The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we live, learn, and connect. In March, the amazing 优蜜视频 team took on the challenge of moving to an online teach and learning platform. They did this without compromising 滨贰础鈥檚 commitment to providing high caliber content.聽 Our new menu of virtual synchronous programs has expanded our reach and afforded us with the opportunity to touch the lives of more students in more locations than ever before.聽 We even created a new initiative, Spyglass, to ensure our middle and high age students were served.

鈥淪pyglass has been a great addition to the wonderful programs at 优蜜视频鈥t was very helpful to have this great resource especially during the pandemic. Our girls enjoyed connecting with familiar faces, both staff and students. We look forward to your great programming and we are appreciative of your efforts to bring meaningful content to 优蜜视频 students.鈥� (Parent)

Resilient apart. Even though our classes, workshops, and camps have moved online, participants and parents still report a satisfaction rating of 96%.

If we can do this during a global crisis, think about what is possible as we move into the future.

While we celebrate our victories, we know that this season will have a lingering impact on us all. Quarantine, school closures, social unrest, climate change, and isolation from loved ones have taken their toll on our families.

Resilient together. We will be together again. In the meantime, 优蜜视频 remains focused upon the intellectual and personal needs of our children. We look forward to the close of this painful chapter in history, but we know that the impact of the pandemic on our community will not end with the vaccine. We 聽hope to be supportive agents for recovery by providing our families with purposeful content, social connection, venues for safe communication, and a welcoming community of like-minded peers.

But to do so, we need your help now.

We are grateful for the success of our recent Read-a-Thon fundraiser, yet we have a long way to go to close our funding gap for the year. We have work to do if we are to provide the high caliber programs and social/emotional support our gifted children rely on, especially as we have broadened our reach to serve more gifted children through our online programs. Please help us remain resilient as we strive to build resilience in the young people we serve.

Thank you for your consideration. May you and your loved ones remain safe and well this holiday season.

With Gratitude,

Elizabeth D. Jones

President

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Fall has arrived and, with it, more distance learning! To those who are still participating in 优蜜视频 online offerings like and , it鈥檚 been great to see you. To those who we haven鈥檛 seen in a while, we hope you鈥檙e hanging in there!

There鈥檚 a lot to juggle right now, so here are some ways for kids who love to learn to expand their knowledge without adding another Zoom meeting to their busy calendars:

1. Listen to a Podcast

There鈥檚 a podcast for every interest and they鈥檙e a perfect way to learn while on walks or car rides! If you鈥檇 like to listen to a podcast about giftedness, check out our from last year.

2. Start a Garden

Whether you start with a cactus or a vegetable garden, testing out your green thumb has plenty of learning opportunities.

3. Conduct a Survey

If you鈥檙e looking to gain some number sense and analytical skills, try sending a survey to family and friends, then drawing conclusions from the results. You can even display your family鈥檚 favorite animals or ice cream flavors in a pie chart!

4. Watch a Documentary

Not only are documentaries great antidotes to stress, but you can learn something while you watch! There are engaging documentaries available about nature, space, history, musicians, and more.

5. Observe an Animal

Go outside and find an animal 鈥� a bird, insect, squirrel, or otherwise 鈥� and watch it for several minutes. What is it doing? Does it have cool adaptations? What do you think it eats?

6. Write (or Draw) a Story

We all have a story to tell! Whether you write about something that happened to you, your favorite historical figure, or something entirely fictional, flex your brain by thinking about how to tell the story in the most interesting way. Is there information you can wait to reveal to build suspense? Is there a joke that could make your readers laugh?

7. Learn a New Art Form

Now is a great time to learn how to weave, embroider, macrame, or paint. Anything can be art, and it鈥檚 so nice to take a break from screens to make something with your hands. Look online or head to a local craft store for inspiration!

8. Play a Strategy Game

优蜜视频 students love to play Connect 4, Sequence, Settlers of Catan, and Set. These and other games can help boost your logic skills even while you鈥檙e enjoying time with your family.

9. Cook or Bake

The culinary arts are full of chemistry and math! Pick out a recipe that uses ingredients you already have on-hand, then start measuring and mixing. What kind of physical and chemical reactions happen as you complete each step? How would you double the recipe?

10. Take a Virtual Museum Tour

We all miss walking around museums, but the next best thing is safely touring them from home. The , Amsterdam鈥檚 , and have virtual tours online.

How else have you been learning this year? Let us know in the comments!

This week, I had an opportunity to observe a session of , 滨贰础鈥檚 new distance learning program that brings professionals and students together via Zoom for specialized workshops. This particular session was the 4th class in a 6-part series for children ages 9-12. The first three classes were about public speaking, and this one was entitled Speech and Debate, taught by master鈥檚 candidate Reece Aguilar, Assistant Debate Coach for the University of Southern California. In an hour and a half (which flew by), I personally learned more than I expected to.  

This was a beginner鈥檚 class, so the instructor started from scratch 鈥� he taught us what debate actually is: the act of persuading a skeptical audience to align with your view. He led us through the components of an effective debate, including how to remain unemotional and free of fallacies.  

By the end of class, each student was charged with the task of writing a complete argument that might be used in an actual debate. They were given an array of topics to choose from, including whether or not schools should extend recess, whether or not cafeterias should offer free lunch, or whether or not schools should require uniforms. Students were given no more than five minutes to create their arguments, and each one was able to write and deliver their 30-second arguments with articulate confidence.  

I am not sure what I expected, but I was riveted the whole time! This was far from a droll lecture; this was an interactive discussion, truly a hands-on workshop. Reece did a fantastic job engaging the children; every student participated in the conversation and the final presentation. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic rendered in-person learning unsafe, I was skeptical about the quality of distance learning. I could not picture 滨贰础鈥檚 dynamic, interactive programs translating into an online format. After sitting in on both Spyglass and Yunasa, I am convinced that 滨贰础鈥檚 teachers and staff have mastered distance learning. And while we would all rather be together, this is the next best thing.  

This summer鈥檚 ever-changing landscape provides children and youth of all ages an opportunity to participate in fun, challenging learning through 滨贰础鈥檚 virtual programs. When the Institute for Educational Advancement (优蜜视频) made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person summer programming, we knew we had to find ways to connect with our students virtually instead. As a non-profit that supports all aspects of a gifted child, 优蜜视频 is very aware of the extreme toll this pandemic has taken on the intellectual, social and emotional wellbeing of students and their families. 滨贰础鈥檚 parents and students were eager for the organization to provide quality material in safe learning environments that engage our young people intellectually and channel their intensities and anxieties in healthy ways.

鈥淥ur kids look forward to joining us each summer at our Learning Center in Pasadena and at our Yunasa camps鈥� said Elizabeth D. Jones, President & Co-Founder of 优蜜视频. 鈥淲hile we knew we could bring our existing content online, we also challenged staff to go further and think of ways we could ensure our community can connect with one another, even from a distance.鈥�

滨贰础鈥檚 small but mighty staff and faculty quickly created compelling online content and provided virtual spaces for communities to come together. This summer, 优蜜视频 will continue to offer advanced learning and social opportunities virtually.

In addition to online Academy classes and virtual, families can sign up now for 滨贰础鈥檚 new , which use a digital platform to bring high-level content into the homes of gifted and advanced students across the country. Spyglass will consist of live, interactive sessions, both standalone and in series, on a variety of topics for a range of ages. This summer, students can sign up for workshops like the highly relevant series , which will challenge students to identify reliable sources versus misinformation, utilize effective strategies for communicating information and create impactful media content. Students will be encouraged to work together to apply these skills through projects that raise awareness of causes important to them and their communities. Other Spyglass series scheduled include Critical Studies of Science Fiction, College and Career Readiness and Introduction to Speech and Debate.

Families have already found these resources extremely helpful. As one 优蜜视频 parent stated, 鈥淲e have only been able to engage with 优蜜视频 through camp Yunasa. The online content tailored to gifted kids that 优蜜视频 is planning to offer is a huge bright spot for me coming out of this awful experience! We can’t get this type of content otherwise.鈥�

Together, we can ensure our students are able to continue to grow both mentally and interpersonally this distanced summer.

Sign up now for any of the classes online or call 优蜜视频 at 626-403-8900 to learn more about these programs.