鈥�Asking if Yunasa is worth it is like asking if a diamond sparkles. This camp has given me so much and I truly hope that I can give back a fraction of what I have received from it. I took many things away from this week, but what I learned most is that even when we are far apart and cannot hold hands or link arms or hug, this community endures, and it continues to give its gifts to all who participate in it. I am so grateful that I can return for another year and I truly hope that I will see everyone in 2021.鈥� 鈥� Virtual Yunasa East camper

Another powerful season of Yunasa and Yunasa West, another year of extraordinary growth for all that鈥檚 involved. What鈥檚 more? This summer, both of our camps were virtual.

Even just three months ago, we held on to the slim hope that we might be able to run camp in-person. When we eventually found out that both of our summer camps had to cancel, we were devastated. At the same time, the team knew that we have to do something for our campers and families.

The past few months have truly uprooted our lives in unimaginable ways. More than ever, we want to surround our children with a world that is stimulating, wholesome, safe, and filled with connection.

With this in mind, we built our virtual camps on the framework that we must create a safe virtual space for all campers, to encourage open, honest and respectful dialogue. True to 驰耻苍补蝉补鈥檚 mission, we wanted to embrace and nurture each camper for who they are 鈥� the intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual – so they can explore balance within and throughout. 

Even though this virtual experience is new and different, all of our campers 鈥� new and returning 鈥� embraced the magic of this new beginning with an open heart and genuine curiosity. They shared laughter, made friends, and supported one another in cheerful yet profound ways.

This year our camps鈥� theme is kindness. During these difficult and often confusing times for families, the ability to be kind to ourselves, attuning to our physical, emotional, and mental needs, combined with possessing an empathetic and compassionate view towards each other, are critical elements to restore balance, bring peace, and spread love.

At camp, we did a project called kindness rock. It鈥檚 a meditative art project that not only encourages campers to think about the bright moments in their day, the finished art piece also sends random acts of love and kindness to the world.

We also hosted a Variety Show during each camp. With most of the campers being at home, it actually lends a special lens to their home life where many campers chose to showcase their cooking skills and musical talents that otherwise may not be possible at camp.

Our entire Yunasa staff is very grateful for this unique opportunity to work with all campers and families. We hope everyone continues to stay safe and healthy, and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2021!

Presented by Qiao Li, 优蜜视频 Yunasa Program Coordinator

camps are designed to work with gifted and highly gifted children to nurture balance and stimulate growth in the whole self.

At Yunasa, we work with experts in gifted education to provide a week-long camp that is filled with self-exploration, connection with nature and each other, and most importantly, FUN!聽聽From campers to counselors to staff to Fellows, Yunasa is a multi-generational community that cherishes every person’s unique talents and recognizes the power of their potential. At a camper-to-staff ratio of 4-1, we can meet each campers’ individual needs by using personalized support and strength-based interventions.

This year the Yunasa theme is kindness. Practicing kindness is scientifically proven to make people鈥檚 life happier and healthier. At camp, we will focus on facilitating discussions and workshops on the various ways to cultivate, give and receive kindness, as well as how does kindness relate to the nurturance of all aspects of self.

Yunasa is a special place for gifted children. So many times, I hear the campers say they meet friends who truly “get them”, who share similar joys, challenges and quirkiness. We foster an environment of creativity, respect, integrity, perseverance, and compassion, so all children can be comfortable with who they are and have a place to belong.

If this sounds like what you are looking for, you can

Yunasa West will be from Saturday, June 6 – June 13, 2020 at YMCA Camp Shady Brook in Colorado, and Yunasa East will be from Saturday, July 25 – August 1, 2020 at YMCA Camp Copneconic in Michigan. We hope to see you there.

优蜜视频鈥檚 annual camp concluded powerfully at Camp Copneconic in Fenton, Michigan! Throughout the week, we watched all 79 campers 鈥� including 23 leadership campers 鈥� get to know themselves and each other in gentle yet profound ways. As ever, our leadership campers demonstrated incredible talents to connect with younger campers, support one another and be positive role models to all. All campers were empathetic, compassionate, sensitive and full of personality. It was an honor for the entire staff to watch the growth that transpired in each child.

theme this year is passion. In a named Found Poetry, campers created a poem using reading materials focused on passion. It was a collaborative effort that culminated in a beautiful and powerful passage:

鈥淭his close relationship, it felt very natural,

An absolute thunderbolt merged with part of your being

My life had changed

Practice; how to play anew

Grand devotion, imported in my life

Such a devastating event, a slow burn, a sensitivity that resonates

Obsessively thought about

Devoted to this love story.

Fire, that鈥檚 me!鈥�

In addition to , campers also spent time each day practicing psychosynthesis 鈥� a guided imagery meditation followed by in-depth discussion. helps one to focus, concentrate, be in tune with their senses, and be more aware of the present moment.

Yunasa also integrates specialized learning with traditional camp activities, so campers get a full experience of a weeklong sleep-away camp. Throughout the week, campers balance their day by participating in waterfront activities such as kayaking, sailing, tubing, fishing and riding in pontoons. Some land-based activities are also hugely popular such as archery, horseback riding, zip-lining and other rope courses.

Yunasa was a fun-filled week packed with exploration, friendships, growth and passion. Thank you to all campers, counselors, Fellows and staff for making it yet another amazing and memorable week. Have a great year ahead! We look forward to more summer fun in 2020!

the entire Yunasa Michigan photo album. to be the first to know when Yunasa 2020 dates and application information.

this year was yet another fun-filled week that鈥檚 packed with self-discovery and growth at YMCA Camp Shady Brook! Campers ventured out to try something new, made lasting friendships and attended many impactful workshops that are designed to nurture balance within.

Some people say it takes a village to raise a child. At Yunasa, it takes a tribe to build this camp. For many, it鈥檚 their first sleep-away camp and the longest time apart they have ever spent from their parents. This year, we had 23 new campers! Being mindful of this, our returning campers and counselors actively reached out to new campers and included them in group activities. Some campers are more introverted and reflective than others, but would ensure that they too have a space to share and be heard throughout the week.

From the youngest camper at ag 10 to our most senior elder at 85, Yunasa is a space filled with intergenerational connection and nurturing. Our workshops are designed to nurture balance in all five aspects of self 鈥� intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual and physical.

In campers practice guided imagery meditation exercises. The goal is to integrate the conscious self with the unconscious. In the process, campers open a wide flow of energy from their intuition, inspiration and creative energy to the logical self. In the workshop called kindness, campers learn about the biological and physical benefit of practicing kindness and did several meditations in the session. In building and walking the labyrinth, campers constructed a single path in a serene setting. As they walked the labyrinth, they followed a single path that at times appeared to be a 鈥渨rong turn,鈥� but each turn actually leads them to a new beginning and ultimately the 鈥渆ye鈥� of the path. It symbolizes a spiritual journey and the tools needed for transformation. In art-based workshops, campers practiced focus, relaxation, trusting their intuition, self-acceptance and expression through activities such as Intuitive Mandala and Soul Collage.

Yunasa also offers outdoor activities in a traditional camp setting. Campers expand their comfort zones in a safe environment as they try ziplining, rappelling, and rock climbing. They learn about teamwork and build trust on the giant鈥檚 ladder and low ropes. They practiced focus with archery and tomahawk throwing. There are also waterfront activities such as canoeing, kayaking, fishing and paddle boarding.

We hope all of our campers and volunteers have been able to get some rest this week. We cannot wait to see you all again in 2020. Until then 鈥� may your year be filled with joy, growth and loving kindness!

the entire Yunasa West photo album on 优蜜视频鈥檚 Facebook page. To learn more about Yunasa

As a program coordinator at 优蜜视频, 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鈥� input during any event/program planning process, get teacher participation during implementation, and invite teachers鈥� feedback for future improvement.

2. Continuity

To make a sustained impact in a school district and the community, continuity in the PTA鈥檚 leadership is very important. The core group that鈥檚 leading the PTA needs to have a working knowledge of the group鈥檚 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鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 a win-win situation for everyone!

Successful parent advocacy requires friendship, broad coalition, and steadfast persistence. Also, don鈥檛 forget to have fun! Working with people who believe in the same mission often produces the best results!

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The is within all of us. As I start writing this blog, I find myself typing and deleting, starring at the screen trying to brainstorm the perfect sentence to write. Perfect sentence to write? That sounds oxymoronic!

Perfectionism is often branded as a positive stereotype, whereas if a person is a perfectionist, he or she must already mastered their school/work, they are going above and beyond and do not require additional help 鈥� much like the positive stereotypes associated with the needs of a gifted student.

Perfectionism is defined as the disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable. When in reality being perfect is just a myth, people who struggle with perfectionism are left with doubts and unacceptability. Perfectionists often experience self-criticism, anxiety, and isolation, which can lead to lack of confidence, low self-esteem, and sometimes depression.

Gifted children 鈥� who exhibit , highly self-critical, and have a high standard for excellence 鈥� are prone to struggle with perfectionism. They crave the perfect feedback from their teachers and parents; they take great pride in being known by their peers as the person who knows the answer to everything; they believe, based on their experience, that learning should always come easy; and they are good at anticipating expectations and try to live their lives by the approval of others.

Perfectionism manifests itself in multiple ways, and the struggle can be a lifelong challenge. It is important to recognize the debilitating qualities of this trait, but trying to manage it or even overcome it, is certainly possible.

These are some of the techniques people have shared:

1. Value the journey

In so many cases, people put a tremendous amount of effort working toward their goal. Just because you fall short of your own expectations, does not mean you did not learn anything or you are a failure. The lessons and skills you learned along the way are valuable and can be applied to other tasks in the future.

Take exercising for example. It is one of the best ways to give value to progress. You may not be able to run a marathon in one week, but every time you run, you can feel the muscle ache and know that you are getting ever-so-closer to your goal. The end does not justify the means. The journey matters.

2. Meditate

Meditation is a great opportunity to catch up with your thoughts and regulate imagination. Rather than allowing your imagination to conjure the worst possible outcomes when you feel you have let yourself or other people down, take a mental 鈥渢ime out鈥� and meditate. Meditation increases sensory awareness, and helps with self-regulation. It is a moment to practice leaving behind self-doubt and judgement to just focus on the power of now.

3. Practice self-compassion

When you feel overwhelmed with intense emotional stimuli, take a moment to practice breathing, and relive your favorite moment of the day. Take pride in small achievements of the day 鈥� did you make your bed this morning? What acts of self-care did you do? Asking positive mindset oriented questions can shift your mental state and lift you out of the dark place. Fill in the blank and remind yourself that 鈥淚 am worthy of___.鈥� No one is best at everything, all the time. Recognizing your potential and allowing yourself to learn from mistakes is a great way to practice self-compassion.

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Learning about the brain development of gifted children gave me a deeper understanding of their heightened experience and unique learning needs.

At 优蜜视频鈥檚 monthly , Dr. Nicole Tetreault, Dr. Joanna Haase, and Dr. Sharon Duncan from (GRO) gave a presentation on understanding the gifted brain. Their extensive literature review on existing neuroscience research supports the hypothesis that gifted individuals have increased intellectual, emotional, sensory and motor processing capacity. Specifically, their research shows:

Gifted individuals have increased brain volume

Gifted individuals have greater brain activation

Gifted individuals have greater white matter connectivity

Gifted individuals have increased sensory and auditory processing

Neuroanatomy shows individuals with higher IQ have increased grey matter volume in various regions of the brain 鈥� what the cerebral cortex is composed of. The regions with increased volume include the frontal lobes (complex decision making and hypothesis testing), temporal lobes (auditory processing and language interpretation), parietal lobes (taste, temperature, touch sensation), and occipital lobes (visual information) [1].

This could explain why gifted students can process a large amount of information and do calculations faster than their peers. As a child, I was always told that practice makes you better, but at times, too many repetitions can make you lose interest. Keeping a child interested, engaged, and challenged is a delicate balance; understating neurodiversity is the first step to differentiating individual鈥檚 learning pace and style.

With accelerated processing speed, comes the challenge of responsiveness. Some students can solve math problems quickly in their head, but they have a hard time articulating the process. When it comes to sensory and auditory processing, gifted students can be particularly sensitive and react strongly to sound, smell, taste, and visual stimuli.

While many gifted students can identify with these feelings, it is also important 鈥� albeit difficult 鈥� to try to express one鈥檚 logical process as coherent as possible. In learning environments where the needs of gifted students are often overlooked, the ability to communicate clearly and effectively is a good practice to foster mutual understanding and master proactive learning habits.

I left GRO鈥檚 lecture with a greater understanding of neurodiversity and the difference in learning needs for gifted students. Understanding that our students learn differently, not ostracizing them for who they are, and helping them work towards their personal best with their unique learning pace and style is a great recipe for a happy and healthy childhood.

Notes:

[1] 鈥淭he Gifted Brain.鈥� March 17, 2016

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Why is Community Important?

Community is the foundation of our social life. A healthy community provides support, encouragement, affirmation, and a sense of belonging to all members. Feeling loved and accepted also fosters good behavioral patterns, increase productivity, inspire creativity.

Although there are tremendous benefits in building and belonging in a community, the greatest social epidemic of our modern life is isolation. It is not always easy for everyone to find their 鈥渢ribe鈥�, especially if they are different from the majority; such is the case for gifted and high ability learners.

Why is There a Need?

Gifted and high ability learners possess exceptional capability to reason and learn in one or more domains. They are critical thinkers, curious learners, innovators, and sensitive individuals.

There are estimated six to ten percent of students in the U.S. who are gifted and high ability learners, roughly three to five million students. Though this is by no means a small number, spread them out through the nation, they are still minority groups in most schools. It is much harder for gifted students to find their community.

Though gifted students possess high potential, they are not always top performers. Research shows that 25% of gifted people are underachievers, and they quit trying because nothing they do leads to any measurable success or satisfaction[1]. Lacking the support from a community can exacerbate these outcomes.

Adding social-economic divide to this challenge, the picture becomes more dire. One study shows the gaps between top performing socioeconomically disadvantaged students and their more affluent peers were significant[2]. In fact, high-achieving, low-income students are equally likely to attend college as low-scoring high-income students[3]. These students need a support group that can help them to unlock their potential.

Without a nurturing community, feeling alone, misunderstood, and unchallenged, many gifted and high ability learners get bored, frustrated, or develop bad study habits. Without a community, we are creating a persistent talent underclass.

What is it Like to Have a Community?

Imagine witnessing the moment when someone talks about their passion with sparkles in their eyes, imagine the tears of joy when someone dares to try something new and take ownership of their potential that they didn鈥檛 even know existed.

Each summer, gifted teens from across the country, sometimes from outside the United States, gather to spend a week-long retreat at 优蜜视频鈥檚 鈥� Yunasa West in Colorado, and Yunasa in Michigan.

Campers from all backgrounds bring a variety of interests and talents, providing an opportunity for all to grow in a diverse environment.

More than a traditional summer sleep-away camp, Yunasa provides a combination of camp activities and enriching workshops designed specifically to help gifted teens find balance as they develop greater awareness and a sense of adventure.

Prior to Yunasa, many campers are trained to focus on just a single aspect of self. At camp, through activities like giants鈥� ladder, aqua jump, yoga, nature walk, music improv, and many more, they learn to recognize and nurture other aspects of self, while learning the importance of leadership, teamwork, and trust.

Communities are critical for the functioning of a healthy society. For children who learn differently from the majority of their peer group, it is especially important to have a strong supporting network that can help them grow both professionally and personally.

What kind of community do you envision for gifted children and all children? Are there examples you would like to share?

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References:

[1] adapted from The Gifted Kids Survival Guide: A Teen Handbook

[2] Plucker, J. A., J. Hardesty, and N. Burroughs. “Talent on the sidelines: Excellence gaps and America鈥檚 persistent talent underclass.” Storrs: University of Connecticut, Center for Education Policy Analysis. Retrieved from http://www. cepa. uconn. edu/research/mindthegap (2013).

[3] Martha J. Bailey and Susan M. Dynarski, 鈥淚nequality in Postsecondary Attainment,鈥� 2011. In Greg Duncan and

Richard Murnane, eds., Whither Opportunity: Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, pp. 117-132.聽New York: Russell Sage Foundation.

]]> /blog-gifted-community/feed/ 0 /blog-aliens-math-and-jerky/ /blog-aliens-math-and-jerky/#respond Wed, 02 Mar 2016 02:06:06 +0000 https://ieadev.wpengine.com/blog-aliens-math-and-jerky/ How are aliens related to math? The answer is: in every possible way!

From science fiction, to popular culture, to UFO organizations, and even a famous jerky shop half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas named , extraterrestrial life pervades our imagination. The question is: if they are out there, where are they?

This is the foundation of the , formulated by Enrico Fermi 鈥� one of the most celebrated nuclear physicists of our time 鈥� which states the apparent contradiction between high estimates of the probability of the existence of extraterrestrial civilization and humanity’s lack of contact with, or evidence for, such civilizations.

Enrico Fermi is also the architect of 鈥淔ermi Estimations,鈥� which is designed to solve complex dimensional analysis problems with simple math calculations. A classical Fermi question would be, 鈥淗ow many piano tuners are there in New York City?鈥�

To solve this puzzle, one may make the following simple estimates:

1. Approximately how many people are in New York City? 8,000,000
2. Does every individual own a piano? No
3. Would it be reasonable to assert that “individuals don’t tend to own pianos, families do? Yes
4. About how many families are there in a city of 8 million people?聽Perhaps there are 1,500,000 families in NYC.
5. Does every family own a piano? No. Perhaps one out of every five does. That would mean there are about 300,000 pianos in NYC.
6. How many piano tuners are needed for 300,000 pianos? Some people never get around to tuning their piano; some people tune their piano every month. If we assume that “on the average” every piano gets tuned once a year, then there are 300,000 “piano tunings” every year.
7. How many piano tunings can one piano tuner do? Let’s assume that the average piano tuner can tune 3 pianos a day. Also assume that there are 200 working days per year. That means that every tuner can tune about 600 pianos per year.
8. How many piano tuners are needed in NYC? The number of tuners is approximately 300,000/600 or 500 piano tuners.

Now, let鈥檚 do an alien question: in the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft, what is the maximum number of Alien Fresh Jerky can astronauts eat before finding an alien? Assuming the estimation of Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Program is correct, which is 20 years, and that Alien Fresh Jerkies are their only source of food.

1. How many astronauts in the Soyuz TMA-18M spacecraft? 6
2. How many calories does an astronaut consume in spacecraft per day? 2500. 6 astronauts: 15,000
3. Jerky calories? 50 calories per piece, 200 mg sodium
4. Max sodium per day? About 3,000 mg
5. Max Jerky per day based on sodium intake? 3000/200= 15 pieces
6. Total calories for 15 pieces of jerky? 50×15=750 calories
7. How many days in 20 years? 365×20= 7300 days
8. What is the maximum number of jerky will be eaten in order for astronauts to survive the trip? 15x6x7300= 657,000 pieces

Answer: assuming Alien Fresh Jerky is the only source of food on the space shuttle, the maximum jerkies Soyuz TMA-18M astronauts can consume to stay alive during their 20 years travel is 657,000.

Even though many Fermi Estimations cannot be verified or implemented in daily life, it is a great exercise to deepen our understanding of the world. Fermi Estimations require participants to think up and answer questions using math and science skills, as well as using practical knowledge accumulated through our lived experience. It is a great way to contemplate the scale of our world and put us in perspective.

Can you think of any Fermi Questions? Send it over, and let鈥檚 solve it together!

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This post is part of the Hoagies鈥� Gifted Blog Hop: March Math-ness!. Please click the image below to keep on hopping!