The Gifted Student

There is no doubt that gifted and talented young people desperately need opportunities for growth and challenge. And yes, some of those needs are being met by The Center through such programs as Super Saturdays, SCATS, and VAMPY. But more is needed. The wish list is long - but feasible. Some of the programs we'd love to implement include the following:

• Super Summer Program - Many requests have come in for a summer program for gifted elementary children.
• Leadership Academy - In a one-week residential experience, middle and high school students who demonstrate the potential for leadership would have the opportunity to study leadership, develop leadership skills, and build a plan to be carried out with the student in a leadership role.
• Weekend Academic Seminars -- Middle and high school gifted students would have weekend opportunities to study one content area.

The Teachers of the Gifted

The Center has accomplished much in terms of professional development, but more is needed. We have dreams:

• The Summer Institute in Gifted Education -- This would be a one-week institute that would offer teachers a variety of workshops to help them address the cognitive and social-emotional needs of gifted children.
• The Counselor Institute -- This institute would offer school counselors information on the social-emotional needs of children who are gifted and talented and strategies to guide them in educational and vocational choices.
• Presevice Teacher Preparation -- In preservice teacher education, we want to prepare teachers to teach all children, including the gifted. The Kentucky New Teacher Standards provide the basis to support appropriate learning opportunities for children who learn at a faster pace and at a more complex level.