1. Where else can you find amazing classes such as Hacker Calculus, Zoo Design, Geochemistry and Create and Rule Your Own Country? Our schedule is packed with inspiring, creative and one-of-a-kind offerings for bright students that you won鈥檛 find anywhere else. Click for the full list.
2. We also have three curricula! This summer, we鈥檒l be offering Black Death, It鈥檚 Electrifying: Fueling the Future and The Penguin Predicament. These curricula are NAGC award-winning and her past offerings are always popular. They utilize problem-based learning (PBL) approach and allow students to take on roles, help solve problems and navigate real-world situations.
3. Our are top-notch! Not only do they provide outstanding enrichment, guided inquiry, and incredible content, but they also bring with them impressive backgrounds and experience: JPL, CalTech, USC, The Natural History Museum, The Huntington Library, UCLA, MIT and much more.
4. At Academy students love to learn! This isn鈥檛 summer school 鈥� it鈥檚 summer enrichment, packed with peers that value learning for all the challenge, new perspectives and flat-out fun it provides. Interested in meeting like-minded peers? Join us this summer!
5. Rockets, explosions and dissections 鈥� oh, my! Academy classes are hands-on and designed to promote building, construction, tinkering, art, experiments, role-playing and debate. As the saying goes, we鈥檙e not afraid to get our hands dirty 鈥� and neither should you!听
6. More than just classes: we offer free community events throughout the summer, such as student-led workshops, movie nights and an open house 鈥� and who knows what else might pop up? Our Learning Center is the perfect place not only for classes, but for meeting new peers and parents through fun and engaging events and activities that allow for socialization, games, free play and conversation.
7. New science lab! Have you heard? The Learning Center now has a science wet lab, complete with science equipment and technology, sinks, workstations and lab tables and stools. We鈥檒l be utilizing this space for the first time this summer and couldn鈥檛 be more excited to engage in scientific inquiry in an authentic environment.听听
8. Two words: 3D printer! Our Hacker Calculus course, running for the first time this summer, will include use of the printer and building visual models of calculus concepts and equations.There are still spots available in sessions II and III!
9. Here, There Be Dragons! Our Dungeons and Dragons course is running in sessions I and III and spots are still available. Historically one of our most popular courses, this class engages students in fantasy, decision making, leadership, social skills and strategy. Don鈥檛 miss out on your chance to embark on the many exciting journeys of this class!
10. Flexible schedule: We offer four classes per session for each of three age groups 鈥� and the choice is up to you! From just one class to a full-day option, you can customize your schedule to best meet your interests and learning needs. The Academy Team would be happy to answer any questions and discuss the different course options with you, so please don鈥檛 hesitate to give us a call: (626) 403-8900.

We look forward to seeing you at Academy this summer!

The Summer Academy application deadline is May 29. to learn more and to submit your application today.听

Dr. Gallagher at Yunasa West in Colorado

Shelagh Gallagher wears many hats 鈥� so many, in fact, that she has more great ideas than time to realize them. She is a Yunasa , an NAGC award-winning curriculum and consultant, a recruitment and program consultant for Learning Center in China,听 an author, a professor, a conference keynote speaker and presenter, and mother to 20-year-old 鈥渓ight of my life鈥� son Colin. A self-described 鈥渃urriculum wonk,鈥� Shelagh has naturally gravitated toward designing courses that 鈥渂ecome an apprenticeship 鈥� not a place where you just learn facts.鈥�

I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Shelagh Gallagher for her first-hand take on problem-based learning (PBL) curricula, her work with 优蜜视频 and boccone dolche 鈥� her favorite pastry recipe.

How did you become interested in pursuing gifted education and pedagogy as a career field?

鈥淚 entered into my graduate program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill thinking I would be a counseling psychologist for gifted and talented students 鈥� like Patti Gatto-Walden, another Yunasa Senior Fellow.鈥� That all changed, however, when her studies and connections led her down a circuitous path of 鈥渆xposure I鈥檝e had to diverse people and perspectives on gifted education. It really had more to do with the programs and mentors I ended up working with.鈥� Her first point of contact was June Maker, who focused on deep instruction and emphasized the importance of questioning and building lower-to-higher order thinking in lessons. Dr. Gallagher then spent time at Confratute with Sandra Kaplan, who focused on differentiated curriculum, and depth and complexity. After receiving her PhD, Dr. Gallagher took a position at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, whose mission of helping students become problem finders, rather than problem solvers, resonated with her daily during her three years there. She was then hired by Joyce VanTassel-Baska, during the early years of her development of the integrated curriculum model. 鈥淚t was a winding path that led me to problem-based learning and ultimately investing so much of my career in it, but it鈥檚 a spot that makes sense to me. Now I balance my interest in the psychology of giftedness with curriculum, and really, the two blend perfectly.听 One is the study of gifted students鈥� unique qualities, and the other is creating curriculum to help develop those qualities into a capacity for deeper insight into the world.鈥�

Dr. Gallagher鈥檚 father, Dr. James J. Gallagher, was an international leader in both special education and gifted education. In the 1970s, James Gallagher was the chief architect in the development of the Individualized Education Program (I.E.P.) and created a national framework for early childhood special education. Throughout his career, and upon his death in 2014, James Gallagher was heralded as an early and influential leader in the field of gifted education, with contributions ranging from research to policy, and even his own curriculum unit on leadership.

What is it that particularly inspires you within the field of Gifted education?

Simply put, Dr. Gallagher loves good curriculum: 鈥淚 love the idea of putting that in front of kids. High-quality curriculum,鈥� she laments, 鈥渋s something we need more of. There is still a lot of work to do to create a national infrastructure for gifted education and curriculum 鈥� particularly for minority and low-income students. Our work is far from finished.鈥�

Beginning in 2015, Dr. Gallagher joined 优蜜视频鈥檚 public policy consortium. With the group, Dr. Gallagher supported the idea of 优蜜视频 working with nationally-recognized polling firms to create a poll to determine America鈥檚 opinions regarding gifted education in the United States. 优蜜视频 President Betsy Jones and Dr. Gallagher co-authored a report on the survey results titled America Agrees: Public Attitudes Towards Gifted Education. 鈥淭he new policy initiative has been a very rewarding experience. It鈥檚 been a great opportunity to work with Betsy on the America Agrees report,鈥� she said. Dr. Gallagher and 优蜜视频 staff shared these findings at the annual National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Advocacy and Leadership conference in Washington D.C. this month, and both she and Betsy presented an extended analysis of the findings at the NAGC annual conference in Minneapolis in November 2018. To read the full report, click .

Why did you decide to focus on PBL curriculum?

鈥淚鈥檝e always been a fan of Jerome Bruner and inquiry-based education. Howard Barrows鈥� PBL model was based directly on Bruner鈥檚 philosophy. The idea that it鈥檚 discovery-based, that it reveals to students the structure of the discipline, and that it focuses on leading students into significant content from an expert鈥檚 point of view has always excited me.鈥�

When I ask Dr. Gallagher where she gets ideas for new PBL curriculum, she doesn鈥檛 skip a beat: 鈥淔ortunately 鈥� or not 鈥� the world is filled with problems. There is no end to the possibilities to create curriculum 鈥� often ripped from current or historic headlines.鈥� All of her PBL curricula are fact-based and rooted in real-world application: 鈥淭he world is my resource and I love how students can tackle actual problems to solve.鈥� Anytime she needs inspiration, she considers what would make a child鈥檚 eyes open wider or what would 鈥渆xpand the vistas of their understanding of the world.鈥�

Do you have any new curriculum on the horizon?

A hearty laugh breaks out. 鈥淥h, I always have ideas percolating; however nothing official I can announce. I can tell you that I have 2-3 curricula that I鈥檓 dying to write. Hopefully, I鈥檒l find time to tackle them soon.鈥�

What do you love most about working with 优蜜视频 and Yunasa?

鈥淵unasa is such a special place 鈥� and truly one of the highlights of my year. I love having contact with the kids, and I love the work we do with the kids to ground them and give them a sense of self-efficacy and self-confidence. I experience them having such a sense of opening during the week. I love the colleagues I work with while I鈥檓 there.鈥�

Dr. Gallagher with (from left) Yunasa Fellows Dan Tichenor, Amy Gaessar, Patty Gatto-Walden, and Michael Piechowski

What are some fun facts you think people would be interested to know about you?

鈥淚 paid my way through graduate school as a professional pastry chef, first at a high-end Southern-style restaurant, then at a gourmet retail store.鈥� (Here, I can鈥檛 help but picture Dr. Gallagher in another hat: a chef鈥檚 hat.) When I ask her what her favorite pastry to make was, she didn鈥檛 hesitate: 鈥�Boccone dolche, which is Italian for 鈥榮weet mouthful.鈥� It鈥檚 comprised of three layers of meringue, in between which are a layer of chocolate, a layer of whipped cream, and a layer of strawberries.鈥� Gallagher also sings in her church choir, which feeds her need to keep music a part of her life.

Her son, Colin, spent seven summers as a Yunasa camper in Michigan, enabling her to witness the transformative power of Yunasa and its programming in her own child. In 2018, Colin served as a counselor at Yunasa West and Yunasa Michigan and will return in this role in 2019.

In Fall 2018, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy program introduced Shelagh Gallagher curriculum into its course offerings with Ferret it Out: A Problem about Endangered Species and Animal Ecosystems, a course that is also running this spring due to popular demand. This summer, Academy is offering three Shelagh Gallagher curriculum courses: Black Death, The Penguin Predicament: A Problem about Animal Habitat and Survival, and It鈥檚 Electrifying! An Exploration in Water-Based Alternative Energy.

For a full list of Summer Academy classes, please click .

All of Dr. Gallagher鈥檚 curricula is available to preview and purchase online through .

As a part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 effort to advance the cause of gifted students nationwide, 优蜜视频 commissioned the first ever national survey assessing the American public鈥檚 views on gifted education. The summary covers the results of a national survey, completed in 2016, that sought to understand the public鈥檚 perception of gifted students in the United States. This poll was designed in collaboration with leaders in the field of gifted education, including the National Association for Gifted Children, and conducted by Benenson Strategy Group and The Winston Group.

鈥淲e are seeing overwhelming support for funding and resources to ensure that our brightest students鈥� minds are nurtured and supported, which hasn鈥檛 always been the case in the past,鈥� said Elizabeth D. Jones, President & Co-Founder of 优蜜视频. 鈥淎s a community, we are committed to advocating for what the public wants: helping our highest potential students succeed.鈥�

The poll report contains helpful information about the state of gifted education in the U.S. and details recommendations for how to communicate about gifted students and advocate for this cause. The goal of this document is to provide a tool for the gifted community, families, teachers and professionals alike to use when advocating for these unique learners.

The poll report was written by Jones and Dr. Shelagh A. Gallagher. The authors will be hosting a webinar presenting the results and answering viewer questions on March 26th at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST. The webinar is free and open to the public.

Additional contributors include: Alan Arkotov of , Dr. Jim Delisle, Ren茅 Islas formerly of , Michael Petrilli & Chester Finn of , Ann Smith of , Dr. Amy Shelton of and Adam Umhoefer of .

The release of the full results was preceded by a poll summary, , released in August 2018. This document contains highlights from the results of the poll.

Read the full report.

For more information about 优蜜视频鈥檚 policy initiatives or any of 优蜜视频鈥檚 other programs and services, visit our Advocacy page.听

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

When Leonardo da Vinci is mentioned, either in an academic setting or in a casual conversation, one of several knee-jerk references usually comes to mind:

• His inventions
• , his painstakingly accurate depiction of the human form
• His influence on the Renaissance as a whole

What is more fascinating about da Vinci than his singular achievements, however, is that his portfolio of accomplishments 鈥� both achieved and never fully realized 鈥� spans more disciplines and fields than any other inventor, scientist, artist or influencer either before or since. (They don鈥檛 call him The Renaissance Man for nothing!)

Not one to rest on his laurels, da Vinci is oft quoted as having said, 鈥�Learning never exhausts the mind.鈥� Did you know he is widely considered to be the father of architecture, paleontology, ichnology and dabbled 鈥� with varying intensity 鈥� in invention, painting, sculpting, architecture, science, music, mathematics, engineering, literature, anatomy, geology, astronomy, botany, writing, history and cartography?

Whatever profession you most associate with da Vinci, here are some fun facts to get you excited about and our upcoming classes.

Simply put, da Vinci loved water and anything associated with it. Though they never came to fruition in his lifetime, da Vinci developed plans for a SCUBA-like underwater breathing device, a life preserver, a diving bell and floating snowshoes.

This fall, Academy is running an NAGC award-winning curriculum course on sustainability, developed by Fellow Shelagh Gallagher, called It鈥檚 Electrifying! Fueling the Future, which focuses on alternative forms of energy, including wave energy and tidal energy.

He also studied the erosion of rivers in Europe and figured out that the earth is older than previously believed, based on a scientific investigation of water and soil samples, maps and journals. Though discredited at the time, due to the cultural climate, da Vinci鈥檚 findings were eventually deemed accurate.

Is your child interested in learning about the universe鈥檚 origin, evolution and current structure? Check out 优蜜视频 Academy instructor Tristan Murphy鈥檚 new class From Dust to Dawn: Constructing the History of the Universe, where students will gain a comprehensive understanding of our universe鈥檚 complex development into what it is today.

da Vinci was a creative writer 鈥� not in the style or vocabulary he chose, but in the physical act of writing he executed. He wrote most of his work from right to left 鈥� the opposite of traditional written print. The result of this writing was a mirror script, which was difficult for most people to read. Historians have postulated that he did so intentionally, in order to keep his writing secret, though it may be simply because he was left-handed, making this unusual writing style was easier.

Check out Academy鈥檚 Saturday class Page One: Creative Writing for an opportunity to delve into language, style, and genre 鈥� and possibly the chance to develop your own mirror script!

Flight was another big area of focus for da Vinci, who is credited as being the first person to study the flight of birds scientifically. He spent considerable time delving into the field of ornithology and used what he observed and analyzed as inspiration to try and replicate wings and flying apparatuses for humans using biomimicry. One of da Vinci鈥檚 designs that he never got off the ground (no pun intended) was the parachute. It wasn鈥檛 until the year 2000 that a South African skydiver finally tested da Vinci鈥檚 design by developing a prototype based on his sketches.

Is your child interested in similar types of STEAM constructs? Be sure to have them join the Tuesday afternoon course STEAM Building: Creative Constructs, where students will design and test things such as marble runs, catapults, parachutes, spaghetti bridges, and much more. Or, have your child try Inventioneers, a class based on genius inventors like da Vinci, where students will play the dual role of inventor and engineer and come up with their own genius invention!

da Vinci believed that sight was mankind鈥檚 most important sense, which is why he focused so heavily on art, architecture, biological studies, sketching and the written word. He is quoted as saying, 鈥淧ainting is poetry that is seen rather than felt.鈥�

Does your child have a knack for design and visuals? Do they enjoy creating appealing graphics and imagery? Be sure to sign them up for Web Design II: Form and Function on Monday evenings, where students will gain the skills needed to transform their own personally-designed website from functional to fabulous.

Though da Vinci鈥檚 list of accomplishments and endeavors may seem overwhelming, there鈥檚 no denying that his is truly a canon of inspiration and motivation. For more information on Genius Day X: Da Vinci: Restless Renaissance Rebel, visit the . This exciting day of learning is open to students in grades 4-8 and will take place at the breathtaking Getty Center on September 30th.

To view Academy course descriptions and register for fall courses, visit the . Apply by August 27^th!

What is your favorite work from da Vinci? Tell us in the comments!

Source: https://www.leonardodavinci.net/

As a part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 , 优蜜视频 commissioned the first ever national survey assessing the American public鈥檚 views on gifted education. Linked below you will find a summary of the national survey, completed in 2016, that sought to understand the public鈥檚 perception of gifted students in the United States. This poll was designed in collaboration with leaders in the field of gifted education, including the National Association for Gifted Children, and conducted by Beneson Strategy Group and The Winston Group.

The summary contains helpful information about the state of gifted education in the U.S. and details recommendations for how to communicate about gifted students and advocate for this cause. Our hope is that this document would be a tool for the gifted community, families, teachers, and professionals alike to use when advocating for these unique learners.

Thank you to Alan Arkotov of , Dr. Jim Delisle, Dr. Shelagh A. Gallagher, Ren茅 Islas of , Michael Petrilli and Chester Finn of , Ann Smith of Gifted Support Center, Dr. Amy Shelton of and Adam Umhoefer of for their assistance and support.

How can you use this information to advocate for gifted learners in your state? Share your ideas below!

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

Brianna has worked at 优蜜视频 since 2011 and with gifted students since 2009. She graduated from Biola University with her BA in Humanities and English and is particularly interested in how literary art can inform issues in human psychology about how individuals conceive of themselves and make decisions.听

The word 鈥渘ormal鈥� is often casually batted across the field of developmental psychology, and I shudder at the implicit limitations of such a word. Sure, 鈥渘ormal鈥� is a practical point of reference for understanding how children grow, in what ways and at what ages. When used descriptively, it can be a useful tool for seeing general patterns of physical, cognitive, and emotional development. The harm seems to come when we choose, often without realizing, to see normative development through a prescriptive lens. To prescribe 鈥渘ormal鈥� as the measure of a healthy, happy child may confine us to a definition too narrow to allow the perspective that each child is a unique instantiation of life, and therefore will develop in his or her own unique way.

For those parenting a child at either end of the bell curve, the normalcy lens can cause more trouble than not. Any parent of a gifted or special needs child (or in some cases, the twice-exceptional child) can attest to the fact that, if normal is the rule, their child is indeed the exception. For these parents, it can be a challenge to let go of normative expectations and accept their child鈥檚 distinctive development.

These variations from the norm can be hard to define. Gifted has often been conflated with achievement and accolade, with success being the primary identifier of a truly gifted child. This seems a narrow perspective, considering the thousands of across America, to give one example. It also fails to account for the notion that gifted children don鈥檛 develop in a linear, synchronous way. Parents often speak of their gifted child embodying many ages at once, oscillating from an 鈥渙ld soul鈥� to an emotional 3-year-old from one minute to the next. Imagine, for instance, the gifted child who spends her weekends learning computer languages like Java and C++ but who falls to pieces if asked to perform a repetitive task like copying vocabulary words ten times. How can we best define this simultaneous abundance and lack, which to us can appear so out of the norm?

In 1991, a group of gifted education specialists (both parents and professionals) came together to ask the听question 鈥� 鈥淲hat is gifted?鈥� They gathered in Columbus, Ohio, (giving them the name 鈥淐olumbus Group鈥�) to search for听an answer to this deceptively simple听question. One member, Stephanie Tolan, recalls: 鈥溾�e agreed that in almost every way these children were out of sync with expectations, norms, and averages鈥� (Off the Charts, 14). Indeed, the gifted child will no doubt disappoint or confuse the parent who prescribes to normative expectations.

From their discussion, the Columbus Group conceived of the concept 鈥渁synchrony鈥� to describe the basic features of the gifted child. Their child-centered 鈥� not product or achievement centered 鈥� definition has been adopted by many gifted organizations (优蜜视频 included), schools, and educators as the most inclusive explanation of the gifted individual.

鈥淕iftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally鈥� (Columbus Group, 1991).

For young gifted people, the pressure for normalcy can easily sneak its way into their self-perception, either through internal or external influences, or both. Acceptance of their giftedness as an integral part of self is crucial during childhood and adolescence, as they are in the most critical stages of development. Asynchrony, not normalcy, should be the lens through which we understand the growing gifted individual, and should provide educators and parents alike a better framework for helping them to learn and grow into their best possible self.

If you are interested in learning more about asynchrony, I strongly recommend . Among the contributors are 优蜜视频 Senior Fellows, Dr. Michael Piechowski, Stephanie Tolan, and Dr. Patricia Gatto-Walden, as well as Yunasa Fellow, Dr. Shelagh Gallagher. We are honored to have an ongoing relationship with some of the most renowned experts in the field today. To learn more about it or order it online, please visit .

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