“Attention is the doorway to gratitude, to wonder, to reciprocity.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

The annual Bradley Seminar is a place where you can’t help but pay attention. In the blink of an eye, it has come and gone. The Seminar is significant because it brings together some of the most interested and accomplished national merit-based high school scholars; it provides a venue for Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, parents, educators and professionals to connect, discuss issues of intellectual, personal, and global interest; and it strengthens a community that they will continue to influence and rely upon in perpetuity. I love it precisely for its strength of attentiveness – a weekend filled to capacity with such extraordinary individuals, challenging conversations, and genuine connectedness demands we lay distractions aside and keep our eyes open. Wide open.

The 2016 Bradley Seminar commenced in Pasadena, California from March 18 – 20, hosting over 180 participants from across the country. The weekend events kicked off on Friday afternoon, welcoming the Class of 2014 Scholars to The Barder House, a space rife with symbolism for the CDB community. Dedicated and named after the Scholarship’s generous benefactor, Sarah D. Barder, it was donated to the Institute for Educational Advancement in 2011 by Ms. Barder to serve as the home base for ������Ƶ, as well as a meeting place and touchstone for the ������Ƶ and the CDB community.

Following a welcome dinner and introductions, parents attended a session led by Dr. Jim Delisle, while Scholars and Alumni participated in ice-breakers and a hotel-wide scavenger hunt. Among the various tasks that teams were instructed to complete were items like, “find something at least 100 years older than anyone on your team” and “record a video of everyone on your team doing 20 jumping jacks in unison”.

Each year, the Seminar is guided by a different overarching theme intended to serve as the focal point for thought and conversation throughout the weekend. The 2016 theme was Finding & Cultivating Your Voice, which pursued questions like: What am I passionate about and what matters? What does it mean to have a voice and how do I share these passions with a community, local or global, in meaningful ways?

KR Sridhar, Founder, President, and CEO of , explored this theme on Saturday morning through a keynote presentation on the relationship between voice, passion, and resilience.  Betsy Jones, ������Ƶ President, guided intergenerational conversations between students, parents, visiting educators, and guests to examine the Seminar theme in smaller intentional groups.  These discussions channel incredible value for their ability to bring a diverse group of individuals together as equals to discuss issues of common interest. One Scholar noted, “The table talks helped facilitate open and serious conversations… The topics addressed were relevant to my life, especially the topics in the intentional conversations.”

Saturday night featured workshops and panels led by CDB Alumni and parents, educators, clinical psychologists, and consultants covering a range of topics: American Misconceptions of Giftedness, Career Paths, College Counseling, Finding Your Voice Through Depression, Intensities and Sensitivities, and Mindfulness.

While the day was bookended with content-heavy sessions, Scholars and parents were able to relax through various outings on Saturday afternoon to the Griffith Observatory, Huntington Library & Gardens, and EscapeRoom LA.

As the Seminar concluded on Sunday morning and good-byes became imminent, I reflected on the wonder of the weekend. I recalled Kimmerer’s words on attention, gratitude, and reciprocity as I watched the generosity of the CDB community extend outward in the form of financial support and volunteerism to the ������Ƶ community.  This only confirmed my feeling that when we come together and pay attention – when we put down our phone, participate in our environment, engage in what it means to be present – something happens. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “The most precious gift we can offer anyone is our attention.” I can’t help but agree.

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On February 22-24, 2013, we hosted the 10th annual Bradley Seminar in San Jose, California. The event, funded by , provides an amazing opportunity for the , their parents, and alumni to come together each year for a three-day conference to discuss issues of global importance and personal relevance.

The ������Ƶ community has found great personal and collective growth in sharing and learning together in an emotionally safe environment. Our most powerful moments have involved cross-generational discussions where each individual feels heard and supported. The Seminars offer a perfect forum to focus on a purposeful theme that causes us to look inward and to challenge ourselves to grow, not only intellectually, but also personally. This year, the theme was “Know Thyself.”

Those of us who work with highly able youth seem to agree that the unique social and emotional issues related to their giftedness, coupled with adolescence, cause the majority of “stressors” in these students’ lives. In an effort to assist our population in dealing with stress, we explored aspects of resiliency and identification of personality types.

Prior to the event, participants read excerpts from The Resilience Factor by Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte and completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). These served as a starting point for conversation.

Knowing thyself … personality types

After a Friday evening welcome for Scholars, alumni, and parents, Saturday began with reflections and discussions on learning to deal with stress. ������Ƶ President Elizabeth Jones led the group in exercises to learn what issues or situations “pushed” individual buttons and presented key points on how to develop resiliency. This dialogue set the stage for learning and exploring personality types. Guided by ������Ƶ co-founder and president of The Davis Group Ltd., James W. Davis, we discovered our personality types and learned about the characteristics of each type. Mr. Davis emphasized that the MBTI is a starting point to use to understand your preferences and grow, not an excuse to stay stuck in your ways. Some things are easy and natural, while others require growth. MBTIs help you understand where there is room to grow.

Parents and kids alike were interested to see how they were similar and different in their personality types. In many cases, the MBTI helped shed light on familial interactions and communication barriers that have been present but not understood for years!

Learning about different personality types at the Seminar encouraged us to better understand our own temperaments as well as those of our friends and family. It helped provide a structural foundation for understanding differences and methods for seeking out, incorporating, and acknowledging the value of other viewpoints.

Exploring Silicon Valley

On Saturday afternoon, the Scholars ventured to two amazing companies: and .

In the fun and inviting setting of Udacity’s offices, Scholars had lengthy discussions with our hosts about course design, the technology behind online open courseware, business models, career preparation, work environments and the future of education.

Bloom Energy was a haven for our chemistry and physics enthusiasts. We toured the facility and learned about the clean, renewable energy they are developing. Discussions ranged from how their fuel cell systems are made and operated to why a new energy source like Bloom Energy’s is necessary and how it will change the world.

Udacity and Bloom Energy encourage innovation and out-of-the-box thinking. They are driven by the unique makeup of their employees, all of whom bring different perspectives to the table. These are the types of workplaces our Scholars will need. These are the environments that will allow them to thrive, and we were thankful that the Scholars were able to see companies like these in action.

Stress response … and why we should limit it

Saturday night, Dr. Robert Sapolsky delivered a fascinating and highly entertaining talk about the stress response and how it affects our bodies. Dr. Sapolsky is The John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biological Sciences and Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Stanford University. He is also a research associate at the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya. Many of us were amazed to discover the variety of ways in which the stress response – biologically designed to keep us alive in threatening situations – negatively affects our bodies over time as we experience chronic psychological stress. Relaxation techniques provided in a Sunday breakout session were in high demand after hearing Dr. Sapolsky speak!

If you want a glimpse of Dr. Sapolsky’s expertise, take a look at the videos and . We highly recommend these!

Let’s continue the discussions…

We are always amazed at the caliber and depth of discussion at the Seminar. Adults and students alike ponder challenging personal and global issues. These discussions among future thought leaders provide a foundation that builds confidence, tolerance, and personal growth.

Over the weekend, we reflected on our own personalities and how knowing ourselves in more robust ways can help us relate to and work better with others. We thought about and discussed the implications of our personality types as well as the impact of stress on our lives. “Somehow, you made it possible for me to meet tons of fascinating new people, learn so much about myself and how I interact with others, and gain an insight into how startups work in the Silicon Valley, all in one, short weekend,” explained one Scholar.

Reach out and support a bright young mind. Teach them to think. Help them embrace who they are and all that is possible.

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