It鈥檚 hard to believe, but we鈥檙e already well into the new year: 2019. Despite heavy rains 鈥� much-needed and welcomed throughout Los Angeles County 鈥� in 优蜜视频鈥檚 home city of Pasadena, CA, the future looks bright! With the rainfall comes the opportunity to recalibrate, reflect, and reenergize for an exciting year ahead. We have some incredible new initiatives and programs on the horizon and are looking forward to continuing to serve and support our amazing students, families, educators, and community partners.

We hope you鈥檙e as excited about this list as we are!

1. Celebrating Heart, Fostering Hope: On February 9, 优蜜视频 will formally celebrate its 20^th anniversary with a gala fundraiser at the Annandale Golf Club in Pasadena. We鈥檙e so excited to share this incredible occasion with those that have helped shape 优蜜视频 for two decades. If you鈥檙e unable to join in person, please consider donating, sponsoring, or providing us with a silent auction item. All money raised will go towards continuing to help serve the nation鈥檚 brightest and most deserving students, who drive our mission on a daily basis. For more information, please click .
2. 18 years of Yunasa! Since 2002, and across 22 sessions, has been providing gifted youth with award-winning programming, embracing them for who they are and helping them understand and work with the unique joys and challenges they face. This summer, Camp Shady Brook in Colorado and Camp Copneconic in Michigan will host campers, counselors, Fellows, and 优蜜视频 staff for a unique, week-long experience like no other. Interested in applying? There鈥檚 still time!
3. Academy Additions: We鈥檙e introducing two new NAGC-award-winning Shelagh Gallagher curricula to our Academy offerings: Black Death and It鈥檚 Electrifying! 鈥� and that鈥檚 just in the spring session! Stay tuned for more additions in the summer and beyond, including a course for our youngest students, ages 6-9: The Penguin Predicament: A Problem about Animal Habitat and Survival.
4. Ready, set, make! On June 22, 优蜜视频 will host its first-ever Maker Faire. Details about this one-of-a-kind event with makers, tinkerers, and creative minds coming soon!
5. Community: Now entering its second year of providing an academic and social home for the gifted community, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Learning Center at 540 S. Marengo is excited to welcome 鈥� and welcome back 鈥� families, educators, Externs, Bradley scholars, and community partners through programming, free events, open houses, workshops, trainings, and tours. Check out our page to see what鈥檚 on the horizon!
6. Our third content guide: In June, 优蜜视频 will release its third content guide, which will focus on high schools throughout the United States that serve gifted students. We look forward to being able to provide our families with a well-researched, informative guide for their rising high schoolers. To view our two content guides released in 2018, please visit our .
7. Calling all volunteers! 优蜜视频 is launching its first-ever program! Volunteers are an integral part of 优蜜视频. We rely on our volunteers to help support a variety of services for our community. Whether you鈥檙e working with students, engaging with guests at events, or performing administrative tasks, our volunteers help our programs thrive! Join 优蜜视频鈥檚 mission to ensure that each gifted child鈥檚 specific needs are met so that they can reach their full potential.
8. Brilliant scientists, brilliant students: (Learning Among Brilliant Scientists) is in its second program year! Since its initial launch in March 2018, LABS has continued to build momentum with a great line-up of STEM professionals from Caltech, Cal State Los Angeles, and USC. They鈥檝e shared their innovative work and research on such topics as astrophysics, molecular biology, computer science, ecology and evolution, biology and mathematics! The new year kicks off with an exciting LABS on Cancer Cells in the Blood! There are still spots available for the February 16 LABS Series:
9. Streaming live, coast to coast! meetings have gone digital! 优蜜视频 is now livestreaming our meetings on Facebook and YouTube. We鈥檙e excited to be able to expand our outreach to non-local families and share gifted professionals鈥� amazing insight with our community. The next meeting, on January 31, will focus on social emotional imagination in gifted education.
10. EXPLORE-ing a new location: is launching a program in Northern California! The program continues to garner great interest from applicants in NorCal, so this summer we鈥檙e hoping to make the leap up north to host students at 1 or 2 mentor sites. We鈥檒l be able to expand our reach and serve more talented high schoolers!
11. Hot off the presses: 优蜜视频 now has a 3D printer! Thanks to a generous grant from the Ahmanson Foundation, which is providing us with funds to transform our Learning Center, our programs are now equipped to provide students with 3D printing technology, design, and coding. Check out our first test print from Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Coordinator, Mallory Aldrich:
12. Speaking of hearts: Academy is hosting it鈥檚 first-ever Valentine鈥檚 Day card-making event the week of February 4. Stop by during business hours to make cards for family, friends, teachers, and other special people in your life. Free of charge! Details located .
13. Beakers and Bunsen burners and bacteria, oh my! Within a few weeks, construction will be complete on 优蜜视频 Learning Center鈥檚 new wet lab! With three working stations, sinks, and a flat screen monitor, Academy and LABS programs will be able to provide an authentic science lab experience for students and educators. We look forward to seeing this amazing space transform into a space of hands-on inquiry that has been years in the making.
14. Student-led workshops: 2018 was a fantastic year for student-led workshops and there are already two planned for February: the third workshop in CDB Scholar Luke Gialanella鈥檚 Votes and Voices series 鈥� A Presidential History of the U.S. Two-Party System 鈥� and The Wonderful World of Poems with Cassidy Kao. We鈥檙e so grateful that our students love sharing their knowledge and experiences with each other!
15. Family and fun: When not working with and serving our incredible students, 优蜜视频 staff enjoys cultivating their hobbies and pursuing their interests. Marketing and Communications Coordinator Nicole LaChance is looking forward to joining her family for some rock and roll excitement this summer: 鈥淚 am going to see Aerosmith in June at their residency in Las Vegas with my family. Aerosmith is a special band for us and I have probably seen them at least 8 times already. It will be awesome to spend time with my family and see a great show we are all super excited about. Maybe I鈥檒l even get lucky at the casino!鈥�

What 优蜜视频 programs or events are you most looking forward to in 2019

On Friday, November 17^th, the Institute for Educational Advancement (优蜜视频) will honor three tremendous individuals who have worked to address the needs of gifted education in our community. Here鈥檚 a little bit more about them.

Raising the Bar for Gifted Students: Jason and Sandy Roberts

Jason and Sandy Roberts, recipients of this year鈥檚 Community Advocate Award from 优蜜视频, have worked diligently to ensure that the needs of highly able learners are met in Pasadena Unified schools. Initially coaching elementary and middle school students in mathematics, Jason and Sandy launched to provide mathematically gifted middle school and high school students with the skills and insight needed to excel in honors math and science programs at the most elite universities in the world.

Math Academy partners with Pasadena Unified School District in reaching students starting in the 6^th grade, and offering them sequenced mathematics coursework that culminates in completing Calculus in the 8^th grade. But while the Roberts remain dedicated to serving students in Pasadena, they envision being able to expand Math Academy to other districts. 鈥淥ur belief is that once enough parents become aware of what鈥檚 being achieved at a struggling, under-resourced district, they鈥檒l have no choice but to pressure their respective school boards to follow suit, which will mark the beginning of a sea change in mathematics education across America,鈥� Jason told Pasadena Now this past summer.

And enabling large-scale change is nothing new to the Roberts family. Jason designed and developed much of Uber鈥檚 original real-time and global 鈥渁ir traffic control鈥� technologies. With a mathematics degree from the University of Chicago, Jason has also launched technology startups and built high-frequency trading systems. Sandy is no stranger to effecting change, either. With a degree in economics from University of Chicago, she also shares her love of math by teaching at the Math Academy and raising funds to support the new organization. Sandy has spent the last ten years on nonprofit boards, holding leadership positions with the Junior League of Pasadena, Young & Healthy and the Pasadena Educational Foundation.

Parents to three children, the oldest of whom is a student in Math Academy, Jason and Sandy exemplify the values that 优蜜视频 holds dear, namely helping every child reach their potential and providing them with the skills and tools to flourish intellectually, creatively, socially and emotionally.

Photo courtesy of Sandy and Jason Roberts

Inspiring Joy in Gifted Youth for Science and Math:聽 Tony Travouillon

Physics. Electrical Circuitry. Astronomy. These are not typical topics covered in elementary and middle school. But thanks to Tony Travouillon, Ph.D., our fortunate 优蜜视频 student community gets to explore the universe and learn how to build electrical circuits through our Academy program. Beloved by 优蜜视频 students and parents, Tony will receive this year鈥檚 Educator Award at our Awards Dinner & Celebration next month.

Since 2011, Tony has been delighting gifted young minds through his 优蜜视频 Academy classes, held in the Pasadena area. According to one parent of a student in Tony鈥檚 Astronomy class, 鈥淢r. Tony inspired my child with his passion and knowledge of science and made learning fun.鈥�

An astrophysicist, he is a System Scientist at Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory, where he conducts experimental research on atmospheric turbulence and its repercussions for astronomy, image degradation, adaptive optics and interferometry. Since receiving his Ph.D. in astrophysics and undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy at the University of New South Wales, Tony has remained devoted to sharing his knowledge and experience with others. In addition to teaching at 优蜜视频, he holds a Visiting Associate position at Caltech and is an Adjunct Professor at College of the Canyons.

Tony鈥檚 passion for teaching is evident in the classroom, and on the inquiring, curious faces in his classes. 鈥淚n 优蜜视频 I found the perfect place to teach the way I want to teach,鈥� said Tony. 鈥淚 can take full advantage of the small classes to really cater for each individual, adapting to the need of every student and offer an experience that is tailored to my audience.鈥�

Photo credit: Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/News/SCNG

Join the Celebration!

Join us on November 17^th at our Awards Dinner & Celebration, to be held at The University Club of Pasadena, and show your support of these and other exceptional advocates for gifted education.

To sponsor and/or purchase tickets or a program ad, click .

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Jen Mounday is the Program Coordinator for 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy program. Academy provides young gifted students with challenging enrichment classes that focus on exploration and the application of knowledge.

I was a classroom teacher before coming to 优蜜视频 to be a Program Coordinator. From my years teaching, I naturally developed a mental catalogue of gifted students and the impressions they made on me over time. My experience in the classroom left me well acquainted with the gifted child: the voracious reader, the classical music lover, the Spanish speaking whiz, the student who challenges, the one who ponders鈥攖he child who has the uncanny power to shape you through their own quest for answers and truth. The memories I have working alongside gifted and talented kids are ever in my mind鈥檚 eye as I coordinate enrichment programs for this demographic.

优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy welcomes kindergarten through eighth grade students into classrooms of like-minded peers. As much as I grouped students homogeneously when I was a classroom teacher, I have realized that there is nothing like an Academy classroom. Observe and you will see astronomy PhDs teaching astrophysics to a group of eleven-year-olds; the students are engaged, asking questions and driving the lesson deeper. It鈥檚 the power of the Academy classroom that is meeting a need in our community鈥攄rawing highly able students beyond the mainstream classroom framework and up a bit higher.

The 2012 fall quarter for Academy included multiple levels of chemistry and neuro-energy. Students worked with molecular model kits to identify molecular make up. In Neuro-Energy II: Intro to Computer Programming, students learned the basics of Java Script to build a website. I watched in one class as a second grader stood transfixed, looking at the projector screen as the instructor demonstrated how to create digital clocks using code. The student was grinning, captivated, bouncing up and down on his heels, like he鈥檇 just seen Santa.

Our classes are unique, much like the students and the instructors themselves. Sometimes the novelty of the program is all it takes to get students excited about the classes. In Academy, there are no limits. Instructors, specialists in their field, encourage as many questions as can be asked and are willing to go off on a tangent or two to satisfy interest. Our students can come, just as they are, to talk literature, chemistry, robotics, or math and be heard, embraced, and understood. And naturally, by the end of each quarter, Academy students build relationships through a process of discovery. Over the course of grappling with content that is typically off limits to their peer group, they become a community.

We do our best to extend this community beyond the classes as well. Last week, we held Academy Family Night here at the 优蜜视频 office. It was an evening for the families to get to know each other and parents to hear from our president, Elizabeth Jones, on the social and emotional needs of gifted youth. It was an evening of learning and togetherness. Parents shared their experiences of raising gifted children, found support in each other and offered their gratitude for our programs. We will continue to hold parent nights each month through May.

We know that enrichment programs like Academy are often the bright spark in the gifted child鈥檚 week. We at the Institute for Educational Advancement are happy to provide that spark for our local community and beyond.

The Winter Session of Academy will run from January 12 to March 7. The schedule and applications are available on the Academy page of our website. Enroll your child today!

What enrichment programs have you found to inspire your son or daughter? Please share with us in the comment section below.