On Friday, November 17^th, the Institute for Educational Advancement (优蜜视频) will honor three tremendous individuals who have worked to address the needs of gifted education in our community. Here鈥檚 a little bit more about them.

Raising the Bar for Gifted Students: Jason and Sandy Roberts

Jason and Sandy Roberts, recipients of this year鈥檚 Community Advocate Award from 优蜜视频, have worked diligently to ensure that the needs of highly able learners are met in Pasadena Unified schools. Initially coaching elementary and middle school students in mathematics, Jason and Sandy launched to provide mathematically gifted middle school and high school students with the skills and insight needed to excel in honors math and science programs at the most elite universities in the world.

Math Academy partners with Pasadena Unified School District in reaching students starting in the 6^th grade, and offering them sequenced mathematics coursework that culminates in completing Calculus in the 8^th grade. But while the Roberts remain dedicated to serving students in Pasadena, they envision being able to expand Math Academy to other districts. 鈥淥ur belief is that once enough parents become aware of what鈥檚 being achieved at a struggling, under-resourced district, they鈥檒l have no choice but to pressure their respective school boards to follow suit, which will mark the beginning of a sea change in mathematics education across America,鈥� Jason told Pasadena Now this past summer.

And enabling large-scale change is nothing new to the Roberts family. Jason designed and developed much of Uber鈥檚 original real-time and global 鈥渁ir traffic control鈥� technologies. With a mathematics degree from the University of Chicago, Jason has also launched technology startups and built high-frequency trading systems. Sandy is no stranger to effecting change, either. With a degree in economics from University of Chicago, she also shares her love of math by teaching at the Math Academy and raising funds to support the new organization. Sandy has spent the last ten years on nonprofit boards, holding leadership positions with the Junior League of Pasadena, Young & Healthy and the Pasadena Educational Foundation.

Parents to three children, the oldest of whom is a student in Math Academy, Jason and Sandy exemplify the values that 优蜜视频 holds dear, namely helping every child reach their potential and providing them with the skills and tools to flourish intellectually, creatively, socially and emotionally.

Photo courtesy of Sandy and Jason Roberts

Inspiring Joy in Gifted Youth for Science and Math:聽 Tony Travouillon

Physics. Electrical Circuitry. Astronomy. These are not typical topics covered in elementary and middle school. But thanks to Tony Travouillon, Ph.D., our fortunate 优蜜视频 student community gets to explore the universe and learn how to build electrical circuits through our Academy program. Beloved by 优蜜视频 students and parents, Tony will receive this year鈥檚 Educator Award at our Awards Dinner & Celebration next month.

Since 2011, Tony has been delighting gifted young minds through his 优蜜视频 Academy classes, held in the Pasadena area. According to one parent of a student in Tony鈥檚 Astronomy class, 鈥淢r. Tony inspired my child with his passion and knowledge of science and made learning fun.鈥�

An astrophysicist, he is a System Scientist at Thirty Meter Telescope Observatory, where he conducts experimental research on atmospheric turbulence and its repercussions for astronomy, image degradation, adaptive optics and interferometry. Since receiving his Ph.D. in astrophysics and undergraduate degrees in Physics and Astronomy at the University of New South Wales, Tony has remained devoted to sharing his knowledge and experience with others. In addition to teaching at 优蜜视频, he holds a Visiting Associate position at Caltech and is an Adjunct Professor at College of the Canyons.

Tony鈥檚 passion for teaching is evident in the classroom, and on the inquiring, curious faces in his classes. 鈥淚n 优蜜视频 I found the perfect place to teach the way I want to teach,鈥� said Tony. 鈥淚 can take full advantage of the small classes to really cater for each individual, adapting to the need of every student and offer an experience that is tailored to my audience.鈥�

Photo credit: Walt Mancini/Pasadena Star-News/News/SCNG

Join the Celebration!

Join us on November 17^th at our Awards Dinner & Celebration, to be held at The University Club of Pasadena, and show your support of these and other exceptional advocates for gifted education.

To sponsor and/or purchase tickets or a program ad, click .

Like this post?聽聽to receive more stories, information, and resources about gifted youth straight to your inbox.

Lisa is the mother of 3 gifted children and lives outside of San Francisco.

My middle son is a junior in high school. It鈥檚 time for him to start thinking about college. To help the process along, his school invited a speaker from to speak to the parents and students. She reminded the parents that the search should be student-centered. To make her point she told stories about over-involved parents who push their children aside during college fairs in order to speak to the admissions officers and those who get their pronouns confused when talking about the application process, as in, 鈥�We are still in the process of writing our 别蝉蝉补测蝉.鈥�

I have never pushed my children, and I am very conscious of which pronoun I use. That said, I was very involved in my oldest son鈥檚 college search, and I plan to do the same for my middle son. My experience has given me sympathy for the parents she ridiculed. It鈥檚 a fine line between over-involved helicopter parent and helpful consultant. But whichever side of the line you fall, there will be consequences for your child and a corresponding label of their own.

My involvement in my children鈥檚 educational decisions is not unlike that of many parents of gifted kids. For the past 10 years, I鈥檝e been helping my children get the resources they need to challenge themselves and feed their passions. In the past, that meant online courses, tutors, extracurricular activities and schools. Two years ago, it meant helping my oldest son find a college. It wasn鈥檛 until he began his college search that I understood how my involvement has influenced the way he thinks about his own education.

鈥淚 want a school with a good visual arts program, but I don鈥檛 want it to focus solely on the object.鈥�

He wanted to paint, draw or sculpt at a school that didn鈥檛 focus on the painting, drawing or sculpture. If you are confused, so was I. Even he didn鈥檛 know exactly what he was looking for. But that didn鈥檛 prevent me from searching for this elusive school. I (yes, I am aware of the pronoun I am using) looked through course catalogues for visual art classes with unique titles, eschewing schools that only offered the vanilla 鈥淧ainting 101鈥� or 鈥淒rawing Techniques.鈥� I looked at their capital expenditures on the arts and made charts detailing their core requirements. We visited colleges on the East Coast and in Southern California where I asked more questions than my son during the campus tours. The accordion files I created for potential colleges bulged.

My search led him to the University of Chicago. He was intrigued by the classes titled 鈥淰isual Language: On Time and Space鈥� and 鈥淧erforming Tableware.鈥� He enrolled last year. When my husband and I delivered him to the campus, we knew that the school would provide a rich academic experience for him. But he wasn鈥檛 done personalizing his education.

At the beginning of his second year, he decided that the majors available at University of Chicago were limiting. So instead of settling for a major that mostly provided what he wanted, he decided to invent his own. He is going to declare a major in Interdisciplinary Studies. This do-it-yourself major allows him to combine studies in the humanities. He is going to craft a major in the fields of anthropology, visual arts, creative writing and psychology. The tentative title of his major is 鈥淪torytelling.鈥�

Just as there are contrasting labels that can be applied to me, you may be tempted to apply one to my son. On the positive side, you could say that he is self-actualizing. On the negative: he feels entitled. While I will argue the former, I will admit that the latter also applies. My interference in his educational experiences led him to believe that he can expect a personalized education plan that feeds his passions, wherever that may take him. This may mean that he will enter a work force that does not value his efforts and that he will spend his twenties living in our basement. On the other hand, he may have developed skills that allow him to pursue a career his father and I have never imagined. After all, there are people making a living creating Google Doodles. Who knew that was a career 10 years ago?

I believe that my intentions are good and that my behavior furthers my children鈥檚 goals. My middle son is going to test that belief. An extraordinary math talent, he doesn鈥檛 want to pursue math in college. He wants the educational equivalent of Sid Meyer鈥檚 Civilization game series鈥攁 program that combines politics, economics, history and philosophy. I am going to do my best not to slip in a math component, but I can鈥檛 guarantee my behavior at this point.

I know that I am both over-involved and helpful. I am certain that my children are seen as both entitled and on the path to self-actualization. Which label you apply to my children and to me depends on your perspective. I suppose the only judgment that really matters is my children鈥檚. If later in life they are leading happy and fulfilling lives, then you can call us whatever you鈥檇 like.

Have you struggled with the fine line between helpful and over-involved? Please share your experience in the comment section below.

Like this post? Please share!

Lisa is the mother of 3 gifted children and lives outside of San Francisco.

• Deliver a full cup of tea in a wagon that rolls smoothly on four wheels of four different shapes.
• Design and craft a musical instrument that is played only by altering its temperature.
• Freeze and pop an airborne bubble.

These are three of the 318 items on this year鈥檚 . Scav, as it鈥檚 called, is a school-wide game in which students get points for completing listed tasks. All of this occurs over four days, ending Mother鈥檚 Day. Participants are expected to attend class and complete all of their required assignments during Scav. The winning team gets nothing more than bragging rights.

My son鈥檚 participation in Scav got me thinking about all of the things my children have done just for fun. None of these activities will be on their resumes or college applications, and no money changed hands. They may have looked like a waste of time (I may have even said so myself), but they reflect the curiosity and creative thinking that characterize so many gifted children. So, in honor of Scav, I am creating a scavenger hunt of my own composed entirely of some of my children鈥檚 more unusual activities. I am doing this with the hopes that there might be other parents out there whose children are more interested in having silly fun than in changing the world. If your daughter constructed a science lab in her room to develop a new form of algae biofuel or wrote an algorithm to predict epileptic seizures, please stop reading. You will only make me feel bad. If you wonder if your child鈥檚 creative abilities are being put to their best use, read on鈥�

THE HARTWIG FAMILY SCAVENGER HUNT

1. Play 900 hours of Sid Meier鈥檚 Civilization 5. When you find a religion or historical figure you don鈥檛 know, look it up online and then lecture your parents.
2. Juggle balls, rings and pins (not at the same time) in the living room. Lose all your points if you hit the dog.
3. Instead of taking the AP Calculus review course, learn multiple moves on the trapeze and perform them in front of your friends.
4. Convince some acquaintances that you are from Portugal and that you and your absent twin brother were adopted.
5. Create and draw fifteen new Pok茅mon characters including character sheets with drawings, special abilities and evolutionary development.
6. Imagine a human-like supernatural character with a personal story line. Draw the character using Photoshop. Have this character interact with other characters online until your mother asks you, 鈥淲hat are you doing?鈥�
7. Act as the Dungeon Master in a four-person D&D game over four days. Make your own game board.
8. Instigate a school-wide game of duck-duck-goose, with at least thirty participants, three teachers and the head of school.
9. Research the genus of the mountain goat, which you love, to prove that it is superior to the billy goat, which you hate.
10. Create a friendship bracelet pattern by copying at a design you like. Make the bracelet for all of your friends.
11. Invent a tag game with your friends inspired by a presidential campaign. The game must contain the Republican and Democratic candidates, their running mates, polar bears and an oil refinery prison.
12. Make junk food themed Halloween costumes out of cardboard boxes and poster paint and coordinate the designs with your best friend. Wear the costumes to school. Repeat the process annually.
13. 聽Become an authority on Justin Beiber鈥檚 biography and discography. Quiz your parents, friends and teachers.
14. Memorize Dr. Seuss鈥檚 Oh the Places You鈥檒l Go. Recite it in front of the entire school.

For years I鈥檝e been hearing that gifted children are our best hope for a better world. With a list like this, I鈥檓 not sure that the revolution will start at our house. If my children do end up changing the world, it will be in a way I had neither directed nor envisioned. But I have more immediate concerns. I need them to finish their homework and clean their rooms before they add another item to the list.

What “scavenger hunt activities” have your kids done for fun? Please share in the comment section below!

Like this post? Please share!

Lisa is the mother of 3 gifted children and lives outside of San Francisco.

I just received my first grade as a parent. I got an 鈥淎.鈥� How do I know I got an 鈥淎鈥�? U.S. News & World Report said so.

My oldest son earned me this grade by getting into the University of Chicago. I know that sounds awful. But the message I received from other parents over the last 18 years suggests that I am responsible for my children鈥檚 achievements. The ultimate achievement in our community is enrollment in an elite university.

No one told me directly that I was being graded, but I saw how my neighbors reacted when we made educational choices for our children that were different from theirs. They took it very personally. They behaved as though my husband and I were implying that what was good enough for their child was not good enough for ours. I remember one difficult dinner when our guests insisted that our move to a local independent school was not only unnecessary, it was opportunistic. Private schools were only good for helping students develop business contacts for the future. If a child had the strength of character and family support, he could achieve success in a public school setting. His proof? He went to a public school and ended up teaching at Stanford and working at a large biotechnology company.

We all went our separate ways, with no common rubric to judge our progress鈥攗ntil now. It鈥� time for our children to go to college.

It seems wrong to take credit for my son鈥檚 accomplishments, and I鈥檓 not even sure U.S. News & World Report can measure them. So I asked my husband what role he thinks we play in our children鈥檚 accomplishments. He said that he would not give himself credit for our children鈥檚 success but would take credit for not messing them up. I thought we deserved a little more credit than that. I decided to evaluate my parenting skills by my ability to help them find the sun.

My children are sunflowers. If I let them act instinctively, they will turn towards the sun by finding the people and places that feed their love of learning. If something gets in the way of the sun, they wilt. I know this is a silly metaphor, but it helps me visualize my role in their lives. My job is to clear away any obstructions so that they can find the sun. They faced a lot of obstructions over the years. Sometimes, it鈥檚 been me.

It鈥檚 hard to see yourself as an obstruction. But I learned, with my husband鈥檚 assistance, that my 鈥渉elp鈥� was not always helpful. So, I returned my red pen to my son when my college essay edits robbed him of his voice. I remained silent when my son eschewed the Calculus AP exam in favor of 鈥淐ircus鈥� class. I bit my tongue when he told me that he wasn鈥檛 going to apply to a particular Ivy League school because the admissions officer stressed the accomplishments of the student body and he didn鈥檛 want to achieve anything in college; he just wanted to learn. I believed that my son has good instincts. I was determined to let him find the college that best suited him, and that meant I couldn鈥檛 get in the way.

I think parents of gifted children have a particularly hard time establishing the right grading policy for themselves. Most of us begin by assessing our ability to find and deliver the appropriate curriculum and social and emotional support for our child. Our efforts are often handicapped by teachers who think our children don鈥檛 need accommodations and parents who see our requests as elitist. Even with our best efforts, our children may still disengage in the classroom and . Given their abilities, we are tempted to see anything short of extraordinary achievement as our failure (and theirs). Our final grade, by my neighbors鈥� standards, may not reflect our efforts. We may not even agree on what constitutes an 鈥淎.鈥�

My son decided to go to the University of Chicago because it had interdisciplinary classes like 鈥淢ind鈥� and 鈥淧ower Identity and Resistance.鈥� The school has a Circus Club and the world鈥檚 largest scavenger hunt. He liked the admissions essays and heard that the kids watch Dr. Who. Its motto is 鈥淟et knowledge grow from more to more; and so be human life enriched.鈥�

I dropped my son off last week. As we walked through the leaf strewn quad, he said, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I will ever do anything in my life that takes advantage of everything this place has to offer.鈥� My son turned toward the sun, which turned out to be in Chicago. Maybe if I stay close to him (but out of his way), I will feel some of its warmth, too.

What role do you feel you play in your child’s accomplishments? Please share in the comment section below.

Like this post? Please share!