1. Where else can you find amazing classes such as Hacker Calculus, Zoo Design, Geochemistry and Create and Rule Your Own Country? Our schedule is packed with inspiring, creative and one-of-a-kind offerings for bright students that you won鈥檛 find anywhere else. Click for the full list.
2. We also have three curricula! This summer, we鈥檒l be offering Black Death, It鈥檚 Electrifying: Fueling the Future and The Penguin Predicament. These curricula are NAGC award-winning and her past offerings are always popular. They utilize problem-based learning (PBL) approach and allow students to take on roles, help solve problems and navigate real-world situations.
3. Our are top-notch! Not only do they provide outstanding enrichment, guided inquiry, and incredible content, but they also bring with them impressive backgrounds and experience: JPL, CalTech, USC, The Natural History Museum, The Huntington Library, UCLA, MIT and much more.
4. At Academy students love to learn! This isn鈥檛 summer school 鈥� it鈥檚 summer enrichment, packed with peers that value learning for all the challenge, new perspectives and flat-out fun it provides. Interested in meeting like-minded peers? Join us this summer!
5. Rockets, explosions and dissections 鈥� oh, my! Academy classes are hands-on and designed to promote building, construction, tinkering, art, experiments, role-playing and debate. As the saying goes, we鈥檙e not afraid to get our hands dirty 鈥� and neither should you!聽
6. More than just classes: we offer free community events throughout the summer, such as student-led workshops, movie nights and an open house 鈥� and who knows what else might pop up? Our Learning Center is the perfect place not only for classes, but for meeting new peers and parents through fun and engaging events and activities that allow for socialization, games, free play and conversation.
7. New science lab! Have you heard? The Learning Center now has a science wet lab, complete with science equipment and technology, sinks, workstations and lab tables and stools. We鈥檒l be utilizing this space for the first time this summer and couldn鈥檛 be more excited to engage in scientific inquiry in an authentic environment.听听
8. Two words: 3D printer! Our Hacker Calculus course, running for the first time this summer, will include use of the printer and building visual models of calculus concepts and equations.There are still spots available in sessions II and III!
9. Here, There Be Dragons! Our Dungeons and Dragons course is running in sessions I and III and spots are still available. Historically one of our most popular courses, this class engages students in fantasy, decision making, leadership, social skills and strategy. Don鈥檛 miss out on your chance to embark on the many exciting journeys of this class!
10. Flexible schedule: We offer four classes per session for each of three age groups 鈥� and the choice is up to you! From just one class to a full-day option, you can customize your schedule to best meet your interests and learning needs. The Academy Team would be happy to answer any questions and discuss the different course options with you, so please don鈥檛 hesitate to give us a call: (626) 403-8900.

We look forward to seeing you at Academy this summer!

The Summer Academy application deadline is May 29. to learn more and to submit your application today.聽

Saturday, March 12^th bore witness to our 6^th Genius Day, a day of deep learning on the life and legacy of none other than Albert Einstein. In case you didn鈥檛 know, our Genius Days are days of investigation into the life and impact of someone who may be deemed a 鈥済enius.鈥� These days are always met with immense enthusiasm: our teachers clamor to share their expertise, sign-ups are rapid, and once over, our young learners leave desperate to know the date of the next Genius Day. This part of our programming is clearly sparking interest and excitement 鈥� so it鈥檚 worth pausing for a moment and considering why Genius Days are great for gifted kids.

In no particular order, here are my thoughts:

1. Gifted kids get the opportunity to come, from near and far, and be with others who share their interests

Saturday鈥檚 delegates came from as far away as Long Beach and as near as San Marino. Most importantly, they came so they could spend the day exploring Einstein鈥檚 legacy through science, math and, perhaps surprisingly, creative writing. They engaged in a fabulous gravity well experiment in order to investigate general relativity, they voyaged through time dilation and aspects of special relativity during a math challenge game, and they re-imagined Einstein’s perspectives on the world and education, by reading and responding to letters written to him or by him. All of this was achieved in a safe environment amongst others who share a common desire to learn and a unique enthusiasm for Einstein.

2. Gifted kids get the chance to learn with and from experts; asking questions which might otherwise go unanswered, or worse, not asked

Genius Day is not just an exercise in finding engaging teaching and learning activities, but an exercise in finding those with the cavernous expertise to truly meet the intellectual needs of our students. Last Saturday, we were honored to be led by our long-standing Astronomy teacher, Dr. Tony Travouillon, who is known for his work on the Thirty Meter Telescope (as well as his ability to bake macarons!). Co-teaching on that day was Dr. Jeff Rich, currently a post-doctoral research associate at the Carnegie Observatory in Pasadena. Tony and Jeff stand in a long line of friends, teachers, researchers, and experts who have given their time and minds to previous Genius Days 鈥� from Caltech to members of the Independent Shakespeare Company. Collectively, these teachers inspire our children and address ALL of their questions with patience, respect, and oftentimes, awe!

3. Gifted kids get to work in paradise!

All days have been hosted at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino: paradise indeed. The location is not just paradise because of the inspirational beauty of the setting, but because of its riches in manuscripts, collections, and exhibits 鈥� riches we are fortunate to enjoy access to. Curators graciously donate their time beforehand to meet with the teachers and enlighten us on what aspects of the collection might relate to our named 鈥済enius.鈥� 聽For Einstein, we sourced some incredible digital images of Einstein鈥檚 visit to Mt. Wilson and then on the day itself enjoyed a visit to the award-winning Beautiful Science exhibit. Who wouldn鈥檛 be inspired to be engaged in paradise? Perhaps attendees imagined a future life as a scholar, feeding the mind through adulthood.

4. Gifted kids get what they need most 鈥� intellectual nourishment

A Genius Day is not just about showing up on the day and having the mind fed, but having expectations shaped BEFORE you even get there. All students are sent a reading pack to devour 鈥� intellectually speaking! 鈥� before the day itself. The pack outlines key terms and concepts and offers a biography. It also offers challenging readings by and about the genius from sources not always readily accessible! Pre-reading for Einstein included a newspaper article from a 1919 British newspaper, a copy of his report card revealing his achievements in Chemistry needed some attention (!), a copy of a telegram serving as a rallying cry to leading scientists in light of anxieties surrounding the atomic bomb, as well as current, breaking news on the man himself within the context of LIGO!

5. Gifted kids get to participate, not just receive

All children are involved throughout the day. Learning activities are designed, purposefully, for a range of learning styles. There is a deliberate design for student participation and an expectation that we don鈥檛 just interrogate the science and the math, but also the very notion of 鈥済enius鈥� 鈥� historically, socially and culturally. We strive for dialogue and we do our best to ensure all voices are heard, from the past through to those magical moments in the classroom.

And so, we say 鈥淗appy Birthday鈥� to Albert Einstein and bathe in the warm glow of holding a Genius Day about him just as news of a whole new astronomy breaks, courtesy of gravitational waves.聽 We also say 鈥渢hank you鈥� to our community who attend and enjoy these unique days of deep learning.

We think our Genius Days are 鈥済enius.鈥� As one of our families said, for their child, attending Genius Day is 鈥渓ike being in another world with kids that he can really talk to about the things that really interest him. We cannot express enough our gratitude for what you have created in 优蜜视频; where our son lights up, like nowhere else. Another world indeed.鈥�

We sincerely hope to have you join our world and make it your child鈥檚 world, next time at Genius Day.

Interested in Genius Day? You may also enjoy 优蜜视频’s Academy, which offers after-school and weekend enrichment courses for gifted children grades K-8th. Applications are now available for the spring term!聽Learn more and apply on the .

A British import, Louise Hindle graduated from the University of Manchester with a B.A. Honors Degree in English Literature and Language, completed her post-graduate teacher training at The University of Cambridge, and has recently completed her dissertation in Educational Leadership and Innovation with the University of Warwick. Louise has 20 years of experience in education as a high school literature teacher, lead teacher, administrator, adviser, and consultant. She is also the parent of three fun and active school-aged children. She loves working at 优蜜视频 because she is constantly learning and reflecting in order to meet the varied and complex needs of these children, who she finds to be confident and vulnerable in equal measure but always ready to learn and thirsty for more. In her free time, she likes to read with her children, hike, walk, and jog with her badly behaved dog.

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It was snowing indoors at 优蜜视频鈥檚 tree-trimming party last Friday as parents, students and staff all worked together to create handcrafted ornaments and paper snowflakes to decorate the Barder House for the holidays. As families munched on cookies and sipped hot chocolate (generously donated by the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf), they reflected on favorite 优蜜视频 moments from the past year 鈥� like our Genius Day hosted at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens and our Summer Soiree BBQ event. Students also spoke excitedly about plans for the New Year, including family trips and courses they had already applied to take in our upcoming Winter Session of Academy.

The event may even be the start of a new 优蜜视频 tradition! 鈥淭his was such a great opportunity to relax and unwind with the 优蜜视频 community after the end of the school term,鈥� remarked a parent. 鈥淎nd the crafts were a big hit. We鈥檇 love to do this again!鈥� Most popular among the crafts were created under the patient instruction of Tiffany Kwong, who showed kids and adults how to cut and tape squares of paper to make intricate, three-dimensional works of art. To make your own ornaments聽at home, you can follow the paper snowflake tutorial below!

As the glowing warmth of the tree illuminated the smiling faces of everyone in attendance, there was an overwhelming sense of gratitude for our close-knit community of supporters and the amazing children that we have had the privilege to serve. As the 优蜜视频 staff looks forward to the holidays with our own families, we鈥檇 like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many members of the 优蜜视频 family who have contributed their time, talent and money in service of our mission over the course of 2015. As we prepare for the New Year, your support is paramount to helping us plan for the future of 优蜜视频 and providing much needed services to the children in our programs.

If you would like to make a donation to support 优蜜视频 in time for the New Year, please visit our website鈥檚 donation page or call our office at 626-403-8900. To sign up for an Academy class, click here!

Happy holidays from all of us here at 优蜜视频 and best wishes for the coming year!

Anna interned with 优蜜视频 over the summer, working closely with the . Here she shares her reflections on some of the things she has learned from the experience.

Prior to joining the team at the Institute for Educational Advancement, I spent a year working full-time in an LAUSD elementary school in South-Central Los Angeles as a mentor and tutor. After working 50-hour weeks in the second-largest school district in the nation, I was eager to gain in-classroom experience from the opposite end of the spectrum. I was drawn to 优蜜视频 for its progressive philosophy; students here are grouped not by age but by their academic interests, teachers are given creative liberty to explore methods that work best to engage gifted students, and the individual student is taken seriously and respected.

On my first day working at the 优蜜视频 Academy, I was immediately intrigued by the group of students that made up an organic chemistry class. The ages of the students ranged from six years old to twelve. Not only was each student fully engaged in the class, but each student was treated equally. The six year-old was not spoken down to or treated like a small child. I couldn鈥檛 help but think of the third graders I had spent the past year with; I can鈥檛 imagine how positively their educational experiences and overall senses of self would have been impacted if they could have been lucky enough to work in a similar environment.

The teachers at 优蜜视频 come from a wide range of backgrounds – all of them passionate about the subjects they teach, and all of them passionate about teaching and making challenging content accessible. We had teachers designing scavenger hunts at The Huntington Library to enrich the Planetary Science class, teachers bringing ingredients to make crepes for the French culture class, along with teachers who worked their networks to bring equipment into the classroom from Caltech! Not only do these teachers have access to valuable learning resources, but they are valuable resources themselves as mentors. The intentionality behind each lesson was evident by the enthusiasm and engagement of the students. It鈥檚 a no-brainer that when teachers care, students learn more, grow more, and enjoy the class more. For this reason alone, 优蜜视频 provides an invaluable educational experience to its students – an experience that would be defining, even revolutionary, if it could be implemented on a large scale in public education.

The Institute for Educational Advancement has opened my eyes to a different approach to learning – and it would be unfair for me to assume that 优蜜视频鈥檚 philosophy could only be realized in a place of learning for gifted children. I do believe that gifted students need autonomy, engagement, and collaboration in their learning spaces. However, I believe that this is true for all students. 优蜜视频 serves as a special 鈥渓earning oasis鈥� for students who are not finding enough intellectual stimulation or challenge in their schools. I wish there were no need to provide this 鈥渟pecial escape鈥� to begin with. I do believe that we, as a community and state, are capable of implementing 优蜜视频鈥檚 successes in classrooms across a wide spectrum of neighborhoods and school districts.

Gifted children give us insight into what it really means to educate. We need to look no further than the minds of our brightest youth when looking for direction in teaching methods and education policy. If we just listened to what our gifted youth had to say about their educational experiences – both the highs and the lows – we would have all the answers we need. Our students know when they are learning in a way that motivates them to learn more, they know when their teachers care, and they know when their voices are being heard. The moment that we all take our children seriously and allow them to share their love for life and excitement to grow with us, we will have made a shift from developing students to developing leaders. At the Institute for Educational Advancement, students are heard. And what we are hearing is that they are learning, and that they are enjoying it.

Learn more about the .

Summer days at 优蜜视频 continue to be filled with time spent with our amazing community members across the country! Take a look at some of the highlights from the month of July:

Students jumped in to fill more than 40 spots in Academy Summer Session II, where they explored everything from Algebra to Jane Austen and were taught by content area specialists.

68 campers gathered in Michigan for Yunasa. Stay tuned for more updates and photos at the conclusion of camp!
聽 聽 聽 聽 聽听听

优蜜视频 Apprenticeship Mentor and Caltech researcher Ashish Mahabal gave a mini-lecture on聽transients – astronomical objects that change in brightness on short time-scales.

CDB Finalists were interviewed in Houston, Boise, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boston, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Washington, D.C.

Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy students examined meteorites from the Moon, Vesta, and other celestial bodies.

Brianna, 优蜜视频鈥檚 Resources Coordinator, joined our friends from The Gifted Development Center at the 2015 SENG Conference in Denver.

We filmed interviews at The Barder House and Academy for our new 优蜜视频 video, coming soon!

Students in the Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy class took a field trip to explore the light and optics exhibit at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

A new staff member, Ni帽a, joined the 优蜜视频 team as a Program Coordinator.

Academy students taking Astronomy went on a field trip to the Griffith Observatory for more hands-on learning.

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

Want to see more highlights from this summer?

Summer is a busy time at 优蜜视频 鈥� all of our programs are in full swing, and many of our community members use the time off school to work on projects and participate in competitions. Take a look at what took place within the 优蜜视频 community in June!

33 campers gathered in Colorado for Yunasa West, a week of balance, community, and fun. Campers participated in yoga, guided meditation, small group sessions with 优蜜视频 Fellows, and traditional camp activities such as kayaking, swimming, ropes courses, horseback riding, and campfires.

22 students took classes like Chemistry Lab, Exploring French Culture, and Geology and the World around Us in Summer Academy Session I.

2011 CDB Scholar Anirudh was one of the at-large winners for the for his research into a genetic technique for autoimmune diseases; he also participated in the national competition in Philadelphia. Great work, Anirudh!

Academy students who enrolled in Astronomy took a fun field trip to the Griffith Observatory.

Three Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Selection Committees met to determine 2015 CDB Finalists. Then 优蜜视频 staff members set out to begin interviewing Finalists, a process which will span two months and include travel to 14 cities across the country!

Yunasa camper and Academy student Xander starred as Lord Farquaad in his school鈥檚 production of Shrek.

2011 CDB Scholar Shiloh was a national winner in the . Congratulations, Shiloh!

Several Academy classes ended the session with field trips to the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

Caroline D. Bradley Scholars across the country graduated from middle school, high school, and college!

Have news to share? Please send the community member鈥檚 name and affiliation with 优蜜视频 along with a photo or video to 优蜜视频gifted@educationaladvancement.org. We鈥檇 love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the 优蜜视频 community!

We dedicated and named our new home, The Barder House, in honor of Sarah D. Barder, whose generosity and vision have greatly impacted the Institute for Educational Advancement and our nation鈥檚 brightest youth. Ms. Barder鈥檚 family and more than 150 members of the 优蜜视频 community were in attendance.

More than 100 campers attended this year, where they learned to balance the intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical aspects of their lives.

We had the tremendous opportunity to host three sessions at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, where students and teachers were granted access to the institution鈥檚 wide range of resources.

As part of the continuously growing Academy program, we offered two Genius Days in 2014. During these days of deep learning, students worked with an expert in the field to uncover the contributions of an individual we consider a genius. This year鈥檚 Genius Days studied Galileo and 鈥渇ather of geology鈥� William Smith.

During the summer, 29 high school students from across the country worked with renowned experts in their field of interest through 优蜜视频鈥檚 Apprenticeship Program.

The 2014 Bradley Seminar brought more than 100 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars, parents, alumni, and supporters to Pasadena, California, for a weekend of community, support, and intellectual stimulation.

Many members of our community gathered for 优蜜视频鈥檚 annual Summer Spotlight, an evening of learning, reflection, and friendship.

Dr. Steve Hindle, W.M. Keck Foundation Director of Research at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, delivered a fascinating comparative talk on the English and American Civil Wars at 优蜜视频鈥檚 Autumn Benefit.

We welcomed 30 new , including these bright young minds!

Thank you for helping us make this another amazing year of connecting bright young minds and nurturing intellectual and personal growth! We couldn鈥檛 do it without you.

Here鈥檚 to a successful, prosperous 2015!

Louise is 优蜜视频鈥檚 Academy Coordinator. Academy offers K-8th grade students challenging enrichment classes that focus on exploration and application of knowledge.

This year, 优蜜视频 had the tremendous opportunity to host both 3-week Summer Academy sessions at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, that scholar鈥檚 paradise situated in the center of San Marino, known and loved by curious minds near and far, young and not so young! It was a boon to our community to enjoy this remarkable location, and more, to begin to appreciate how such partnering might enrich our classes further. As we conclude our inaugural Academy program at The Huntington, we look back at the summer sessions through the eyes of our most important critics: the Academy students themselves!

鈥業 LOVED EVERYTHING!!!鈥� screams the written evaluation from Simone O. on her post-program survey. Simone spent the summer in classes like Ancient Rome, Physics Lab, Planetary Astronomy and Scientists Like Me, devoting a fair amount of time in between with her nose in a book, a smile on her face and an eager commitment to staying for extra time on Thursdays to enjoy our mini-lecture series. She, along with the other friends she made, also described making new connections and 鈥榰nforgettable memories at The Huntington鈥�. As they hung out at lunch, shared stories and laughter, walked the gardens and dodged the sprinklers, they took time to tell us:

• We do unique, fun experiments and activities to further our understanding of demanding concepts, such as creating a diagram of the solar system made out of different food items to help demonstrate each planet鈥檚 qualities
• It was challenging intellectually – but in a good way!
• We鈥檝e understood art and art history through cool scavenger hunts in the gallery
• The teachers have been such a big part in our learning process. They have the ability to make learning fun and much more interactive than regular school
• We were inspired by scientists from the past by visiting the 鈥楤eautiful Science鈥� exhibit
• You get the chance to work at a pace that suits your own learning style and level of interest
• We understood the context of Bronte鈥檚 Jane Eyre through seeing and talking about key texts with a leading curator (even though the text was impossible to read!)

What鈥檚 more, the students told us that all classes were overall more in-depth and more specific than anything they鈥檝e had the chance to enjoy so far 鈥� as well as being interestingly inter-disciplinary! Feedback, so far then, suggests this time was, indeed, one of 鈥榩aradise鈥�.

Naturally, watching friendships develop and personalities emerge is, of course, a major part of the summer camp experience. For 优蜜视频 staff and Academy teachers, one of the most thrilling parts of the last 6 weeks has been watching our community of children grow intellectually, as well as socially, and grow to believe that their passions and interests are shared with others and could give them pathways to a unique future. Parents, too, have taken extra time to write and to let us know how glad they are to have 鈥榙iscovered鈥� us, that their child 鈥榟ad a blast鈥� and that their child 鈥榠s already asking about when she can take another class鈥�. In addition, as we evaluate, we love to hear your ideas for future classes, from Robotics to Botany, from Architecture to Art History; rest assured, we will continue to listen and respond.

The Oxford English Dictionary tells me that the lexical item 鈥楶aradise鈥� can be traced back to Middle English to the Old French word, 鈥榩aradis鈥�, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek 鈥榩aradeisos鈥� or ‘royal (enclosed) park’. Having been on site at The Huntington did indeed elevate us and make us feel 鈥榬oyal鈥� and protected, but in a more modern sense of the word, as young scholars, our Academy students found their idyllic place and their idyllic state of mind in a safe and stimulating community.

Thanks to all who contributed their honest thoughts to this blog and to all who made this happen, and happen so successfully! It was paradise.

See more highlights from Summer 2014 Academy!

More information about Fall 2014 Academy coming soon! To stay updated on future offerings, join our email list.

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!

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Our second Genius Day took place on November 23 and was dedicated to the life and work of William Shakespeare. Like our inaugural Genius Day in June focused on Charles Darwin, November’s Genius Day was a great success! Hosted once again at the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, we increased the number of spots available, and all were filled. Our delegates, the children, had read and prepared their pre-reading materials and were ready to dig deeper!

Led by Louise Hindle and Independent Shakespeare Company actor and educator Andre Martin, the day of deep learning began with an interrogation into the very concept of genius, then delegates engaged in a scavenger hunt exploring Shakespeare鈥檚 social, historical and literary contexts. After lunch, we were fortunate to enjoy a docent tour of the newly refurbished Library Hall and get up close to the First Folio. Thanks to Andre Martin, we closed the day and celebrated mastery through the dramatic exploration of Henry V.

Take a look at some photos from the event!