PASADENA, CA – 09/26/2023 – The Institute for Educational Advancement (������Ƶ), a national nonprofit dedicated to the intellectual, creative, and personal growth of our nation’s gifted and advanced learners, celebrated its 25^th anniversary with a Celebration Gala. The event, which was hosted at the San Gabriel Country Club, on Sept. 23, 2023 honored the individuals and organizations that support ������Ƶ and raised funds to continue the nonprofit’s important work.

At the Celebration Gala, ������Ƶ presented the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) with an award for their partnership and dedication to the children in the community. PUSD has been a longtime partner of ������Ƶ. From 1999-2010, the organizations ran a pilot program called Pipeline to Success that provided gifted middle and high school students in PUSD with enrichment classes, Personal Education Plans, and other services, and stressed strong relationships among students, teachers, parents, Program Coordinators and enrichment teachers. Most recently, PUSD tapped ������Ƶ to deliver free, high-quality gifted and talented services for eligible students. Last year, over 130 students in grades 3-8 benefited from the ������Ƶ-lead curriculum.

������Ƶ also honored co-founder, James Davis, past board chairs including Jennifer Burke, Jeffrey Hudson and Chris Newman for their leadership and Michael M. Piechowski for his longtime role as a Yunasa Fellow and incredible 22 years of service to gifted students.

“Jim and I wanted to create an organization to provide stimulating, rigorous programs that would address the intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and physical needs of advanced learners, while providing educators with tools and best practices to support the unique needs of gifted learners,” said Elizabeth Jones, president and co-founder, Institute for Educational Advancement.

Recognized as one of the nation’s leading organizations supporting the needs of gifted youth, ������Ƶ is one of the only nonprofit organizations providing a robust array of services in Los Angeles County. The nonprofit offers enrichment classes and learning opportunities, teacher trainings, consulting services, support groups, summer camps and scholarships for gifted learners. Since its inception in 1998, ������Ƶ has supported over 11,000 students.

In addition to the awards ceremony, the Celebration Gala included dinner and a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the nonprofit. For more information about ������Ƶ’s programs and services, visit

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 .

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As the weather warms up, things open up, and summer vacation quickly approaches, I thought I would check in with a teacher to find out her summer tips for parents of 2E children. These recommendations are designed to help make returning to school in the fall smoother, make good use of your children’s time, and relax and enjoy your child.

1. Maintain the same routines and structures around their day as they would during the school year. Wake up, go to bed, and eat meals at regular times that are the same or close to what they do during the school year.
2. Just because school is out doesn’t mean learning has to stop. Check-in with your local library and join their summer reading program. ������Ƶ’s Academy is still taking applications for summer 2022! Join us online or in-person with advanced enrichment classes. ������Ƶ Academy – Summer 2022
3. Schedule time for outdoor activities, as well as regular, structured indoor and outdoor time.
4. Volunteer! Many organizations are looking for student volunteers. Check-in with your local nonprofits to see how you and your child can get involved. ������Ƶ is always looking for parent volunteers. If interested, click here.
5. Have fun – play, visit family and friends, and allow for downtime.

Have tips of your own that work? We would love to hear from you! Share your recommendations in the comments.

Have a fantastic summer!

We asked ������Ƶ’s Summer Programs Intern Kaitlyn Chen to write a reflection on her journey with ������Ƶ. Check out her post below on how ������Ƶ influenced important decisions about her future career opportunities!

My name is Kaitlyn, and I’m currently a sophomore pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Film at California State University, Long Beach. In 2017, I participated in the program, externing at . Before coming into ������Ƶ, I had a set goal of wanting to become a film editor. For 6 years, I’ve been self-teaching myself how to edit. I’ve volunteered at multiple film festivals and nonprofit organizations in hopes of getting my foot in the door of the industry. However, the majority of the time, I was learning and editing on my own. When I started my junior year of high school, I decided that I wanted a mentor, someone who would guide me through the steps towards becoming a filmmaker, or more specifically, a film editor. I first learned of ������Ƶ and their through my college and career counselor (Ms. Sisson) as I was nearing the end of my junior year. There, I met Niña, who would become my program coordinator and later my supervisor this summer. I also met my EXPLORE mentor, Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, who would later become an influential person in my editing career.

How ������Ƶ Helped me to Grow

������Ƶ definitely challenged me socially by helping me step out of my comfort zone and opening myself up to new people, ideas, and experiences. The excursions that I visited during my year (2017) and this year (2019) in EXPLORE helped me to grow closer with the other externs and become familiar with the networking process. All it takes is a brief chat with someone, and there you go! You just formed a connection, and the next step is getting in contact with them. Through ������Ƶ, I’ve learned that I shouldn’t be afraid of people, but of the missed opportunities in life. As the saying goes, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” ������Ƶ helped me see what it meant to be a gifted individual. It didn’t mean being born a prodigy or being the top 1% of the class (although those could be the cases). There are other individuals whose gifts might not be as obvious, yet they are the ones working their hardest to reach for their dreams.

������Ƶ also challenged me academically by helping me apply my academic knowledge to the real world. Going into the EXPLORE program, I didn’t think I would need any prior knowledge, aside from video editing. However, I was wrong. Before I started on my editing project, Professor Amy gave me some books to read and some documentary films to watch. I understood that in order to carry out a project, I needed to know the background information behind it, or more specifically, the historical significance. That’s when I had to reach into my memory to recall some of the previous information I had learned at school. I never imagined history to be so alive and relevant in today’s world until I began applying my historical knowledge into everything I did during my externship. Moreover, ������Ƶ taught me the technical side of the counseling field during these eight weeks I served as an intern. I learned how to format documents, file papers and keep records of the budget. I found these simple tasks to be very useful in my life, and I use them in all the things I do, whether that is formatting my assignments or recording my money spending.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The moment I stepped foot in Professor Amy’s house, I just knew my filmmaking experience would take a whole different turn. You wouldn’t believe how many cultural artifacts I saw in her house, especially her living room alone. It’s like walking into a museum of its own with paintings, musical instruments, books, and so much more. How cool would it be if all filmmakers had studios like this! My filmmaking experience was more fast-paced and contemporary. However, Professor Amy showed me another route I could take that was more slow-paced yet culturally informative. For three weeks, I worked with her in learning about various South / Southeast Asian cultures and getting a chance to edit one of her documentary films. I’ve learned so much about the documentary filmmaking process –– not only the time it took to make a film, but also the time it took to learn all the information about the people and culture being documented. Professor Amy’s patience, guidance, and wisdom made my first hands-on experience in the EXPLORE program such a memorable one. I felt my work as an editor was even more valuable, knowing that it contributed to a global effort of connecting individuals to each other through cultural awareness. I never felt more valued as an editor when Professor Amy reached out to me after the program, asking me if I can help her edit again. It was that small favor that really ignited my passion for film. If someone believed in my ability, I should believe in it as well. I don’t think my connection with Professor Amy would’ve been possible without ������Ƶ’s help because they were the ones who initiated the EXPLORE program. It is because of programs like these that allow students (like myself) to continually expand our networks and connect with individuals who are like-minded and passionately driven.

A Step Towards School Counseling

I always knew I had a soft spot for kids. I love being around them. They’re such a joy to work with because they exude so much energy and optimism. I had the chance to experience these ___ more fully this summer at ������Ƶ, engaging with students from all different backgrounds and grade levels. When I was at Academy and watching over the kids on their breaks, some of them would come up to me and excitedly ask me to play with them, whether that was tag or a board game. I felt like a kid at times, remembering when I used to run around with my friends or become super competitive in Monopoly. There were, however, times when I had to step in and calmly advise the kids not to run out onto the streets or to take turns in the game. On the other hand, when I was interacting with the high school students in the EXPLORE program, I felt, in a sense, more connected to them because I was in their shoes not too long ago. Whenever they voiced their victories, I celebrated with them. Whenever they voiced their defeats, I gave them some advice that others had given me when I was facing similar challenges. These moments of connecting and advice-giving allowed me to develop a sense of purpose and fulfillment that will transcend into my possible counseling career.

Being surrounded by kids/teenagers and interacting with them brought out my inner passion for helping others physically and psychologically. Because of my soft-spoken, compassionate, and observant nature, I believe school counseling might be a great field for me –– one that I can be myself and become the person I want to be. I realized that my purpose in life was to help those in need because the world so desperately needs that at the moment. I feel like my past experiences in counseling elementary and high school students at various nonprofit organizations, especially at ������Ƶ, have ultimately led me to where I’m at. It didn’t matter how many people I was helping because I’m satisfied knowing that helping one person can change his or her world. It’s strange how I entered ������Ƶ wanting to pursue one field (film) and coming out wanting to pursue another field (psychology). It just goes to show that life and the choices you make in life are constantly changing. Therefore, you’re always learning how to adapt to these changes.

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/

SOUTH PASADENA, Calif.—Los Angeles-area kindergarten through eighth-grade gifted and talented students are stepping out of the traditional classroom to engage in advanced classes that explore disciplines such as chemistry, astronomy and humanities. Academy classes, taught by local specialists who hold doctorates in their fields, college professors and professionals, inspire Los Angeles’s brightest youth to grow socially and intellectually.

The Academy was created by . ������Ƶ is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing programs that help gifted children balance intellectual ability with social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth. Independent of government funding, ������Ƶ gives students the tools to work toward actualizing their full intellectual and personal potential in supportive environments such as the Academy.

������Ƶ is meeting a need in the community by serving a demographic that often struggles with a lack of challenge in the mainstream classroom. Academy students are given work at a level appropriate for them, develop community with like-minded peers and bond with instructors who can relate to their special needs. For the students ������Ƶ serves, weekly classes at the Academy are essential in fueling and satisfying their quest to know more. “I would recommend Academy classes to anyone who enjoys learning!” says Ariane Watkins, an Academy student who completed a Neuro-Energy course last term.

The program links a broad range of students from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds with instructors who’ve been trained to teach advanced, college and high school material in a kid-friendly fashion. Winter 2013 classes include self-paced math, calculus, chemistry, ecology, humanities and astronomy. With an average class size of five students, Academy classes are a hands-on, inquiry-based and student-driven approach to learning. In Rocket to Calculus, for example, students make use of actual rockets to learn the basics of algebra, geometry and pre-calculus; in the final class, calculations are brought to life with a real rocket launch.

Scholarships for local Pasadena youth have been made possible by generous grants from the Ann Peppers Foundation and the Avery Dennison Foundation. “Due to the scholarships we provide, gifted students in our community grow. Not only do we fan the flame of life-long learning in youngsters from all backgrounds, but they become stronger representatives of the schools they attend and are better able to contribute to their communities,” says Jen Mounday, ������Ƶ Academy program coordinator.

The Academy runs year-round, with the winter 2013 session running Jan. 12 to March 14. Classes are held at the ������Ƶ offices in South Pasadena, Calif. Classes meet once a week for eight weeks and are offered after school on weekdays and during the day on Saturdays. For a full schedule of classes and to download an application, please visit the Academy page of ������Ƶ’s website or contact Jen Mounday at Academy@educationaladvancement.org or 626-403-8900.