Spring Academy classes ran for eight weeks from April 1 to May 25. Classes included two new offerings: Explorations in Literature and Chemistry Lab. Some Academy classics were also held: Organic Chemistry, Primary Advanced Math, Neuro-Energy I and II, Molecular Biology, and Astronomy. Our student attendance was the fullest it鈥檚 been and included ten new students from local public and private schools.

Chemistry Lab, taught by Dr. Rosemary Rohde and Ronnie Bryan, was a hit with its hands-on curriculum. Dr. Rose took concepts from Chemistry I and II and expanded on them by conducting correlating experiments for each of the eight weeks. Some lab topics were rates of reaction, electrochemistry and chemical equilibrium. Proper safety precautions were taught with the use of chemicals鈥攊nformation most students don鈥檛 usually cover until they take a high school chemistry course.

Susana de la Pe帽a, adjunct professor at UCLA, taught a humanities class called 鈥淓xplorations in Literature and Meaning Making.鈥� The students read three novels and a variety of short stories and wrote poems for their culminating activity. Literary analysis was emphasized as the class dug deep into gothic themes. The class came up with challenging questions and conjectures about some of the more obscure aspects of life but also had fun putting themselves in the shoes of the main characters.

Astronomy students took a field trip to the Griffith Observatory with Tony Travoullion, astronomer at work on the thirty-meter telescope through California Institute of Technology. Tony walked through each exhibit with his class and related museum information to concepts studied in Academy class. The field trip was also an opportunity for astronomy students to demonstrate mastery by explaining the exhibits to their fellow classmates and family members in attendance.

Just as spring term was brought to a close, Genius Day, a day of deep exploration into the life of genius Charles Darwin, commenced. The inaugural Genius Day was held at the Huntington Library last Saturday. Chief curator, Dr. Daniel Lewis, led students through a dynamic portrayal of Charles Darwin and a few of his contemporaries. The objective of the day was to gather evidence, showcase mastery and, in the end, define genius. Students fully immersed themselves in the scope of Darwin鈥檚 many contributions while having access to Dr. Lewis, an expert on the subject. Uninhibited by barriers of time or content, it was a joy to watch Academy kids thrive during an unforgettable day of deep learning.

Summer Academy sessions begin June 17! Sign up today!

Podcasts are an excellent source of entertainment and challenge; they keep us alert on the commute home, amused while waiting at the doctor鈥檚 office and entertained before falling asleep. At 优蜜视频, we are discovering that podcasts can also be an excellent alternative source of information for our brightest minds. Plus, we know that your kids, who constantly crave information, are going to be looking for cool things to learn about over the holiday break from school. As our gift to you this holiday season, we present our five favorite podcasts for the gifted child.

1. 60-Second Science
听 听 听 听 听听

In this podcast, Scientific American provides daily, one-minute commentary on some of the most interesting developments in the field of science.

We recommend:

Full length podcasts of this type are also available at .

2. Astronomy Cast
听 听 听 听 听听

A facts-based journey through the cosmos while telling the story of astronomy earns this podcast high ratings. Although they haven鈥檛 produced a new recording in over a year, Frasier Cane, publisher at Universe Today, and Pamela Gay, professor at Southern Illinois University, have provided enough mental nourishment to last a long, long time.

We recommend:
: A podcast relaying the little-known facts surrounding Newton鈥檚 life and extracurricular accomplishments. We learn that Newton had a difficult childhood as a twice-exceptional student. And, in his adult years, he was so committed to an experiment that he jammed a knitting needle into his eye to explain how optics worked!

3. MinutePhysics
听 听 听 听 听听

This podcast is accurately described as 鈥渃ool physics and other sweet science鈥攁ll in a minute!鈥� Not to mention, you鈥檒l be in for a good laugh.

We recommend:

4. Merriam-Webster鈥檚 Word of the Day
听 听 听 听 听听

Each day, a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word鈥攅xplaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin. These definitions and roots may surprise you!

We recommend:
鈥淗ypermnesia鈥�: A word that certainly describes some of the gifted students we serve!

5. The Stuff of Genius
听 听 听 听 听听

Every invention starts out as an idea, and it only takes a bit of genius to make it a reality. 鈥淭he Stuff of Genius鈥� is a podcast from howstuffworks.com. They describe the inception and process of a particular invention each podcast.

We recommend:

Although we鈥檝e yet to relish every episode on our favorite podcast list, these are some of the episodes that stood out most to us. Come wander into the rabbit hole of podcast information with us!

Does your child have a favorite podcast? How have podcasts been a source of interest and learning for your family? Please share in the comment section below!

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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.

Radiating Possibility is an inspirational video highlighting the insight of Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic. In partnership with his wife, Rosamund Zander –听an executive coach and family systems therapist –听he created five key steps to radiating possibility. The short film gives viewers the opportunity to witness Ben in action as he conducts his orchestra and individually tutor musicians in a very unique way. He draws his students out of the competitive mindset of performance and, instead, pushes them to experience life in their talent and a real connection to their skill. His dynamic instruction, combined with Roz鈥檚 therapeutic intuition, opens up a vibrant world of possibility that lies beyond fears, habits and assumptions. Viewers discover that every human being brought into the world of radiating possibility will be encouraged to keep their song going.

For the gifted child, Radiating Possibilty is the perfect conduit for self-discovery in a world often times wrought with competition and pressure. At , we presented Radiating Possibility on the first night of camp and used it as a touchstone each day for accelerating the pace of interaction among peers. The goal was to give campers the courage to open their hearts and enter the dance, to drop the assumption that people aren鈥檛 interested in what they have to say.

The Zanders offer the following five steps to radiating possibility, each of which can be applied to help gifted children embrace themselves and their potential:

1. Sit in the front row of your life. Participate!
   After a rousing clip of Ben conducting his orchestra with so much gusto that the musicians around him grin from ear to ear, he exclaims, 鈥淭hrow yourself into life like a pebble in a pond and notice the ripples!鈥� Gifted children may feel pressure from themselves or their peers to minimize their focus in a particular field because it is 鈥渢oo much鈥� or 鈥渢oo intense.鈥� They often receive verbal and nonverbal cues from the community around them suggesting they hold back or 鈥渞ein in鈥� their passion, enthusiasm or contributions in order to fit in with the group. But when gifted students are inspired to participate, with whatever skill sets they bring to the table, they are given an outlet and a means of giving back to their community, their peers and their families.
2. When you make a mistake, say: 鈥淗ow fascinating!鈥�
   Many gifted children struggle with perfectionism. Gifted children听are well above average听in certain areas, but they are still bound to make mistakes as part of being human. When gifted children practice looking in the face of failure;听raising their hands, their voices and their eyebrows and shout, 鈥淗ow fascinating!鈥�, they learn not to waste time dwelling on mistakes and to use mistakes as learning opportunities.
3. Quiet the 鈥渧oice in your head.鈥�
   When Ben is instructing a student, he says he is 鈥渄ealing with the student and the person standing next to the student鈥� who whispers statements of doubt and fear in the student鈥檚 ear. We can鈥檛 necessarily get rid of the voice in the head, but we can choose how we respond to it. Ben suggests we say, 鈥淭hank you for sharing, but I鈥檓 busy,鈥� to that negative voice. When gifted children focus themselves on being a contribution, they are able to achieve great things. Giving credit to the voice in the head only conceals their special talents. The gifted community can benefit greatly from self-talk as a means to overcoming these negative voices so they are free to perform, showcase and contribute in a way that holds nothing back!
4. Live in radiating possibility. Become part of the song!
   The realm of possibility is all about dreams. In the dream world there are no barriers. The gifted mind is naturally full of possibilities and creative dreams. Allowing oneself to radiate in those possibilities takes practice. Practice begins with acting as if no barriers exist.
5. Invent a new game: 鈥淚 am a contribution.鈥�
   Ask yourself, 鈥淗ow will I contribute today?鈥� In the classroom, in group settings, in peer relationships, gifted children should see what they have to offer as a contribution, not just evidence of individual talent. Whether it鈥檚 playing an instrument, competing for a title or even earning grades, each act of will viewed as a contribution builds on the feeling of being fully alive. When gifted children think of themselves as contributing to something bigger than them, rather than measured as an individual success or failure, they strengthen their emotional and social muscles and discover a renewed sense of energy.

Gifted people radiating possibility become powerful forces in our society for good. Let us be the parents, teachers, family and organizations that help silence the voice in the head and become part of the song!

Have you or your kids tried any of these steps? How did they work out? Please share with us in the comment section below!

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优蜜视频’s pioneering and summer camps unite highly able youngsters and 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.

2012 saw another memorable year of Yunasa in Flint, Michigan. Campers arrived on Sunday, July 22, at Camp Copneconic with great anticipation for the week to come and left mid-morning on July 29 elated from a week of flourishing at camp. Yunasa is more than your average summer camp鈥攊t鈥檚 a week-long exploration of one鈥檚 intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical self. The week was a success on all levels, as campers took away valuable life lessons, deeper bonds with peers, and unforgettable memories.

A high ropes course, offered as one of the many camper options, tested campers’ physical and risk taking abilities.

Psychosynthesis sessions were led by our Fellows, , each morning. Campers practiced guided visualization and relaxation techniques. Many campers said that Psychosynthesis was their favorite part of the day.

The Emerging Leaders (ELs) hosted a camp-wide talent show, including a comedy routine, musical performances, and a choreographed dance.

One camp session was an ongoing Rube Goldberg project, where campers used various materials to construct a complex machine that, in the end, would perform a simple task. After much deliberation, campers opted to make a device that would put a hat on someone鈥檚 head.

The Counselors in Training (CITs) put on the annual Yunasa Olympics. Physically and mentally challenging, the events included in the Olympics vary from year to year. A game of Quidditch was the highlight this year!

Bubble making stations were set up outside the conference center and available throughout the entire week. Campers enjoyed the option during down-time in the midst of an eventful camp schedule.

During the week, campers become a part of the Yunasa family. Many campers describe Yunasa as a time of true friendship and togetherness.

Throughout the week, campers were encouraged by staff and their peers. Many campers felt 鈥渁t home鈥� and inspired to be their authentic selves. There were multiple unique opportunities for personal growth. With physical activities such as horseback riding, water sports, zip lining, and ropes courses, campers were challenged to develop confidence in their athletic abilities. With the support of the Fellows and 优蜜视频 staff, they also grew emotionally with one another and in self-awareness. Campers called on their spiritual abilities to connect with the world around them through activities such as Spirit Journey and Call in the Directions. Intellectually, campers enjoyed sharing with one another in an environment of acceptance and mutual understanding. Our hope is for these campers to return home with cherished Yunasa memories to share and hold onto until we meet again next year.

Thank you to Nicholas Farrell for taking these photos at camp!

For more photos from Yunasa, click on the button below. Also, be sure to check out the article about Yunasa in !

What was your child鈥檚 favorite part of Yunasa this year? Please share with us in the comment section below.

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