This just in: Jack seemed to be dominating in Magic, the Gathering. However, in their second face off, Madeline pulled out a never-before-used defense saving herself in the last moment, and made a huge comeback by playing another card from the new deck Emily gave her just this week. 

In other news, Howell Nature Camp, already a planet-friendly place by its very mission to save and care for injured or vulnerable wildlife, has become even more environmentally conscientious than ever. This summer, camper-led initiatives have spurred trash pickup hikes along the camp鈥檚 many trails, and food a new food scraps waste management system. 

Not-to-be-missed artistic offerings of this past July included a soaring a cappella rendition of Joni Mitchell鈥檚 鈥淏oth Sides,鈥� stand-up comedy routines managing to be both wacky and actually in good taste, and the most spirited cover of Pharrell Williams鈥� 鈥淗appy鈥� since the minions first came on the scene.

What in the world can all these wildly diverse events have in common? Well of course, these news flashes barely scratch the surface of a single week鈥檚 worth of Yunasa memories highlighting some of Yunasa campers鈥� many, and profoundly intense, passions.

Yunasa lets young people be the most concentrated and complete version of themselves, in the full support of a community, or 鈥渢ribe鈥� as we often call it, of others who appreciate and truly celebrate all the sparkling facets. When I first attended Yunasa about 17 years ago, I immediately went home and told my sister that she should attend as soon as she became old enough.  That was a surprising move only because, although coming from the same parentage and family, the crossover of our major interests is pretty much zero. She wouldn鈥檛 be caught dead watching a dance video, while learning a new dance is the thing that has always excited me most. And on the other hand, I couldn鈥檛 tell you the difference between a sci-fi novel or ones about sentient robots, and have probably never read a spy series, both of which would probably make my sister ashamed to even admit she knows me.

However, at Yunasa, it鈥檚 equally possible to meet a new trusted companion with whom you can finally go in-depth with into your specific passions, or conversely with someone who on the outside, you may have very little in common. They might even come from a totally different generation! Somehow still, when we come together around the campfire to begin and end every camp, you鈥檒l hear the words being sung out, 鈥淚t鈥檚 in every one of us, to be wise, find your heart鈥︹�� and it鈥檚 pretty close to a guarantee that each new and returning camper will have touched some part of that wisdom within themselves during the week. Best of all, they鈥檒l probably have some new skills to help them feel a greater confidence in their ability to reach it again whenever it鈥檚 needed throughout the year. 

Participating in Yunasa as a counselor now feels like a yearly dream. The consecutive years of camp are often as different from one another in highlight activities, favorite jokes, or warmest bunk memories as can be, and yet the through line of them all is seeing a place where each year more people reunite with a sense of deep belonging and acceptance for all they are and are growing into. Having a summer camp that brings people from all over the country, and sometimes the world, as part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 offerings is extraordinarily special. If you are interested in joining us at camp this summer, please apply with the link below to begin your journey of being a part of a special community.

In addition, if you are interested in contributing, any donation goes a long way toward making what was initially only a dream of the Fellows, now into a living reality. It is the opinion of a 10-year+ Yunasa veteran that the risk of some tears on the last day of camp, when you must bid farewell to friends you may not see for at least another year, is worth the opportunity of finding oneself and richly-cherished connections, which are so great a part of the Yunasa experience. 

Hi! My name is Cassie Kaplan and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am currently a sophomore in college at Southern Methodist University and I am majoring in Biology and Anthropology. I attended Yunasa as a camper for four years in addition to two years as a leadership camper. I have also been a counselor at Yunasa for the past two years. My first year at Yunasa was at age eleven. I was having trouble fitting in at school and on my sports teams because I had different interests and saw the world differently than my classmates or teammates. But once I got to Yunasa, I found people just like me. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who saw the world like I did. 

As a counselor, I have been able to help provide the same space that brought me so much joy and community during my formative years. One of my favorite moments from Yunasa this summer was the variety show, which is an open setting that allows anyone who wants to share one of their passions to do so. Performances range from singing to stand-up comedy to magic tricks. The variety show was one of my favorite activities as a camper, and it continues to be one of my favorite activities as a counselor. 

If these events and the community-feel sound like something you are interested in, I encourage you to apply to Yunasa through the application link below. We are excited to meet you and have you join the Yunasa tribe!

Being able to return to Yunasa is such a privilege, and it is only through the generous donations given to 优蜜视频 that I, along with the other counselors, are able to do so. Without the help of donors, this wonderful camp would not be able to continue to provide the home that it has been for me, and many others like me.

Thank you,

Cassie

Yunasa campers have started their day off with yoga for 20 years. Senior Program Coordinator, Qiao Li, has seen the benefits of yoga firsthand on our gifted campers and how it sets them up for success for the rest of the day. Because gifted children tend to receive stimuli more intensely () it is essential to find ways to connect the mind, body, and spirit to help ground them and give them tools to focus and relax. Li says that practicing yoga for half an hour settles the overactive mind typically found in gifted children and helps campers to welcome the day with a balanced mind and body. She says that sometimes they are so relaxed that they fall asleep in Savasana, corpse pose, the final resting posture of a yoga practice.

Yoga means to join, or to yoke, or to unite. Most yogis agree that through yoga, we can find a union of mind, body, and spirit through pranayama, breath, and the asanas, postures. Through this connection, we can calm the active mind and bring peace to the body. Controlled breathing techniques help signal the nervous system to calm down. The inhale is linked to the sympathetic nervous system or our fight-or-flight response, and the exhale is connected to the parasympathetic nervous system, our body’s relaxation system.

Consider practicing this simple breathing technique with your child the next time you like them to slow down.聽 While sitting in a comfortable position with eyes closed, inhale for 4 seconds and hold at the top for 2 seconds. Then exhale to a count of 6 and hold at the bottom for 2 seconds. Repeat several times and focus on expanding and emptying the belly with the breath. The circular nature of the technique gives the mind something to focus on, and the longer exhale gives the parasympathetic nervous system time to calm down.

Added benefits of breathing techniques are you are giving your body a chance to recuperate and heal. They promote less stress and better digestion. And deeper focused breathing helps to bring more awareness to the present moment.

We would love to hear in the comments how yoga and breathing techniques help support your child’s ability to focus and relax.

As the COVID-19 pandemic has developed over the last couple of weeks, I have been struck by my own attachments to simple comforts and small routines 鈥� they make me feel safe, and when the grocery stores started feeling post-apocalyptic, I began to feel my sense of safety diminish. I realize that my experience of the pandemic is an incredibly privileged one; many people in our community have not only experienced a shift in routine 鈥� their lives have been upended. Some have lost jobs; some are struggling to feed their children, who usually eat breakfast and lunch at school; some are struggling to work full-time from home while trying to navigate emergency homeschooling; and some have gotten very, very sick or lost loved ones to the virus.

Whatever your experience has been during this time, I know that a loss of routine can feel foreboding. Children rely on their routines for their own sense of stability, and while transitions are difficult for all of us, they are especially unsettling and scary for children. Even a transition as simple as shifting from park time to get-in-the-car time can yield a reaction so intense that you might feel compelled to hide behind the twisty slide until the volcano in the middle of the wood chips ceases its erupting.

Gifted children experience a heightened awareness that is 鈥渜ualitatively different from the norm,鈥� (Columbus Group), and your child鈥檚 response to a shift in routine (no matter how slight the shift may seem) might manifest as intense anxiety, stomach aches, outbursts, reclusiveness, or all of the above, even if this extra time spent together has felt like a gift. My own child sat in the middle of the sidewalk during her scooter ride yesterday and wailed, WAILED, because a chirping bird in a tree, whom she had named 鈥淏aby Tweetie鈥� did not come down to play with her. I was baffled. I thought the moment would pass quickly, but she cried about Baby Tweetie for hours: 鈥淏AAABY TWEEEEETIE! I LOVE HER AND SHE LOVES MEEEEE!鈥� Her routine hasn鈥檛 shifted as dramatically as others鈥� have, but she is one of the most social people I know, and not playing with friends every day has been difficult for her. She longs for connection, and she was full of despair when her friend Baby Tweetie couldn鈥檛 offer it to her.

During my time working with Yunasa campers, I noticed that many gifted children feel intense anxiety relating to their perceived inability to affect change in a world of suffering. Younger kids might feel anxiety pertaining to their inability to affect change in their own, much smaller worlds. And when their lives have seemingly turned upside down, when their stabilizing routines have vanished, that anxiety might feel really big.

As we craft new routines during this time of transition, we might also provide tools for our kids to affect change in little ways. 聽As I read Peace is an Offering by Annete LeBox to my daughters today, it occurred to me that it is completely within our power to spread peace right now, and we can empower our kids to do the same. What is peace, exactly? I think it is a sense of serenity, a feeling of acceptance, a knowing that we are ok, even when things are crumbling around us. We might experience peace as our anxieties calm down, our anger subsides, or our feelings of restlessness diminish. And as we work to spread peace in our little worlds (or in the world at large), we experience a greater measure of peace, too.

鈥淧eace is an offering. A muffin or a peach. A birthday invitation. A trip to the beach. Peace is gratitude for simple things. Light through a leaf, a dragonfly鈥檚 wings. A kiss on the cheek, raindrops and dew. A walk in the park, a bowl of hot stew.鈥�

We spread peace by putting forth little offerings of grace and kindness into our communities. We keep our eyes open and meet needs where we can. We remain attentive, looking for beauty everywhere.

鈥淧eace is holding on to another. Peace is the words you say to a brother. Will you stay with me? Will you be my friend? Will you listen to my story till the very end?鈥�

We help others experience peace when we offer them our presence and attention.

鈥淎nd even in the wake of tragedy, even then, you might find her. In the rubble of a fallen tower. In the sorrow of your darkest hour. In the hat of a hero. In the loss of a friend.鈥�

Peace can coexist with sorrow and turmoil.

鈥淪o offer a cookie, walk away from a fight. Comfort a friend through the long, dark night.鈥� Sing a quiet song. Catch a falling star.鈥�

I think this book is saying that peace is something we can all work to spread. It is something that each of us can offer. When we find needs and meet them, when offer kindness, when we provide our undivided presence (from a safe distance, of course), we are affecting change.

This week, someone sent me flowers for no reason, my neighbor offered to drop off lemon turmeric cake, and my daughter鈥檚 cousin sent her a postcard. All of these little offerings helped to spread peace because they got me thinking how we could spread some love too. And if this trajectory continues, peace ought to spread even as the coronavirus continues to disrupt our lives and harm people we love. These are tangible tools we can offer our children, who might be feeling especially powerless and uncertain: 1. Let鈥檚 find a need and meet it. 2. Let鈥檚 send someone something that will make them feel special. 3. Let鈥檚 offer each other our complete attention. 4. Let鈥檚 find beauty in every corner of our lives. 5. Let鈥檚 provide comfort for someone who is hurting.

鈥淪ing a quiet song. Catch a falling star. May peace walk beside you wherever you are.鈥�

We hope that you will share this blog with others who may find it helpful. If you are able, please consider to help our organization continue to provide exceptional programming during this difficult time.聽

It鈥檚 hard to believe it鈥檚 already July! With the summer flying by, it鈥檚 never too early to start thinking about fall activities. Whether your child is looking to expand their resume, find a hobby or make new friends, the extracurricular activities listed below can serve as great opportunities for all.

• Arts:  recommends gifted children partake in musical or artistic activities for a few different reasons. Artistic and creative pursuits can build problem-solving skills, provide a safe environment for socializing and relieve stress.

• Sports: Exercise is known to have a multitude of physical and emotional benefits. For a gifted child, physical activity can provide a break from rigorous academics and aid in social development. However, it鈥檚 important when choosing a sport to consider the physical, emotional and social challenges that might apply to your child. To read more about some of these challenges and how to choose a sport for your gifted child, check out this .

• Service activities: Volunteer and service opportunities are a fantastic way to teach your child how to give back to the community. Additionally, according to , clubs and colleges often look for volunteer experience when reviewing a student鈥檚 application for admission.

• 优蜜视频 Academy: provides exceptionally creative learning opportunities that encourage in-depth exploration of topics outside of the typical school curriculum. Classes cover a wide variety of STEM, arts and humanities topics, often taught through an interdisciplinary lens.

• Yunasa: Geared toward the unique needs of gifted children, while offering all the enjoyment of a traditional summer sleep-away camp, provides a combination of traditional camp activities and special workshops designed specifically to help gifted children learn more about themselves as they develop greater awareness and self-acceptance. While this isn鈥檛 a fall activity, it鈥檚 never too early to start thinking about registering your child for Yunasa 2020. Be sure to not miss the opening of Yunasa 2020 application by .

• Academic competitions: Academic competitions like spelling bees and quiz bowls can serve as an opportunity for your child to expand their knowledge in a subject of interest. also suggests that competitive activities can prepare children for the inevitable wins and losses that occur throughout life while also helping them develop self-esteem and tenacity.

• I[d]EA Day: 优蜜视频 is hosting an exciting new event this Fall in Pasadena! is built to inspire our next generation of innovators. Over light bites and drinks, become a part of the 优蜜视频 network while gaining exclusive access to local STEAM professionals and experts in gifted education.  about I[d]EA day! 

For more extracurricular activity suggestions, check out the on our website!

Whenever I try to tell my friends back in California about the week I鈥檝e spent in Colorado every summer for the past three years, words fall just short. I describe to them the intense friendship, the emotional growth, the tight-knit community and the sheer happiness that make up my experience at . Then I say: however good this sounds, imagine it 10,000 times time better.

Yunasa is a truly special place. I have never felt more free to be myself than on the grounds of Camp Shady Brook. Almost everywhere else in my life, there are parts of me I feel the need to hide, fearing that I鈥檒l come across as weird or condescending or attention-seeking or annoying. I worry that if I let out these suppressed parts of me, it鈥檚 all people will be able to see. My personality, my complex emotions and my varied interests will be reduced, made less than the sum of their parts. At Yunasa, I feel no such fear. I am so easily and fully myself, speaking up when I might have remained silent at home. The result of this is a wonderful kind of understanding between my fellow campers and I. It is culture of complete acceptance, and love, and I鈥檝e never experienced anything else like it.

I wasn鈥檛 expecting any of this the first time I came to Yunasa. In fact, as my mother and I wove between the wide, graceful river and the tall pines that line the road to camp, I remember anticipating the exact opposite. There were a lot of qualities and ideas associated with the word 鈥済ifted鈥� that I didn鈥檛 connect with at all, and so I worried that, even here, I wouldn鈥檛 fit in. I鈥檇 be stuck a thousand miles from everything I knew, unable to make friends, bored out of my mind without cell phone service and only a single book to read. After an excruciating, anxious hour, we arrived at Camp Shady Brook. I stared at the ground as we checked in and hauled my luggage up to the cabin. Before I could process any of it, my mom was hugging me goodbye as I begged through tears to go with her.

But once I wiped away those tears and entered the dance hall, where campers talked and played games while the last few arrivals trickled in, it took all of ten minutes for me to find a friend. My fears of a miserable week were gradually replaced with a thrilling excitement – I still had no idea what was coming, but based off the enthusiasm of the returning campers, it was something amazing. That first friend, Hannah, introduced me to her friends from the previous year, and we started talking, laughing, sharing stories and silly jokes. I realized I was opening myself up in a way I didn鈥檛 know was possible. As the blazing Colorado sun fell below the horizon to reveal the most beautiful view of the stars I鈥檝e ever seen, I knew that I had stumbled upon something extraordinary.

After talking to many of the friends I鈥檝e made at Yunasa, I realize that this is not a unique way to begin one鈥檚 first day. We鈥檝e all struggled with feeling alienated and disconnected from our peers at one point or another, but on top of that most of us have also felt different from the stereotypical gifted kid, so we expect that same lonely disconnect to follow us to camp. Instead, we find a community that is incredibly diverse and welcoming, where everyone can feel valued and included. There is no singular gifted experience. At Yunasa, we connect over what we have in common – you鈥檒l hear a lot of finger snaps and whispered agreements during group dialogues, when one person鈥檚 experience resonates with many – but it is understood that there is great variety in our experiences as well. People here are a lot like me, but not exactly like me. That would be boring. I think the relationships formed at Yunasa are so strong and deep in part because the experiences we do share allow us to receive the unique, unfamiliar qualities in each other with total acceptance and understanding.

And the relationships I鈥檝e formed are so meaningful! It鈥檚 strange to reflect upon the bonds I鈥檝e formed with other campers and think that I鈥檝e only spent three weeks total in their presence. I mean it when I say that my friends from camp are some of my best friends in the world. They make me laugh so uncontrollably hard that my jaw and stomach end up sore. They encourage me to step out of my comfort zone, to push myself just a little further, and once I take that terrifying first step off the edge of the cliff I鈥檓 rappelling down or stand up to perform my original song in front of everyone, they cheer me on so enthusiastically. They listen to me and care about me, simply checking in on how I鈥檓 feeling that day but also supporting me with whatever bigger problems are on my mind. And I do the same for them. These friendships are so intense, so equal, so beautifully intimate. I think back to a moment from last summer when I sat on the cabin steps with my friend Vince, again under those glorious stars. We talked for hours. At Yunasa, everything I鈥檝e bottled up in the past year seems to find a way out, and so I told him things I thought I鈥檇 never feel comfortable telling anyone. It was exactly what I needed. I felt relieved and released and loved and full of love for others all at once. I am lucky to have amazing friends back home, but none of them understand me or really hear me the way my Yunasa friends do.

Emotional growth and healing occurs at Yunasa, in Heart of the Matter sessions and workshops led by our incredible fellows and long, late-night conversations. But there鈥檚 also no shortage of lighthearted fun. That aforementioned side-splitting laughter follows me everywhere, shaking me out of my early-morning daze in the dining hall, bouncing off the surface of the lake as our canoe spirals the exact opposite direction I want it to, escaping from behind my hand as Carissa and I try to stifle our giggling and not wake the entire cabin. I get the chance to rappel down a rock face, zipline, do yoga; I write slam poems and learn basic martial arts. We play Egyptian Rat-Slap and we take it very, very seriously (probably the proudest moment of my entire life was the one time I beat my friend and defending champion Mya). During our unstructured afternoons, Gwen plays her ukulele and we harmonize along to a song we both love. These are my simplest, most favorite joys.

I always end up crying on the last night of camp. It鈥檚 so bittersweet. For one wonderful week I can exist exactly as I am and be understood. Though I miss my family and my California friends, going back to them is hard: I鈥檓 leaving one home for another.

Still, I am not returning to the exact same situation I left. Each Yunasa changes me. I leave with new ideas and techniques for dealing with the difficult parts of my life. I leave having made new friends and having deepened the friendships I made in the summers before. I leave more certain of who I am. I could reminisce for hours about every amazing thing that makes Yunasa what it is, from the mundane to the truly profound (and I have, over FaceTime, to my Yunasa friends). I feel like the the luckiest person in the universe to have spent even a single day there, tucked away in the mountains in a perfect world.

优蜜视频 is currently taking applications for it’s 2019 summer camps.

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

Even as summer wound down and 优蜜视频 programs came to a close, August was a month of fun and community. Take a look at some of the highlights, in further detail below the video:

After eight days of community and balance, Yunasa campers sadly said farewell to friends both new and old as camp concluded at the beginning of the month.

Staff members represented 优蜜视频 at two concerts at the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena to spread the word about 优蜜视频 in the community.

The team interviewed Finalists in Chicago, Indianapolis, New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The announcement of the 2015 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars is imminent!

campers Sultan and Saad, along with their siblings Afifa and Zoeya, organized a performance in their hometown to raise money for Yunasa!

We concluded filming for our new 优蜜视频 video with interviews in San Francisco. Stay tuned for the final cut!

The summer ended with a bang as children, parents, and staff from across the 优蜜视频 community gathered at The Barder House for the 优蜜视频 End of Summer Family Soiree.

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

Want to see more highlights from this summer? !

优蜜视频鈥檚 pioneering unite highly able youngsters with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children. Campers explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

When I sat down to write a blog post on the wonder of Yunasa and Yunasa West, I was completely baffled as to how to begin. I sat, hands stagnant upon my keyboard as I searched for words that would adequately capture the essence of this magical summer. When I am thwarted by writer鈥檚 block, I often feel compelled to turn to the words of a beloved author or poet for inspiration. And so, I begin this blog with the words of Hafez, a Persian poet from the fourteenth century.

鈥淲ith That Moon Language鈥� by Hafez

Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to them, 鈥淟ove me.鈥�
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise
Someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a
Full moon in each eye that is always saying,
With that sweet moon language, what every other eye in
This world is dying to hear?

At Yunasa last year, I was deeply moved by the overall acceptance I witnessed as the uniqueness and individuality and quirkiness of each child was celebrated by the entire group. I never experienced anything like that amongst my peers as a child, and I felt grateful that a place exists where such unconditional acceptance envelopes each young person. This year, I was especially struck by the wisdom of the campers at both Yunasa and Yunasa West.

I watched, in awe, as campers 鈥� both new and seasoned 鈥� intentionally reached out to include some of the more shy and timid children; I listened, in awe, to conversations between campers that reflected profound insight and deep thought; and I shared conversations with quite a few campers whose empathy and self-understanding touched me deeply. This year, the Counselors in Training (CITs) at Yunasa in Michigan decided to orchestrate a 鈥渇riendship panel,鈥� or an open discussion with the entire population of campers about issues pertaining to relationships amongst friends. The younger campers had lots of questions, both general and specific, and the CITs demonstrated the type of wisdom one encounters within clusters of brilliant philosophers. They led an enlightening and interesting conversation that could easily have continued for hours.

Both camps were marked by traditional Yunasa Programming: Heart of the Matter 鈥� small group sessions with clinical psychologist and Senior Fellow Patty Gatto-Walden; Fellows鈥� Workshops, e.g., Emotional Life of the Brain with Michael Piechowski, Energy Healing with Stef Tolan, Archetypes: The Four-Fold Way with Shelagh Gallagher and Dan Tichenor, and Psychosynthesis Scenarios with Jim Delisle; Counselors鈥� Workshops, e.g., Duct Tape Crafts with Darcy, Russian Fairy Tales with Paul, Soccer with Lucy and Steph, History with Wade, and Music Improv with Ethan; traditional camp activities 鈥� zipline, giant swing, high ropes, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, and hammockville; Psychosynthesis 鈥� daily guided meditation in small groups; and evening activities such as the Variety Show, Campfire, Social, and Movie Night (we watched Big Hero Six). Special guests of Yunasa West 鈥� Louise Hindle and Dr. Amy Gaesser 鈥� offered workshops on poetry and EFT, respectively. Dr. April DeGennarro, our special guest at Yunasa Michigan, offered two compelling workshops pertaining to the identity we display on social media.

At Yunasa West, each psychosynthesis group performed a skit to demonstrate one of Dabrowski鈥檚 overexcitabilities. The Fellows, counselors, and I laughed hysterically as our wise young campers harnessed their creativity and impressive theatric talent to portray individuals who exemplify the intellectual, sensual, imaginational, emotional, and psychomotor overexcitabilities. Although we all laughed 鈥� a lot 鈥� their dramatic depictions were not far from reality!

This year, we read Listen! by Stef Tolan to correspond with the Yunasa theme, which was also 鈥淟isten.鈥� We chose this theme because listening to our bodies, minds, spirits, emotions, and, of course, listening to one another is imperative as we seek balance. At Yunasa, we aim to pay attention 鈥� to listen closely 鈥� to the world around us, even as we sit silently amongst the trees, absorbing the sounds, colors, life, and history of our surroundings. Listening and mindfulness are closely related. As I listen, I grow attentive to the way my body feels and what that means; I am able to gauge my emotions with a deeper sensitivity; I am more equipped to empathize with others.

I have now participated in three Yunasa camps, and each time, I come home with a heightened sense of attentiveness. My interactions with the Fellows, campers, and counselors of Yunasa help me return to a vibrant place of attention. We miss so much when we dwell inside our heads, bend our heads over our phones, and stare blankly as we move through life. Thank you, people of Yunasa, for existing and for inspiring.

And with that, I shall end this blog post in the same way it began.

鈥淭en times a day something happens to me like this 鈥� some strengthening throb of amazement 鈥� some good sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.鈥�
鈥揗ary Oliver

Summer days at 优蜜视频 continue to be filled with time spent with our amazing community members across the country! Take a look at some of the highlights from the month of July:

Students jumped in to fill more than 40 spots in Academy Summer Session II, where they explored everything from Algebra to Jane Austen and were taught by content area specialists.

68 campers gathered in Michigan for Yunasa. Stay tuned for more updates and photos at the conclusion of camp!
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽听听

优蜜视频 Apprenticeship Mentor and Caltech researcher Ashish Mahabal gave a mini-lecture on聽transients – astronomical objects that change in brightness on short time-scales.

CDB Finalists were interviewed in Houston, Boise, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boston, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Washington, D.C.

Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy students examined meteorites from the Moon, Vesta, and other celestial bodies.

Brianna, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Resources Coordinator, joined our friends from The Gifted Development Center at the 2015 SENG Conference in Denver.

We filmed interviews at The Barder House and Academy for our new 优蜜视频 video, coming soon!

Students in the Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy class took a field trip to explore the light and optics exhibit at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

A new staff member, Ni帽a, joined the 优蜜视频 team as a Program Coordinator.

Academy students taking Astronomy went on a field trip to the Griffith Observatory for more hands-on learning.

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

Want to see more highlights from this summer?