Mark Erlandson, the parent of a gifted student who presently attends a boarding school out East, is a former lawyer and public high school English teacher from Wisconsin starting a new business as a legal writing consultant.

鈥淵ou can be anything you want to be鈥� is a cliche we all will probably tell, or have already told, our children at some time in their lives. For the gifted child, this statement may be closer to the truth. But having too many skills and abilities and multiple interests can be overwhelming, and what exactly does 鈥渁nything鈥� mean? How do we help the gifted student to understand what the 鈥渁nything鈥� is and to find the right career match?

To begin, two caveats: technological innovation and economic globalization have brought about swift change to the practice and outlook of many occupations and will continue to do so. Therefore, the goal of much early career planning should be to explore and understand the nature and variety of work available, not to choose a specific career. At most, paint in broad strokes and identify career areas that a child may want to enter.

Second, children鈥檚 interests often change as they mature. What once lit that flame of enthusiasm in 8th grade may have diminished by junior year of high school. That is natural. Expect your child鈥檚 passions to ebb and flow as he or she ages, becoming exposed to and participating in life鈥檚 experiences and learning more about themselves.

At the elementary school age, children need to just learn about the world of work in general. Begin by explaining your own job, both the advantages and disadvantages. It is called work and not play for a reason. Then have other relatives and friends explain their jobs and what they like or dislike about them. Ask your child to picture himself or herself in that job and what he or she would like or dislike about it. Try to stay away from the salary as a motivating factor. (The need for financial literacy is a topic for another day.) When you are out in public, point out the people working. Speculate with your child about that occupation鈥檚 advantages and disadvantages and how he or she would enjoy it. In all these situations, ask how the job contributes to society and what needs of people it meets.

Another way to begin discussion about possible employment is to connect current events with the world of work. Discuss, for instance, what occupations might have been affected by the drought in California or the political instability of the Middle East and how.

As children enter middle school and high school, research becomes important. An excellent resource is the . Another place for extensive information on careers is . Both sites break the work world into fields like Architecture and Engineering, Computer and Information Technology, and Business and Financial. They then provide information on the tasks involved in the career, the working conditions, the size of the occupation, the expected rate of growth and future prospects, the training involved or expected, the earnings, and the career ladder among other things. Other useful websites include , , and .

(A career in the military should not be ignored, though this is another topic best left for another day. Perhaps surprisingly, Forbes lists the three service academies among the top 30 on its 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Top Colleges List.鈥�)

Don鈥檛 forget to use your library鈥檚 resources. Some helpful sources include the Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance (R331.7 ENC); The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (R371.42); and Career Discovery Encyclopedia (R331.7 CAR). There are also many books on specific careers or career fields. For instance, there are books about nursing and books on careers in health care.

Of course, job shadowing provides some of the most realistic evidence of what a job is really like. This is as close as you can come to actually practicing the occupation. It can also dispel common misconceptions formed through such sources as television. For example, many children are surprised that the career of a forensic scientist is nothing like that seen on the CSI programs. Many companies now have formal job shadowing programs. Be sure to check their websites. But don鈥檛 be afraid to just call a business informally, as most companies will be happy to allow someone to job shadow. Contacting the human resource department is often a great place to start as is using relatives and acquaintances to network. Prepare for the experience by researching the occupation as outlined above and preparing a list of questions to ask. Don鈥檛 forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.

As the ancient Delphic maxim states, 鈥淜now thyself.鈥� Once a child matures and can accurately identify and understand his or her personality, interests, skills and values, self-assessment becomes a critical part of the career exploration process.

Personality tests help students to understand themselves. One of the most common, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), divides people into four dichotomies: Extroversion/Introversion, Sensing/Intuition, Thinking/Feeling, and Judging/Perceiving. These results are then used to place people into 16 personality types, e.g., INTP or ESFJ. Personality types can be matched with occupations that fit them. While the actual MBTI requires a certified professional to both administer and interpret (See for more information), a similar Jungian personality test may be taken for free at .

Interest inventories like the Strong Interest Inventory can provide additional information about self. Social scientists have found that interests in activities related to the world of work can be divided into six categories: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Combinations of these interests can be matched with various careers. For example, scientists tend to have strong interests in the areas of Realistic and Investigative while architects tend to be interested in the areas Artistic, Investigative and Realistic.

Of course, it is not enough to just be interested in a career; you must also have the necessary skills and abilities. The U.S. Department of Labor to identify a child鈥檚 skills that it then matches with careers that require that skill set. You can also start by identifying an occupation and then take a shorter assessment focusing only on the skills required by that occupation.

One final area, which is often ignored in the career exploration process, is work values. Satisfaction with one鈥檚 job is not just that it suits one鈥檚 personality and that he or she is good at it, but that it is similar to one鈥檚 values. For example, how important is it that the job provides recognition in the form of promotions or praise or that the job contributes to the betterment of society. Ultimately, this area might be the most crucial one leading to a long and satisfying career.

Picking the wrong career can lead to lifelong dissatisfaction, even burn-out, and waste the potential of the gifted child. To conclude with another cliche, 鈥渒nowledge is power,鈥� the power to avoid just such a situation.

Do you know a gifted high school student interested in learning more about a potential career field through hands-on experience? Check out !

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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.

鈥淜now Thyself鈥� was at the core of all of 优蜜视频鈥檚 programs this year, and particularly for Yunasa, as this theme tied into each activity throughout the week. Yunasa is the Lakota word for 鈥渂alance鈥�, and finding balance within as a means of gaining self-knowledge is the focus of camp. From July 21-28 at Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan, campers explored themselves more deeply and learned integration strategies for the five domains of self: social, emotional, physical, spiritual, and intellectual. For many returning campers, Yunasa is a place where they rejoin their family each year, building their existing connections and extending themselves to make new ones. What was most unique about camp this year was the number of new campers who were accepted into the Yunasa family with open arms.

Campers greeted each morning with 鈥淐all in the Directions,鈥� a Native American tradition used to give gratitude for the gifts each of the cardinal directions brings each day. Other daily activities for all campers included psychosynthesis 鈥� or guided visualizations 鈥� and yoga, which taught campers to calm and focus their minds as a means of reaching deeper levels of awareness and self-understanding. During psychosynthesis, campers connected their social, emotional, and spiritual components and also had a chance to connect with their groups on a deeper level. During yoga, campers used their minds to focus on their physical and their spiritual self as well as to achieve balance.

Throughout the week, campers learned new things through workshops offered by our Fellows. Archetypes through Mask Making and Sacred Connections were new workshops this year. Campers developed a sense for the masks 鈥� or different identities 鈥� they wear in life. They tapped into their connections with nature and one another through Sacred Connections. Campers also came together to create a design and building plan for a Rube Goldberg project workshop. Other workshops included Line Dancing, Farther Reaches of the Human Mind, and the Eight Great Gripes of Gifted Children.

Campers also enjoyed the open space, beautiful lake, and Michigan greenery through daily camper options, which include challenging physical activities like Archery and Paddle Boarding as well as relaxing activities like spending time in Hammockville and Canoeing. Camp Copneconic believes in taking a 鈥淐hallenge by Choice鈥� approach, whereby our campers challenge themselves and set personal physical goals in activities like High Ropes, Climbing Tower, or Creek Freak (a zipline over a creek). Our counselors were also an integral part of helping Yunasa campers reach new heights and step out of their comfort zones through daily options.

What makes Yunasa unique is not just the variety and extent of challenging but constructive activities throughout the week, but also the dedicated people who participate in them. Camp Copneconic was truly a partner in helping us achieve our mission. Our counselors and staff were the supportive network our campers could rely upon. The esteemed faculty we call our Fellows shared their wisdom and guidance. But above all, the campers are what make this a once in a lifetime experience each year. Yunasa campers are the most creative, intelligent, quirky, wonderful, accepting, and caring group of kids anyone could ever know. As much as they learned what we had to teach them, they really taught and encouraged us.

Click on the button below for more photos from camp!

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

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

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

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

Knowing thyself 鈥� personality types

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

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

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

Exploring Silicon Valley

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

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

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

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

Stress response 鈥� and why we should limit it

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

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

Let鈥檚 continue the discussions鈥�

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

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

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

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