Springtime,听a great time to look ahead! A time to think about what we want to do when we emerge from hibernation, self-quarantine, or a city ordered mandate to stay at home. It’s a first for our collective society to have the luxury of time! I want to propose using that time to think of how we, as a community, can emerge from this experience with a spring in our step and drive to do good in the world. It’s with this in mind that my thoughts turn to volunteering!

April is National听Volunteer Month. Organizations across the nation benefit from volunteerism. While we may not be able to get out and engage as we did in the past, there is no shortage of need for help and an abundance of demand for connection. Now is a moment of opportunity! Let’s use this time to think about who we are and what we want for our future — to think about volunteering, getting involved, and building community.

A couple of months back, before our lives changed dramatically, I had the opportunity to speak with David Levinson, founder and head of听. Big Sunday is a hub of volunteer activities in the greater Los Angeles area. It is a non-profit organization that organizes a wide array of volunteer activities and also supports other non-profit volunteer programs. Mr. Levinson emphatically believes that the key to successful volunteering is to connect to each person’s passion! Big Sunday’s goal is to support and facilitate finding every person who could get involved. The organization is committed to its mission: “Absolutely everyone has some way that they can help somebody else!”

There is a听听arm of Big Sunday that encourages youth to get involved in volunteerism in ways that are organic and fun for kids of different ages.听Check out their page; sign up for their daily听e-mail which includes ways you can connect and ways you can stay entertained. Or if you have someone (anyone, anywhere) you’d like to sign up for a friendly call to keep them connected, you can do that too!

Just because we are isolated physically doesn’t mean we have to give up supporting our community. In response to the current crisis, the website is calling for over 70,000 virtual volunteers to fill the need. Organizations across the nation benefit from volunteerism. While we may not be able to get out and engage as we did in the past, there is no shortage of need for help and an abundance of demand for connection. Now is a moment of opportunity! A time to try something new and learn more about who we are and want we want for our world when we ultimately leave our homes for the great outdoors.

During this extraordinary time, let’s connect, let’s grow. After this current situation, when I see you again, let’s do what we can for the future we want!

Absolutely the world will be different听when this is over…let’s think about how we want it to be different听and then make it different, in a good way — A spring cleaning kind of way!

At this year鈥檚 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Conference in Albuquerque, NM, I participated in the . Teachers, parents and other conference attendees like myself, learned about educational tools, new advanced learning techniques and how to collaborate with each other all while playing games. This STEM event popped into my mind as I thought about what gifts I鈥檒l be giving this holiday season.

There is no shortage of games and puzzles that are intellectually stimulating; Pylos, Quoridor, and the classic Rubik鈥檚 Cube are all examples of mentally challenging and fun games. Below you can find a variety of educational toys and games to consider giving to a gifted child this holiday season.

1. A robot ready to code right out of the box. 
2. Build, scan, and identify molecules. It鈥檚 advertised as the simplest way to learn about atoms, bonding, and chemistry. 
3. Imagination takes light with these Lego-compatible light blocks.
5. Curate engaging art or science gift boxes for every age and interest. 
6. Makes stop animation easy!
7. For the future architect
8. Unique model kits to build mechanical engineering
10. For inspiration, perhaps consider creating artwork using Rubik鈥檚 Cubes, as seen .

The nation’s children are headed back into the classroom as the 2019-2020 school year gets underway! New beginnings can be a grab bag of emotions. Excitement, fear, anticipation – going back to school is not for the faint of heart. Here are some ideas to help ease the way into new beginnings.

Setting the Scene

An early visit to a new classroom can help relieve anxiety.听 If your child’s school is hosting an Open House or back to school event, attending can create a sense of comfort and familiarity.听 If this is not possible, discuss with your child what they can expect. Compare the new experience to something familiar: “Your classroom might be like the one we went to last year at your brother’s report card night.”

Building Confidence

Even if your child is excited about the beginning of school, they may also have concerns.听 Speaking positively about the transition can go a long way to reducing fear.听 Remind your child of a successful time they were in a new environment: “I remember how you made friends with Amy at the picnic when you did not know her.”

Establishing Routine

In the morning rush of everyone getting ready for school or work, small things may get overlooked. An established morning routine is helpful: backpack, lunch (don’t forget utensils), review of afternoon plans and most importantly, goodbyes. Goodbyes can serve as a punctuation to the morning routine and help transitions.

Transitions Take Time

New activities are stressful. At the beginning of the year, teachers work hard to establish a routine and provide students with guidelines and expectations.听 The structure of predictable routines both at home and school reduce anxiety. Just a few minutes with your child at the end of the day to let them tell you how things went will go a long way in back-to-school adjustment. If your child reports “problems,” try to refrain from giving solutions, but let your child tell you what they think and what they would like to see happen before discussing actions. Sometimes, like adults, a child just wants to be heard.

Back to School shopping season is here! When you do your back to school shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/95-4695698, Amazon donates to Institute For Educational Advancement. Thank you for your support!

NOTE: As of February 20, 2023, Amazon has permanently shut down the AmazonSmile customer donation program.