“One of the most valuable experiences a gifted student can have is exposure to a mentor who is willing to share personal values, a particular interest, time, talent and skills. When the experience is properly structured and the mentor is a good match for the student, the relationship can provide both mentor and student with encouragement, inspiration, new insights and other personal rewards”. This eloquently put statement by Sandra Berger in her article encapsulates what our student’s takeaways have been from EXPLORE Mentor program.

We know that being a gifted child can be difficult. They can experience self-doubt and low self-esteem as they attempt to understand their abilities and navigate relationships and experiences among their peers, often feeling misunderstood and unseen.

This is where a role model in the form of a mentor can be beneficial to a gifted child. Mentors allow children trying to understand their unique gifts and talents an avenue to share interests, passions, thoughts and doubts in a constructive, supportive space.

This is what we aim to do in the , by intentionally matching Externs and Mentors that they may thrive, experiencing validation and support by someone who understands and can guide them.

At the culmination of EXPLORE each year, Externs share the impact of the program and how their mentor has helped shape their career aspirations, given them the confidence to follow their dreams, and provided them with useful tools that will enrich their professional and interpersonal experiences in the future.

Here is what they had to say about their mentors.

鈥淭he most important things I learned, from Dr. Yeh, were the hands-on wet-lab techniques and how to turn questions into experiments. Having this experience at a young age allows me a better chance at thriving in my career field.鈥� – Abheerava Koka, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淲orking at SIMA, with Michael and Virginia, I realized how much social impact really means to me, especially in a world where these issues are becoming more prominent and sparking more debates amongst different groups of people. I hope to find a career where I can apply what I鈥檝e learned.鈥� 鈥� Nikki Wu, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淚 learned how to interact with others in a professional manner. Some skills can only be learned in a job environment, which I knew, but this summer reminded me how important 鈥渞eal life鈥� experiences truly are.鈥� 鈥� Cindy Xie, EXPLORE 2019

鈥淲orking with my mentors at Sci-Arc really helped me overcome the shyness in me. Before I struggled to ask for help but know I feel more comfortable doing so.鈥� 鈥� Emily Aguilar Sanchez, EXPLORE 2019

THANK YOU to all our who have dedicated their time and talent to supporting and encouraging the gifted students in this program.

We are excited to share who will be joining us as Mentors for EXPLORE 2020. Thank you to Dr. Christopher Barnes, Dr. Pamela Yeh, Stan Kong, Betty Kassis, Toby Harper, Monica Fernandez, Dr. Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, Dr. Aaron Blaisdell, Dr. Sasha Wright and the many more professionals who have committed to mentoring a gifted youth as they explore their passions this summer. We look forward to hearing how you have impacted their lives this year.

about the 2020 EXPLORE Program. 优蜜视频 is also still looking for qualified mentors to join the 2020 cohort. Email us at explore@educationaladvancement.org if you are interested in becoming an EXPLORE mentor.

Going into high school, I was dead set on becoming an engineer. Although art was one of my passions, I never really realized what value my art skills held and what I could potentially use it for on a professional level. However, my perspective on creative careers and my future plans changed when I attended the Institute for Educational Advancement鈥檚 at , under the mentorship of Professor Stan Kong.

I applied for the product design site of this program. The funny thing is, though, was that I didn鈥檛 know what product design was at all – or the essence of design. I just knew that the program would teach basic sketching and rendering skills as the description mentioned, which was enough to pique my interest. Despite this, I ended up learning so much more.

In the first week at ArtCenter, I learned about the product design industry, the design process and business-oriented techniques and experiences. I was surprised to discover how diverse, versatile and vast product design is as a field, in addition to how the design process resembled the scientific method; it begins with a prompt, followed by research, reformulation of prompt or objective, and a cycling between ideation, development and testing until, finally, production.

One of the biggest things I took away from the first week was how to work and thrive in a company. Communication, collaboration, understanding 鈥� these are all important to obtaining success in the industry. And I know because we actually did a project that resembled the experience of working in a company in which we had to work with others to create a flashlight design that satisfied the needs of a particular consumer. In teams, we interviewed our client, researched materials and resources, elaborated on different ideas and pitched our design. Being familiar with your client, demographic, competitors and the market place was the key to success. For me it was challenging to manage so many ideas in a group, to eliminate what was impractical and to agree on a particular vision. It鈥檚 through this first-hand experience, though, that I learned how work with others better, whether it was in EXPLORE or outside of it.

In the following weeks, we worked on more collaborative projects, like designing lunchboxes and water bottles, and we all improved in communicating and understanding. We learned more about the industry, like branding and advertising. However, we also learned about ArtCenter itself by exploring all their offered majors and what it felt like to be a college student.

The whole experience was so fun, stimulating, and enriching in that I not only learned, but experienced the product design process, business and marketing and ArtCenter. And it was so much better that I experienced this with peers who were funny, talented, and ambitious; I鈥檒l remember all the laughs and the trip on the ArtCenter shuttle where we played games the entire way back. I also had the pleasure of being taught skills and life lessons from Stan鈥檚 personal experiences that I鈥檒l take with me in the future.

Because I joined the 优蜜视频 EXPLORE Externship at ArtCenter, I鈥檝e become a better collaborator, presenter, artist and life-long learner. I plan to study and pursue product, industrial or interactive design in the future. In fact, I hope to be admitted to one of the several colleges to which I applied to study both engineering and design, two passions I鈥檝e learned were anything but exclusive. For now, I鈥檒l be attending , a program that EXPLORE introduced me to.

I hope that my experience encourages others to explore their interests or overlooked passions to discover what the world has to offer 鈥� and what they can offer to the world.

Want to experience a hands-on externship under the guidance of an experienced mentor this summer? ! Applications for the 2019 program are due April 9, 2019.

鈥淚 am happy to be in a room of too鈥檚,鈥� said Betsy Jones, 优蜜视频 President, as we concluded 优蜜视频’s Summer Spotlight this year. 鈥淲e are all too鈥檚 鈥� too emotional, too smart, too intense鈥�.鈥�

Tuesday, June 8, was a bright evening of community, learning, and friendship as 优蜜视频 and its community gathered at the University of Southern California for dinner and a time of sharing. Eight 优蜜视频 Apprentices, who studied Industrial Design under Stan Kong at Art Center College of Design, displayed their impressive concept design sketches 鈥� pieces of art that would later become final projects. Posters, books, and sculptures created by Academy students, Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, and Yunasa campers were also scattered about USC鈥檚 Vineyard Room, along with plenty of photos of Academy kids at The Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens; Yunasa West campers frolicking in Colorado; and CDB Scholars who convened for the Bradley Seminar in April.

After dinner, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Program Coordinators introduced speakers from each of 优蜜视频’s programs. Min-Ling Li, the valiant leader of 29 Apprentices, began by announcing both Alex T., who is studying shock waves with Dr. Eliasson at USC, and Robert, an Industrial Design Apprentice.

Alex鈥檚 speech was an expounded acrostic he created from the letters of 优蜜视频: I 鈥撯�淚 am Alex,鈥� he began. This is Alex鈥檚 second year as an 优蜜视频 Apprentice, and he thanked the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship program for introducing him to an opportunity that would change his life. 鈥淥nce you are a part of 优蜜视频, you support it, and it supports you,鈥� he said. E 鈥� 鈥淓ager. That is what the students here are,鈥� Alex continued. Finally, A 鈥� 鈥淎pprentice…we are all Apprentices, because every day we learn something new. One thing I learned while I was here is of all the gifted children being overlooked by teachers. 优蜜视频 works to find them and help them come to terms with their giftedness鈥nstitute for Educational Advancement: intelligent, eager, able,鈥� he concluded.

Robert, who came to the Los Angeles-based Apprenticeship Program all the way from Miami, is a first-year Apprentice who described his experience as a time of extremely hard work and the unbelievable opportunity to 鈥渟tudy at a school he hopes to get into in a field he hopes to make a career out of.鈥�

One of 优蜜视频鈥檚 earliest Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, Ryan, spoke next: 鈥淚t鈥檚 much more than a monetary gift 鈥� it鈥檚 a community,鈥� he said of CDB. According to Ryan, CDB helped him develop the confidence to be whatever it is he wanted to be. When it was time to apply for college, the CDB coordinator helped him apply. Ryan opted for Harvard, where he began by pursuing an education in engineering, ended up in neuroscience, found himself in musical theater, and finished his degree in creative arts. Now Ryan produces movies 鈥� Lego movies, of late.

, stood upon a chair to reach the microphone and talked about how, in the past year at 优蜜视频, he has taken a Shakespeare class from a professional actor, advanced his math skills with a teacher who made it fun, made his first short film, painted himself blue using ice and an infrared camera in his first Physics class, and was introduced to the Spanish language for the first time. 鈥淚f that wasn鈥檛 enough,鈥� he said, 鈥溣琶凼悠� has given me this opportunity in public speaking!鈥�

Finally, 10-year-old Alexander A., who also stood on a chair to speak, described Yunasa as a place where he is able to be himself, a place where he feels loved and accepted by all the people around him. At Yunasa and Yunasa West, Alexander has learned practical ways to help him calm down when he feels tense and emotional. He talked about Senior Fellows Patricia Gatto Walden, Ph.D., and Michael Piechowski, Ph.D., who have given him hugs and engaged him in conversations about deep and interesting things. Alexander鈥檚 favorite Yunasa activity is the low ropes course because, he said, 鈥測ou get to work as a team to get through obstacles.鈥�

When the young brilliant pundits of 优蜜视频 finished their enlightening speeches, Betsy Jones told a story of a girl she met at Yunasa West this year. This young lady explained to Betsy that when she feels sad, she spends time with her 鈥淭oo People.鈥� She has always been told that she is 鈥渢oo intense, too distracted, too talkative, too quiet, too much,鈥� so her stuffed animals became a family of 鈥渢oo鈥檚鈥� who provide a safe place where she can exist without feeling chastised. 优蜜视频 has been around for 16 years, and it is still one of the only organizations in the world where, as Betsy said, these young brilliant individuals 鈥渃an grow and learn and be and do whatever it is they want to do.鈥�

Summer Spotlight was an evening of illumination 鈥� a light shone upon a community of 鈥渢oo鈥檚鈥� and the programs that help them to grow, succeed, learn, and feel safe to be themselves.

Take a look at more photos from Summer Spotlight 2014!

Are you interested in learning more about 优蜜视频 programs and our impact? Sign up for our email newsletter, which provides regular updates on the work we do as well as resources on giftedness.

Congratulations to 2011 Industrial Design Apprentices David Acosta and Deven Row, who recently won the *!

The contest, entered by over 150 students from 20 countries, required entrants to use images and market research to develop products that would meet the luxury transportation needs of a 20-30 year old in the year 2025. David received first place with his 鈥淔ordBoard鈥� 鈥� a skateboard type transportation device 鈥� and Deven placed second for his 鈥淓uphoria鈥� vehicle.

Last summer, Deven and David joined 23 other high school students from across the country for 优蜜视频鈥檚 summer Apprenticeship Program. Industrial Design Apprentices, including David and Deven, worked with Mentor Stan Kong at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. They developed key skills like research, sketching, rendering, creative thinking, and model building.

All of the Apprentices spent three to four weeks living in dorms at the University of Southern California, experienced college life, gained real-world experience working with Mentors who are leaders in their fields, and met new people from diverse backgrounds with similar interests and experiences. On evenings and weekends, Apprentices attended cultural events, participated in recreational activities, and explored Los Angeles.

Even before the program, David knew he wanted to pursue a career in industrial design. The Apprenticeship Program helped him gain important skills in the field, particularly researching and designing for a particular consumer, which he used in the Ford competition and will continue to use in the field of industrial design.

优蜜视频鈥檚 Apprenticeship Program is held each summer and matches high school students with Mentors in fields such as science, industrial design, medicine, and law.

Does the Apprenticeship experience sound like an experience someone you know would like? There are still spots available for this summer鈥檚 Apprenticeship program! 2012 Apprenticeships are available in Los Angeles and San Diego, California.

*The competition is no longer running as of 05/21/2024

Share this exciting news and the Apprenticeship Program with your friends!