How we use technology is more important than ever these days 鈥� our education, advocacy, work and social lives are primarily limited to online settings. In light of youth鈥檚 increased reliance on technology as well as current racial and social justice movements, 优蜜视频 offered a complimentary Spyglass online workshop series this month called Digital Civics: Changemakers of Tomorrow.

Bethany Ellerbrook, whose graduate research explored tween and teen media engagement, led students through four workshops. In 鈥淔act or Fiction,鈥� students learned how to identify misinformation and craft persuasive pitches in support of a cause they care about. The student-selected topics included global climate change, the Black Lives Matter movement, unequal access to food and clean water, education disparities and marine pollution. It was inspiring to hear directly from our stellar students about the changes they want to make for the betterment of the future!

In 鈥淩aising Awareness鈥� and 鈥淭elling the Story,鈥� students explored the fundamentals of visual design and video production, then created powerful Instagram posts to advocate for their causes. Finally, in 鈥淐ontent and Conversations,鈥� they discussed online echo chambers and the differences between debate and dialogue, plus shared their final designs with one another.

In the last meetings of each of the two class sections, students shared their final thoughts and takeaways: they were proud of themselves for what they were able to create in under two weeks and excited to continue acting in support of their causes. Several students were also inspired to share their creations on their own social media! See below for some of their final creations, and see the rest on the .

Although we are looking forward to learning together in person again, it has been incredible to meet students from all over the country. This summer, the Spyglass program has served students from almost 20 states. In the Digital Civics series alone, brought together students from California, Washington, DC, Florida, Arkansas and more. We can鈥檛 wait to see how these students continue to make a difference and advocate for their causes!

The final Digital Civics workshop ended with a quote from the late civil rights activist and US Representative John Lewis: 鈥淲hen you see something that is not right, you must say something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part鈥︹��

We鈥檇 love to hear from our community: what causes are you passionate about? What online resources help you and others advocate for positive change?

Speaker: Nicole Endacott, 优蜜视频 Program Coordinator听
Required Materials: Measuring tape and either sidewalk chalk or post-it notes.

Presented by Nicole Endacott, 优蜜视频 Program Coordinator

You will need blank paper, a writing utensil, colored pencils or markers, and a coin or dice.

After working with gifted kids for over the past three years at 优蜜视频, Program Coordinator Nicole Endacott shares the 5 lessons she has learned from our inspiring students.

1. There are infinite types of 鈥渟mart.鈥�

The kids who are gifted aren鈥檛 always the ones who ace every test. They can be the students who create elaborate doodles in the back of the classroom, acutely perceive when their friend is upset, or who have such outside-the-box creative ideas they can鈥檛 even put them into words or onto paper. Working in the gifted education world has meant broadening my view of what intellect can look like in such a diverse population 鈥� it鈥檚 so much fun to see how giftedness can express itself in our community!

2. Being sensitive doesn鈥檛 mean being weak.

Gifted kids often are more sensitive to abnormal stimuli such as social tension, high noise levels, perceived injustice, unusual textures, or a sudden change of plans. Though these sensitivities can make life as a gifted kid challenging at times, it does not mean they are weak. Going through life with sensitivities makes gifted kids brave, resilient, and empathetic.

3. Finding like-minded peers is invaluable.

One of my favorite parts of working with gifted youth is watching them enter an environment where they encounter kids like themselves, perhaps for the first time. When they鈥檙e able to have conversations with their peers about their favorite topics, gifted kids can bloom socially. I love seeing friendships form over unique premises you could only find in the gifted world: sharing an obscure favorite dinosaur, maybe, or a love of rhyming multi-syllable words.

4. Everyone should learn to advocate for themselves.

Gifted students have had to ask for what they need more than average children. Though a teacher with 30 other students may see a child asking for a harder worksheet as lower on their list of priorities, we should be rewarding students who know how to ask for tools that will help them succeed.

5. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all weird.鈥�

On the final day of Academy classes last fall, I discovered a phrase written on a white board after every student had left: 鈥淩eminder: We鈥檙e all weird.鈥� It was written in a student鈥檚 handwriting. I later found out that it was meant as a reminder that everyone has things that make them unique: we can either worry about being different or we can realize that our 鈥渨eird鈥� traits are the best parts of us!

1. Write a poem or story about science.

Get writing! Tell a story about your favorite scientist as dramatically as you can, write poetry about a cool science fact, or describe a feat of engineering using your most vivid vocabulary.

2. Teach your family about something you love.

The best way to learn something deeply is to teach it. Turn your family members into your students and tell them all about something you鈥檝e learned recently whether it鈥檚 how to build the best paper airplane or how a chemical reaction works.

3. Create nature art.

Make a leaf rubbing, stick sculpture, or tower of balanced pebbles to integrate both sides of your brain.

4. Invent something to solve a problem.

What鈥檚 something you wish were easier? Design something to meet a need, starting with a blueprint and working toward a prototype.

5. Test your brain with riddles.

Find challenging riddles on or elsewhere, then attempt to solve them with your family.

6. Head to the library.

Ask a librarian to help you find books about STEAM at your reading level. Reading is a wonderful way to find a new interest!

7. Ask questions.

STEAM is all about asking creative questions and trying to find answers. Observe the world around you and keep a list of questions you come up with throughout the day: How do stoplights work? Why do some trees lose their leaves and not others? Then work with an adult to find the answers.

8. Build something using recycled materials.

Gather items you normally would have thrown away 鈥� packaging, receipts, dried-out pen, etc. 鈥� and see what you can build out of the items!

9. Interview a scientist.

If you were a scientist, what kind of scientist would you be? Research to find someone who has your dream job, then write them a letter or email asking them about their work and how they got to be where they are.

10. See what 优蜜视频 offerings are coming up!

If you鈥檙e local to the Pasadena area, check out our upcoming workshops (7^th-10^th grade), check back for the Spring schedule of classes (K-8^th grade) in a couple of weeks or mark your calendars for when the (10^th-12^th grade) externship program application goes live!

Celebrating a different way? Comment below!

Summer 2019 is a wrap! As always, this summer was fulfilling and busy. Returning students reconnected with one another and a large group of bright new students entered the 优蜜视频 community for the first time. Read on to hear a highlight from each of our summer programs, then comment below with your favorite part of your own summer!

听Academy

Even though is an academic enrichment program, its benefits go far beyond merely gaining knowledge. Especially in the intensive summer program, students grow socially and emotionally as they have the opportunity to turn their classmate relationships into friendships at breaks and lunchtime. Each summer session, students bond over a different activity (swapping paper airplane designs or creating new versions of tag are past examples), but this summer they came together over tournaments of the game Connect 4. After hundreds of games played over the six weeks of programming, students had not only honed their logic and strategy skills, but they鈥檇 also improved their turn-taking skills and made new friends that have lasted past the end of the session.

EXPLORE

The most rewarding aspect of working with young people is seein their growth during their participation in and beyond. I particularly appreciate when alumni keep in touch and share their personal and academic wins and progress with me. This summer, I was fortunate to welcome Kaitlyn Chen as my Summer Program Intern. Kaitlyn previously participated in EXPLORE in 2017 and externed at Apsara Media for Intercultural Education with Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy. She continued her work with Professor Amy even after her externship ended and maintained her connection with me and EXPLORE whenever she needed support. She is one of those exceptional students who has experienced and seen the program come full circle for her, first as a program participant, and now as an 优蜜视频 staff member. She was a tremendous help in planning and implementing EXPLORE this summer, from supervising and engaging with students during Friday workshops to creating final e-portfolios for each student. I am truly grateful for students, like Kaitlyn, who continue to inspire and fuel my own passion for working with and empowering youth through education and experiential learning.

.

LABS

This summer, students learned about astronomy in June, protein crystallography in July, and alternative fuels technology in August. Every 优蜜视频 program strives to be student-centered and responsive to feedback, so after its tenth workshop since launching in March 2018, a student focus group was created to evaluate the program. Five thoughtful students offered observations, ideas, and insights that will help the LABS team tailor the program to best offer a unique learning experience that matches the needs and interests of gifted students in 7^th-12^th grade. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming LABS workshops!

Yunasa

This was Anna’s first year attending . During the Community Circle activity, our Senior Fellow, Michael Piechowski gave descriptions for overexcitabilities in the five domains – social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual. Anna was mesmerized while listening and actively participated in Q&A. During one question on emotional overexcitability, Michael jokingly asked, “I bet all of you are even-tempered and do not experience ups and downs all the time.” Anna protested loudly and shouted “OH NOOOOO! I feel so deeply about almost everything! That is not true!” It was beautiful to see Anna resonated deeply with the overexcitability descriptions and she was in a safe space to share. After camp, Anna’s mom shared that she has noticed visible growth in Anna, who has become more aware of and is able to analyze her emotions.

To all 优蜜视频 constituents we thank you for being a part of 优蜜视频鈥檚 busiest Summer Programs season yet! To learn more about upcoming Fall Programs

Happy Pi Day! Here are 10 ways to show your appreciation for everyone鈥檚 favorite irrational number on March 14^th:

1.Make art听

Create a , , or using the digits of pi 鈥� or use your imagination to come up with your own creation

2. Memorize it

is helpful if you鈥檇 like to learn more digits of pi 鈥� the most ever memorized by one person is 67,890! It took Chao Lu 24 hours and 4 minutes to recite with no breaks.

3. Record a video

Educate others by creating and editing a video like that shows off pi鈥檚 irrational nature and integrates math, design, and technology into one creative product.

4. Learn something new

Expand your pi day knowledge by learning about or with the .

5. Listen to (or compose!) music

The video demonstrates pi鈥檚 melody on a variety of instruments. Sit back and enjoy the harmonies or think of a new way to turn pi into melody using your own musical talents!

6. Read a story

is book two in the Sir Cumference Series, recommended for ages 8-12. In this installment, Radius must solve a math riddle in order to reverse Sir Cumference being changed into a fire-breathing dragon!

7. Write a poem

Similar in basic structure to a haiku, a 鈥淧i-ku鈥� has three lines of poetry: the first is three syllables, the second is one syllable, and the third is four syllables. provides more information and examples to get you started!

8. Bake something tasty

What better way to learn than by making something you can eat? Browse for a delicious pie, pizza, or other circular food recipe and then try to hold off on eating it long enough to calculate its area using pi! Remember, the area of a circle can be calculated using A = 蟺r² where r is the radius.

9. Sing a song

Math Geek Mama shares a free downloadable with songs set to the familiar tunes of Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, and more!

10. Prove it!

How did Archimedes discover pi in the first place? Test pi with or read this of its existence.

What did we miss? Comment with other ideas and if you share any of your Pi Day festivities, be sure to tag us!

Are you having trouble finding the ideal resources for your gifted child? Are you overwhelmed by the quantity of resources but desperate for a way to narrow down your search? Our (GRC), a free public tool created and curated by 优蜜视频, currently has over 650 carefully-vetted resources sorted into six categories: Advocacy, Articles and Media, Gifted Programs and Services, Scholarships and Competitions, Schools and Twice-Exceptional (2E). Viewers can search for a keyword and filter their results by location, grade range, resource type and more. Each GRC entry includes a description, contact information and a direct link to the website.

As the number of entries expands, the GRC continues to grow as an exemplary online database of resources for gifted preK-12 learners. The number of visitors for the first half of 2018 has almost surpassed that for all of 2017, which means the GRC audience is doubling in size!

Have you explored the GRC lately? Get started by perusing the 10 most-viewed resources so far in 2018:

1. (Grades K-12)

The Independent School Alliance (ISA) is a leading organization in private school admissions counseling and placement. Since 1985, ISA has provided access and opportunities at the elementary and secondary level to thousands of students across Southern California on behalf of parents of color who are seeking an independent school environment for their academically strong and motivated child.

2. (Grades 9-12)

The UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science in conjunction with the Engineering Science Corps Outreach Program offers an eight-week summer program that encourages each of its high school participants to consider a future in engineering.

3. (Grades 3-6)

The Nicholas Green Distinguished Student Award Program awards $500 scholarships to high-ability students in grades 3-6.听 Review their website to see if the program is available in your state.

4. (Grades 4-10)

Designed and led by experts in the field of gifted youth, 优蜜视频鈥檚 own Yunasa Summer Camps support the whole gifted child, encouraging growth and support of campers intellectually, socially, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Camps are offered every summer in Sedalia, Colorado and Flint, Michigan and are open to campers nationwide ages 10 to 15.

5. (All Ages)

This article by Barbara Swicord, Ed.D., discusses how problem-based learning, also known as project-based learning, can be a great start to help educators who are looking for a solution to many problems in the classrooms as well as a way to meet the needs of gifted students.

6. (Grades 5-8)

Formerly Reid Day School, the Learning Academy as part of Stepping Stones Therapy in Orange County believes that education is a personal journey for every family and offers a variety of specialized and individualized programs. Through small group instruction, with high teacher to student ratio, they will promote and execute success for your learner鈥檚 home school program. Stepping Stones also offers educational, occupational, speech, and physical therapy in addition to social skills training.

7. (Grades K-12)

The American Association for Development of the Gifted and Talented (AADGT) helps young, extraordinarily gifted classical musicians and artists. AADGT was established in 1993 and since then has helped hundreds of artists and aspiring young musicians from around the world.

8. (Grades 2-8)

The Noetic Learning Math Contest is a semiannual problem-solving contest for elementary and middle school students. The goal of the competition is to encourage students鈥� interest in math, to develop their problem-solving skills and to inspire them to excel in math.

9. (Grades 6-12)

Since 2003, the Art of Problem Solving (AoPS) online school has provided a unique learning experience carefully designed for outstanding students interested in studying online. AoPS offers a full math curriculum for middle and high school, introductory programming courses and specialty courses to prepare students for particular math and science competitions.

10. (Grades 1-8)

The Gifted Students Academy is an intensive summer program for gifted students in grades 1 through 8. Participants select courses in each of the major subject areas of math, science, language arts, social studies and the arts and may attend as a commuter student or reside on campus in the UCI residence halls.

Visit the to explore more resources for parents and educators.

What are some resources that have helped you as a parent or educator? Share them in the comments section below!

In today鈥檚 world, we鈥檝e grown to expect nearly immediate results in every aspect of our lives. I, for one, have caught myself clicking repeatedly in frustration on a link when it doesn鈥檛 load within a fraction of a second. We likely all know someone who has abandoned a new health regimen within a week because they didn鈥檛 see the positive changes they were expecting. Most adolescents in developed nations are growing up not ever knowing a world where they don鈥檛 have instant access to any video, song, image or fact ever posted. These technological advances are undeniably positive in the grand scheme of things, but they also have caused us to project this expectation of instant gratification onto areas of our lives where immediacy is impossible.

That鈥檚 where grit comes into play.听 Grit, which is defined as 鈥減erseverance and passion for long-term goals,鈥� is necessary to overcome this tendency towards lack of patient discipline. Working in the gifted community, I interact with profoundly intelligent, creative and innovative young people on a daily basis. Many of these individuals also possess grit when they have a specific goal they are truly passionate about achieving. They will linger after class until their wind turbine turns smoothly, phrase an idea in numerous ways until their classmates understand their ingenuity, or borrow a logic puzzle to take home so they can finally solve it after hours of trying.

But how do we teach our children or students to have the tenacity to accomplish tasks they鈥檙e not as eager or well-equipped to complete? I found four big ways to encourage grit in gifted students as an educator or parent.

1. Praise children for their effort, not just the final outcome

Many gifted children are used to being recognized for their great memory or intelligence, but they may become easily frustrated when a task proves to be difficult. Encourage perseverance by applauding hard work and tenacity, not just what they produce on tasks that come easily. Additionally, you can point out this hard work and resilience to children when you see it in Olympic athletes, history lessons, book or movie characters, or friends and family members they admire.

2. Focus more on independence than perfection

It鈥檚 very tempting to intervene when a child is working through a challenging task, especially if the child is gifted and both of you are used to things coming easily to them. Instead of focusing on perfection as the ultimate goal for a task, lightly coach students in a way that allows them to be independent while still understanding that you鈥檙e there for help and encouragement if needed. Perfectionism is common in gifted students so this can be a tough, but healthy, transition to make.

3. Empathize and teach self-encouragement

Try to show your child or student how to encourage themselves without disregarding their emotions. After what may seem to them like a failure, say something like, 鈥淵ou might be feeling disappointed, but you should feel really proud of yourself for trying your best. When you鈥檙e ready, let鈥檚 try again!鈥� Because gifted children often feel different from their peers, knowing someone is able to understand their emotions can work wonders for their self-esteem. Eventually, they鈥檒l be able to recognize their own emotions with clarity and then encourage themselves through trials.

4. Model positivity and resilience in your own life

Most children, but especially gifted children, absorb and reflect the behaviors they see in the adults around them. Because of this, stay away from making self-disparaging comments about yourself in front of children and, instead, talk openly about your mistakes and how you recover from them. Not only will this help the children watching you avoid developing a negative self-image or fear of failure, but it will have positive impact on your own well-being! Your ability to model this trait and make it relevant in the lives of children will show them how to lessen their fear of failure in the short-term while still striving for success in the long-term.

What suggestions do you have for teaching gifted children grit?

Sources:

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Happy ! Every year, American Education Week celebrates individuals and organizations that ensure every child receives a quality education. Whether you are a parent, student, educator, or other supporter of learning, there are things you can do to honor those making a difference in the lives of students from all backgrounds. At 优蜜视频, we will be celebrating this week by gearing up for our Awards Dinner this Friday, where we will honor three local stars of gifted education. This event also helps us raise funds that will go toward scholarships, professional development, teaching resources, and other areas that increase the quality and accessibility of the programs we offer. This year, American Education Week is focused on honoring high-quality public schools and individuals that make them great (like two of our honorees, ). However, regardless of your educational background or involvement, there are numerous ways you can participate this week to recognize excellence in education!

Here are ideas of ways you can celebrate American Education Week:

• Post on social media about someone who made a difference to your or your child鈥檚 education using the hashtag #AEW2017. (If the person is part of 优蜜视频, tag us or use the hashtag #优蜜视频gifted to make sure we see it!)
• Parents, ask your kids different questions about their school day: What do you wish you learned more about? What does your teacher do that helps you learn at your best?
• Students, thank your parents or other adults who have spent time searching out programs that fit your specific interests and needs. Be open with your parents about your school day and specific ways they can help you achieve your learning goals.
• so we can continue to offer scholarships that guarantee no child is ever turned away from our programs for financial reasons.
• Show your appreciation for an 鈥� this includes office administrators, cafeteria staff, counselors, bus drivers, janitors, and others who keep schools and education centers running at their best in behind-the-scenes ways.
• Thank someone personally for the work they do in increasing access to quality education: this could be a policymaker in your area, an individual here at 优蜜视频, or someone else you know.
• Think about the opportunity for impact you possess, and then use it! You may be able to advocate for policy changes in your public school district, donate supplies or electronics to a program in need, or recommend 优蜜视频鈥檚 services to a newly identified gifted student in your child鈥檚 class.

However you choose to support the mission of American Education Week, thank you for doing so! Even after this week ends, continue to keep your eyes open for ways to guarantee all children receive an excellent education. All of us at 优蜜视频 will be doing the same!

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