PASADENA, CA – 08/13/2024 – The Institute for Educational Advancement (������Ƶ), a national nonprofit dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of the nation’s gifted and advanced learners, has concluded its search for a dedicated leader to continue the organization’s mission to support gifted learners. Deborah Monroe, a longtime school leader and administrator, teacher and supporter of K-12 students within independent schools, will formally join ������Ƶ as President in late August. Her ability to scale and lead large educational organizations will enable ������Ƶ to reach and serve gifted students across the nation. Elizabeth Jones, co-founder and current ������Ƶ president, will transition to a senior advisor role and support the nonprofit’s Board of Directors as she begins her retirement. 

In her previous roles, Monroe has overseen schools in Puerto Rico and the Los Angeles area. Most recently at The TASIS School in Dorado, Puerto Rico she led the not-for-profit college preparatory PK-12 school and its 800+ students. Her ties to the Los Angeles community include her time leading and teaching at independent schools including Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, CA, The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, CA and Viewpoint School in Calabasas, CA. Monroe is a three-time recipient of Fulbright Teaching and Administrative Fellowships to Spain, Mexico, and Argentina, and completed the Klingenstein Head of School Fellowship with Teachers College at Columbia University in New York City. 

“I am eager to bring my global perspective, lifelong love of learning and deep understanding of educational challenges to continue offering the perfect educational balance for gifted children at the Institute for Educational Advancement,” said Deborah Monroe. “I look forward to advocating for gifted youth and will seek to provide new opportunities and resources for the families we serve, both today and tomorrow.”

Since 1998, ������Ƶ has remained one of the only national nonprofit organizations dedicated to gifted children with a focus on the whole gifted child. As the organization enters its 27th year, Monroe will work closely with the Board of Directors to continue to serve the gifted community holistically, enhance strategic priorities, lead fundraising efforts and manage resources to ensure ������Ƶ’s continued success in fulfilling its mission.

“We are excited to welcome Deborah as our new President. She will join the ������Ƶ team as we begin a new season of programming and support for our students,” said Elizabeth Jones, president and co-founder, Institute for Educational Advancement. “I know her deep understanding of our mission, her leadership and her articulate vision make her the ideal person to expand our current capacity and grow our organization to serve even more advanced learners nationwide.”

About the Institute for Educational Advancement

The Institute for Educational Advancement (������Ƶ) is dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of our nation’s gifted and high-potential youth. Central to the mission of ������Ƶ is a commitment to the development of the whole child through engaging educational experiences that promote optimal challenge, mentorship, exploration of ideas, and recognition of personal potential. ������Ƶ seeks to connect gifted individuals through dynamic and engaging year-round programming. Additionally, ������Ƶ supports a diverse community that creates a sense of belonging and affirmation. For more information, visit www.educationaladvancement.org. 

Contact

Kat Kirsch
Institute for Educational Advancement
(626) 403-8900 or kkirsch@educationaladvancement.org

: Michelle Yegros

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 ������Ƶ 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

The Institute for Educational Advancement was honored to be awarded a grant from the Annenberg Foundation to participate in the 2019 cohort of Alchemy Tech, a pilot program developed in partnership with the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN,) that is focused exclusively on technology capacity building for nonprofits in Los Angeles County. The kickoff to the program began with attending the Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC) hosted by NTEN.

LOCATION AND VENUE

Portland, Oregon, Oregon Convention Center, March 13-15, 2019

Having never been to Portland, I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the downtown area is. The transit system makes getting around very easy, and almost everything I needed was within walking distance. There is no shortage of places to eat; from fine-dining to quick on-the-go meals, downtown Portland has something for everyone. (BlueStar donuts, anyone?)

CONTENT

Offerings

The conference ran for three days, and each day there were at least three sessions. There were over 130 topics to choose from, grouped by categories: IT, Fundraising, Leadership, Marketing/Communications, and Program, in addition to the keynotes and vendor presentations. In the main hall, there were over 100 vendors and suppliers ready to answer questions about various platforms and services. I definitely experienced information overload, but every session I attended gave me new insights and ideas into how to apply technology to our Pasadena-based organization.

Collaborative Notes

The conference is centered around technology, so it would stand to reason that technology would play a huge part in the delivery of information. An app allowed you to see the complete schedule of events, and by marking your favorites, create a mini vetted itinerary for yourself. In addition, either through the app or through a web browser, attendees were able to view notes provided for each session and contribute note-taking to the collaborative platform. After the conference concluded, speakers’ slide decks were also made available through the portal.

Learning Outcomes

Unfortunately, as many offerings as there were, one could only choose one topic per time slot to participate in. Perhaps future technology will allow for time-travel, cloning, or parallel-universe existence, but I did not have access to those this year.

Instead, I tried to attend sessions in various categories, sort of a “survey / 101” approach. As ������Ƶ is migrating to a new database this year, I learned key concepts around migrating data and keeping it clean, best-practices for implementing those changes, and specific questions to ask the team about goals and focus areas. I learned about various integrative delivery methods for deep content, such as the report on the Poll Results on Gifted Education going live this month. I attended sessions on succession-planning; mapping digital ecosystems; how to have effective project management from a staff resources, as well as,

a platform and reporting structure viewpoint; how to reach target audiences through crowdfunding and peer to peer networking; and even tools and tricks for creating an efficient and user-friendly financial dashboard that key stakeholders (board members, staff, foundations) can utilize with minimal time requirements.

ACTIVITIES

In addition to the actual conference, attendees arranged for various get-togethers and tours around the city each day. The conference hosted a party at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry Thursday night, and key sponsors of the event (Microsoft and EveryAction) hosted mixers at the Convention Center.

PEOPLE

Finally, the conference provided excellent networking opportunities with fellow cohort members of the Annenberg Alchemy Tech program, NTEN employees, speakers and vendors, and fellow attendees who found each other through the “Birds of a Feather” lunch tables coordinated by the event.

The experience was eye-opening and incredibly valuable, and our team is already implementing strategies and projects inspired by the event. Look for announcements from ������Ƶ in the coming months regarding new platforms and technology, as we grow into the next phase of our development!

The 2020 NTC will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD, March 24 -26.

RESOURCES AND REFERENCES

https://annenberg.org/what-we-do/alchemy/alchemy-tech/ https://www.nten.org/ntc/program/agenda/?page=day-2 https://www.oregoncc.org/ https://omsi.edu/

As a program coordinator at ������Ƶ, there are many parallels between running a successful program and leading an affective Parent Teacher Association (PTA) organization. Parents are stewards of , just like a program coordinator to his/her perspective program. I want to share a few tips and lessons learned from other established PTA groups. Hopefully this can be helpful to your advocacy journey.

1.Relationships with teachers and schools

Positive relationships with teachers and schools are keys to advancing needs of gifted students. A strong partnership is built when parents and teachers are on the same team fighting for the same cause. PTA groups who work alongside teachers often clearly communicate expectations and outcomes of their planned program, they solicit teachers’ input during any event/program planning process, get teacher participation during implementation, and invite teachers’ feedback for future improvement.

2. Continuity

To make a sustained impact in a school district and the community, continuity in the PTA’s leadership is very important. The core group that’s leading the PTA needs to have a working knowledge of the group’s past success and failures, know the ever-changing needs of students and classrooms and always plan ahead to mitigate any possible conflict that may arise. To do so requires awareness for the political landscape of the District and relationships with the administrators and teachers, as well as a deep familiarity with the logistical needs of any PTA-led programs and events.

3. Parent leadership within the group

It goes without saying that a PTA group needs to be led by parents. There are PTA groups that have parents as members, but the group is actually led by a classroom teacher or a school administrator. If the leaders are not parents, how can they fundamentally understand the needs of parents and advocate for them? There are other groups with parent leaders who also happen to be a teacher or administrator, and that is a great asset. PTA leaders should always authentically represent the makeup of their group.

4. Open forum time within meetings

Everyone’s voice counts. During PTA meetings, any members can share the successes and challenges of their parenting journey. That way, every member feels that they are a part of movement that is making a positive impact on everyone in the group. The more engaged parents are, the stronger the group is.

5. Lunch hour monthly meetings in the District office building

In Blue Valley, Kansas the Parent Advocates for Gifted Education (PAGE) group holds monthly lunch meetings in the District office building. Over the years, the meetings have become very popular and well-attended by District staff because they are during lunch hours and staff don’t have to travel far to attend these meetings. Some of the meetings are advocacy-based, while others are training based. These meetings have helped district staff to better understand the needs of their students and are more prepared to work with the gifted population.

6. Money raised through summer camps donated back to each gifted classroom in the District

Another lesson learned from Blue Valley PAGE is giving back to the gifted classroom. Blue Valley PAGE runs a summer robotics camp, each year, as their student participation number has grown, so goes the proceeds of the program. The PAGE group then equally divides the proceeds and awards every gifted classroom and their teacher a grant to run any special projects in the classroom. Teachers love the extra help to support their students, PAGE runs a successful summer camp, and the students now have more opportunities to learn. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

Successful parent advocacy requires friendship, broad coalition, and steadfast persistence. Also, don’t forget to have fun! Working with people who believe in the same mission often produces the best results!

Like this post?  to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

“When I grow up, I want to be an astronaut, a doctor, a movie star, a teacher, a fireman and president!”

Many gifted students are faced with a dilemma – “I love everything, so which do I choose?” In the 1920’s, Lewis Terman first postulated that many gifted students have difficulty choosing from their many interests and narrowing their focus to a few activities. (6)

What is multipotentiality?

Multipotentiality affects many highly able individuals:

Gifted learners are frequently offered the advice ‘You can be anything you want.’ This may seem desirable for the learner, but for many, this plethora of opportunities amounts to a major crisis. Berger (1989) raises this issue, coining the term multi-potentiality, where the highly capable student participates in many different activities to satisfy their interest. (1, 9)

In their paper “Multipotential Abilities and Vocational Interests in Gifted Adolescents: Fact or Fiction?,” Milgram and Hong conclude that identifying young people with multipotentiality – those who are “interested in many different vocational areas and having the requisite high abilities to succeed in many of them” – may be difficult and that, perhaps, gifted youngsters have “simply reached the ceiling, the highest level measured, in all their subjects” (7). They recommend observing how each individual is spending his or her time during “freely chosen leisure activities.” Milgram and Hong regard the term “multi-potential” as the inability to choose and/or the equal desire and ability to participate in many subjects or areas of interest. Therefore, if an individual indicates a clear preference, or “differentiated interests,” he or she is not demonstrating multipotentiality. If a preference is apparent, the issue of multipotentiality is no longer relevant, according to Milgram and Hong, though not all agree with this point.

What does MP look like?

In A Handbook for Counseling the Gifted and Talented, Barbara Kerr lists characteristics of multipotential individuals. Here are a few (1999, p. 87):

• Difficulty with decision-making
• Difficulty with follow-through
• Excellent performance in multiple subjects or academic areas
• Multiple hobbies and activities
• Schedules packed with a wide variety of social, recreational, and academic activities as determined by the student (not mandated by the school or encouraged by the parents)
• Little free time
• Chosen for leadership roles in a variety of groups and organizations
• “Occasional signs of stress and exhaustion: absences, frequent or chronic illnesses, periods of depression and anxiety, particularly during busiest times”
• “Delay or vacillation about college planning and decision making” in high school

Why does it matter?

MP students often feel confused, lost, and uncertain about direction:

A multipotential student may take a vocational test only to learn that he or she is ‘similar’ in interests and abilities to biologists, librarians, musicians, reporters, English teachers, and ministers. Attaining straight A’s and uniformly high achievement test scores means that the student cannot make decisions based on what he or she ‘does best.’ After graduation from high school, the multipotential student may vacillate between career choices, delaying career decisions until financial need and the end of a nonfocused education drive the student to take a job by default… Parents, teachers, and counselors continue to insist, ‘But you could be anything you want to be!’ not understanding that this is precisely the problem. (1)

Gifted education specialist Tamara Fisher quotes a graduating senior: “‘I find it difficult to choose between careers because I fear how large the choice is. Having many options available is pleasant, but to determine what I will do for many years to come is scary.’” (3)

Pursuing a life of meaning is important to the gifted mind, and selecting a career that provides meaning is difficult for the person whose interests and gifts are extensive and varied. Author Emilie Wapnick notes,

My resume reads like it belongs to ten different people. Music, film, web design, law, business, personal development, writing, dance, sexuality, education– all of these are or have been interests of mine. They come and go (and sometimes come again). Would I have to settle on a ‘practical job’ and pursue my various passions on the side or choose among my interests and just commit to one thing? Both options made my heart ache… I knew I could be doing more – that I had more to offer the world. (4)

How can I help my child master MP?

In “,” Nicholas Colangelo suggested that we help individuals in four ways (2):

1. Remind students that they do not have to limit themselves to one career.
2. Use leisure activities as a way to continually develop areas of abilities and interest, apart from one’s career.
3. Use career counseling as a value-based activity, exploring broad categories of life satisfaction.
4. Emphasize peer discussions and group work with other multipotential youth so that one can see that he/she is not alone with concerns.

Because gifted individuals often have the ability to excel in many different areas, focusing on values and then discovering activities and career paths that support those values can often provide a more fulfilling and clearer path towards happiness.

In an interview with Charlie Rose in November 2013, James Franco discussed his choice to create art / work that allowed him to combine several of his interests into one project. He stated that he wasn’t trying to do everything; he just wanted to be able to utilize each of the areas he enjoyed at one time.

There is a current trend in hiring towards individuals with multi-faceted abilities. In his book, To Sell Is Human, Daniel Pink says:

Large operations discovered that segmenting job functions didn’t work very well during volatile business conditions—and because of that, they began demanding elastic skills that stretched across boundaries.…When organizations were highly segmented, skills tended to be fixed. If you were an accountant, you did accounting. The same was true when business conditions were stable and predictable. However, in the last decade, the circumstances that gave rise to fixed skills have disappeared. (10)

This is great news for the multipotential individual because it means that various interests can have value in career and artistic endeavors and may be better appreciated than they had previously been.

Do you feel you or your child exhibits multipotentiality? What challenges or opportunities have you experienced because of this? We’d love to hear your story!

Like this post? to receive more information and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

Related post:

References

1. Berger, S.L. (1989) College Planning for Gifted Students. [Online.] Council for Exceptional Children.

2. Colangelo, Nicholas. “.” The University of Iowa, Fall 2002 Newsletter.

3. Fisher, Tamara. “.” Unwrapping the Gifted. Online.

4. “.” Developing Multiple Talents. 7 May 2012. Online. < http://developingmultipletalents.com>

5. Kerr, Barbara. A Handbook for Counseling the Gifted and Talented. 1999.

6. McKay, Robyn. “Career Counseling.” Encyclopedia of Giftedness, Creativity, and Talent. Edited by Barbara Kerr.

7. Milgram, Roberta M. & Hong, Eunsook. “Multipotential Abilities and Vocational Interests in Gifted Adolescents: Fact or Fiction?” International Journal of Psychology 34.2 (1999): 81-93.

8. “” Talent Development Resources. 7 May 2012. Online. <http://talentdevelop.com>

9. Page, Jeremy S. “.” Student Pulse 2.11 (2010): 1/1.

10. Pink, Daniel. To Sell is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others. 2012.