piloting a F-4 Phantom that shot down a MiG-21 piloted by Lieutenant Hong My. Thirty-seven years later, the two were reunited in Ho Chi Minh City on a television show. Now retired Brigadier General Cherry describes his "dogfight" experience with Hong My and their historic reunion in his book My Enemy, My Friend.

On April 18th, The Center for Gifted Studies hosted the Odyssey of the Mind State Tournament.  More than 60 teams from schools in Bell, Boone, Calloway, Campbell Fleming, Henry, Jefferson, Kenton, Knox, Lincoln, McCracken, Oldham, Trigg, Warren and Whitley counties competed at Western Kentucky University. The state tournament began at 8 a.m and events were held at Diddle Arena, Tate Page Hall and Mass Media and Technology Hall.  Students in elementary, middle and high school divisions competed for spots in the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals on May 27-30 at Iowa State University.

For more information about OM, contact Joan Coates, Kentucky Odyssey of the Mind Association Director at kyodyssey@fuse.net.

On Friday, February 27, Dr. Carol Tomlinson from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, conducted a professional development day on the topic "Defensible Differentiation: What Will It Take to Get It Right?" Dr. Tomlinson is a prolific writer about differentiation and a well known speaker on the subject. She is recognized widely for her expertise and her down-to-earth presentations.  Over 200 educators attended the event.

To read more about Dr. Tomlinson's workshop, click here.

April 18

May 29 at 2:00 pm

On September 23 and 24 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, The Center will be hosting a Great Books workshop. Great Books programs combine great literature with the Shared Inquiry method of learning. This two-day course prepares educators to begin using the Shared Inquiry method to enliven class discussion and strengthen reading, writing, and thinking skills in students. Attendance is required for both days of the course. Those who complete the full course are eligible for a FREE classroom set of Starting Off Strong, which provides mini-lessons to introduce Shared Inquiry to your students.  Continuing education credit is available.

To download a registration form, click here.

Winter Super Saturdays was recently featured on View from the Hill.  Amy Bingham Decesare spent an afternoon with students in Dr. Chad Snyder's class.  Although just in elementary school, students were using college-level chemistry to solve crimes.  To view the segment, click here.

On Friday, February 27, Dr. Carol Tomlinson, the William Clay Parrish Jr. Professor at the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, will conduct a professional development day on the topic "Defensible Differentiation: What Will It Take to Get It Right."

The seminar will be held at the Carroll Knicely Conference Center, from  8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Dr. Tomlinson is a prolific writer about differentiation and a well known speaker on the subject. She is recognized widely for her expertise and her down-to-earth presentations on differentiation.

To register for this event, click here.

Applications for the 2009 sessions of The Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students, SCATS, and The Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth, VAMPY, are now available!

To download an application to SCATS, click here.

To download an application to VAMPY, click here.

Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. stars as Dr. Ben Carson in this TNT original movie.  Based on a true story, Ben Carson began as a deeply troubled young man, but went on to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.  The movies airs Saturday, February 7 at 8/7c. 

Recently, youth leadership expert Miriam MacGregor taught The Center's thirteenth Leadership Institute.  About 25 Kentucky educators attended.  Using exciting, hands-on activities, participants explored practical, real-world strategies for cultivating the leadership potential in their students.  To view a video about the Leadership Institute, click here. 

Super Saturdays offers gifted young people the chance to explore new topics, delve deeper into a subject they know and love, challenge themselves, and interact with other gifted students who love to learn.  To experience the joy of learning at Super Saturdays, click here.

The Center for Gifted Studies offers many opportunities for high-ability young people to reach their potential. In February, The Center will be offering Winter Super Saturdays.  Super Saturdays encourages participants to broaden the scope of their interests by either delving deeper into a topic they love or exploring a brand new subject that sparks their curiosity.  Super Saturdays features exciting, hands-on classes in science, math, history, art, writing—and much, much more. 

To read more about Super Saturdays, click here.
To download an application, click here.
 
For more information on Winter Super Saturdays, please call 270.745.6323 or email gifted@wku.edu.

Recently, Tracy Inman traveled to Elizabethtown to discuss underachievement.  She presented to over 50 people attending the fall meeting of C-KAGE, the Central Kentucky Chapter of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education.  Her presentation is available here.  

March 27 -  April 5

December 4-5, 2008

Julia Roberts and Tracy Inman have a new book focusing on products. Assessing Differentiated Student Products: A Protocol for Development and Evaluation, published by Prufrock Press, explores the Developing and Assessing Product Tool or DAP Tool. The DAP Tool is a ready guide for developing and assessing products in a classroom. The DAP Tool simplifies the assessment process, encourages differentiation, and takes the ceiling off of learning.   

Also, their first book, Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom, has just recently been published in its second edition!  A new chapter and mulitple examples have been added. 

Dr. Julia Roberts will lead a five-year, $2 million grant to address the need for a steady supply of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students in Kentucky and the United States.
            


The grant from the U.S. Department of Education is one of seven in the country awarded under the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Act. Project GEMS (Gifted Education in Math and Science) will focus on creating opportunities to generate interest and develop talent in disciplines related to science and math and encourage careers in STEM disciplines.
           

Where does your child "bubble up?"  As Super Saturday students practiced their Spanish, made masterpieces out of clay, and bent their brains around math problems, many parents attended Dr. Janet Lynne Tassell's seminar on identifying and encouraging a child's strengths.

Dr. Tassell's powerpoint: Where does your child "bubble up?"  Using the Kingore Parent Observation Inventory to learn more about your child's strengths

The Center's Berta Fund for Excellence in Education recently hosted an evening parent seminar and an all-day professional development workshop on creativity.  Dr. Bonnie Cramond, director of the Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development, talked to parents and teachers about the importance of cultivating creativity in young people.

To read more about Dr. Cramond’s lectures click here.  
Dr. Cramond's powerpoints:  Creativity--Imperative for the Future and How Can We Challenge Students?

November 1, 8, 15, and 22, 2008

We are working on an article about VAMPY, and we'd love to have your input.  What is your favorite VAMPY memory?  What would you like other people to know about VAMPY?  Feel free to share any photographs you may have.  Send your thoughts, memories and/or photos to harperklee@gmail.com or give us a call at 270.745.6323. 

Tracy Inman recently conducted professional development for educators in Indiana. Focusing on the book Strategies for Differentiating Instruction: Best Practices for the Classroom written by Julia Roberts and Tracy Inman, the workshop provided multiple strategies designed to meet the needs of all children -- including the gifted and talented. Workshop participants can find requested material here.

The AT&T Foundation has awarded The Center for Gifted Studies in partnership with the Gatton Academy for Mathematics and Science and the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence a $125,000 grant to help parents be better advocates for math and science education!
 

The Center for Gifted Studies offers opportunities for high ability students to broaden the scope of their interests and interact with other bright young people!  Join the fun and spend four Saturday mornings further exploring one of your favorite topics or discovering something brand new!  To read more about the class offerings for this fall, click here.

Download a Fall 2008 Super Saturdays brochure!

The Center for Gifted Studies is pleased to announce the video "Gifted Education: Let's Do It!" is now available online.  Students, educators, administrators, and professionals weigh in on the importance of promoting opportunities for young Kentuckians who are gifted and talented.  To view the video, click here.

For students who have participated in The Center's summer programs, one of the most anticipated moments of camp is the slideshow on the final evening.  We are delighted to announce that several slideshows from recent years are now available for viewing and download online.  To access these slideshows, click here.

June 22 - July 12, 2008

This three-week residential camp provides a wide range of classes for academically talented students who are completing 7th, 8th, 9th or 10th grade this year. VAMPY will be offered for the 25th summer this year.

Presentation materials and resources from the 2008 Administrators Institute, Leading a School that Meets the Needs of the Gifted: Differentiation and Beyond, is now available for download for a limited time.  This downloadable ZIP file contains the Powerpoint presentation, worksheets, and other useful resources.  To download the file, click here.

June 8 - 20, 2008

This two-week residential or nonresidential camp provides a wide range of classes for academically talented students who are completing 6th, 7th, and 8th grade this year. SCATS will be offered for the 26th summer this year.

June 5-6, 2008
Leading a School that Meets the Needs of the Gifted: Differentitaion and Beyond
Spend a day-and-a-half exploring philosophies and research-driven practices that systemically remove the learning ceiling. Designed for school and district leaders, this institute provides practical strategies that, when embraced by a school or school system, prepare children for life in the 21st century. 

Join us as we honor seventh-grade students from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky who received recognition for statewide excellence on national college admissions exams.

Course offerings for the 2008 session of the Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students are now available online.  Students registered for the program will receive a packet in the next several days with the list, instructions, and a form for selection.  Questions may be directed to The Center at 270.745.6323.

UPDATE 5/27/08: You may also download the full list of classes and class preference worksheet by clicking here.

Some of the most academically talented seventh-graders in Kentucky will be recognized at Western Kentucky University on May 30 for their exceptional scores on the ACT or SAT.

The Duke University Talent Identification Program’s (Duke TIP) 7th Grade Talent Search identifies students in 16 states in the Southeast, Midwest and Southwest who have scored in the 95th percentile on a grade-level achievement test. As part of the program, these academically talented students take above-level college-entrance exams (SAT or ACT) to learn more about their abilities.
  
Duke TIP hosts annual Recognition Ceremonies to honor the seventh-graders who score highest on these SAT or ACT exams. This year, of the 66,198 participants nationally, 21,115 students (32 percent) have been invited to attend State Recognition Ceremonies and 1,804 students (3 percent) have been invited to the Grand Recognition Ceremony.

On May 30, 1,276 Kentucky students who qualified for state recognition have been invited to the Kentucky Recognition Ceremony to be held at WKU’s Diddle Arena.

The brochure for our 25th installment of the Summer Program for Verbally and Mathematically Precocious Youth (VAMPY) is now available for download.  Printed copies will be sent to previous campers in the next several days.   To download an application, click here.  To view a video on SCATS and VAMPY, click here.

VAMPY alumnus Zia Choudhury of Paducah, Kentucky, will match wits with fourteen of the brightest teens from across the country in the 2008 Jeopardy Teen Tournament.  Visit the Jeopardy website for an interview with Zia.  Follow the action on your local television network as he opens up the tournament on Monday, February 11, 2008.

Update (2/18/08): After winning his first round match, Zia received an automatic bid to the semifinal round of the tournament.  He will compete on Tuesday, February 19, 2008.  Winners of the three semifinal matches will face off Thursday and Friday in the two-day final.

Update (2/19/08): After winning his semifinal match in a commanding fashion, Zia will compete in the two-day final of the 2008 Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.

Update (2/22/08): Congratulations to Zia on finishing third in the 2008 Jeopardy! Teen Tournament.

The brochure for our 26th installment of the Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students (SCATS) is now available for download.  Printed copies will be sent to previous campers in the next several days.   To download an application, click here.  To view a video on SCATS and VAMPY, click here.

Bowling Green Winter 2008 Session, 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm
February 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2008

Saturday classes provide opportunities for high ability students in grades 1-7 to broaden the scope of their interests and interact with other bright young people.  The classes emphasize a hands-on, minds-on approach to learning in an environment in which creative and critical thinking are encouraged.

The Winter 2008 issue of The Challenge, The Center for Gifted Studies' award-winning newsmagazine, is now available online.  This issue spotlights the Gatton Academy dedication, the twenty-fifth anniversary of SCATS, challenging the gifted child in the classroom, Dr. George Betts' presentation as part of the Berta Excellence in Education Series, and more.

Super Saturdays provides students in grades 1 through 7 numerous options for weekend enrichment. Fall Super Saturdays in Bowling Green will meet Saturday mornings October 27, November 3, 10, 17, 2007 from 9:30 am-12:00 pm (CENTRAL TIME). Classes will be held on the campus of Western Kentucky University; however, a few classes will meet in other locations near campus. Sessions will also be held for parents on various topics related to students who are gifted and talented.

Click here to download a brochure.

November 29-30, 2007
This workshop will look at practical, real-world strategies, tools, and resources to develop the leadership potential in young people, with a focus on problem solving, decision making, and communication.

Bowling Green Fall 2007 Session, 9:30 am – 12:00 pm
October 27, November 3, 10, and 17, 2007

Saturday classes provide opportunities for high ability students in grades 1-7 to broaden the scope of their interests and interact with other bright young people.  The classes emphasize a hands-on, minds-on approach to learning in an environment in which creative and critical thinking are encouraged.

In September, the Kentucky Board of Education set raising the budget for gifted education to $17.1 million as a top priority. The budget for gifted education had been stuck at $7 million since the late 1980s.

Please talk with your legislators about the importance of including $17.1 million in the 2008-2009 education budget. Legislators respond most favorably to the folks who vote for them, their constituents. Schedule an opportunity for a personal visit before your representative and senator start the legislative session in January.

You can go to www.wku.edu/kage to download the White Paper on Gifted Education. Increased funding will be dedicated to services for children who are gifted and talented, professional development on gifted education, and enhanced identification.

Super Saturdays provides students in grades 1 through 7 numerous options for weekend enrichment. Winter Super Saturdays in Bowling Green will meet Saturday afternoons on February 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2008 from 12:30 pm-3:00 pm (CENTRAL TIME). Classes will be held on the campus of Western Kentucky University; however, a few classes will meet in other locations near campus. Sessions will also be held for parents on various topics related to students who are gifted and talented.

A brochure of classes and application for the Winter session will be available online in early January.

The Fall session of Super Saturdays begins tomorrow morning at WKU with 600 students participating in 37 classes.

9:00 a.m. (CDT)
Carol Knicely Center, WKU South Campus

Advanced Placement is an appropriate service for high school students who are gifted and talented – but it is only one service. Kentucky regulations mandate multiple service options with no single service option standing alone. What do those other services look like? How can high schools incorporate multiple services so that students make continuous progress? Spend a day exploring real-life service options from real high schools.

To download a registration form, click here.

Super Saturdays provides students in grades 1 through 7 numerous options for weekend enrichment. Fall Super Saturdays in Bowling Green will meet Saturday mornings October 27, November 3, 10, 17, 2007 from 9:30 am-12:00 pm (CENTRAL TIME). Classes will be held on the campus of Western Kentucky University; however, a few classes will meet in other locations near campus. Sessions will also be held for parents on various topics related to students who are gifted and talented.

Click here to download a brochure.

As 120 of Kentucky’s brightest high school juniors and seniors watched, Western Kentucky University today dedicated the Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky and named it in honor of business leader C.M. “Bill” Gatton.

The Carol Martin Gatton Academy opened at WKU earlier this month to 120 of the state’s most gifted and talented high school juniors and seniors.  “This residential program selects the state’s brightest students, who have demonstrated interest in pursuing careers in science, mathematics, technology, and engineering,” WKU President Gary Ransdell said. “The goal of the Gatton Academy is to enable Kentucky’s most exceptional young minds to learn in a rigorous intellectual environment which offers advanced educational opportunities, preparing them for leadership roles in Kentucky.  We are truly grateful to Mr. Gatton for his leadership support.”

Join us October 23-24, 2007, as Dr. George Betts discusses "Facilitating Lifelong Learning in the Home" and "The Autonomous Learner Model for the Gifted and Talented."

We are excited to announce the renovated website for The Center for Gifted Studies has gone live. 

The Summer 2007 issue of The Challenge, The Center for Gifted Studies' award-winning newsmagazine, is now available online.  This issue spotlights the Duke TIP award ceremony, Super Saturdays virtual modeling class, cluster grouping, and volunteer Nathan Armentrout.