Book Recommendations

    • A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, by James T. Webb, Ph.D.,  Janet L. Gore, M.Ed.,  Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., and Arlene R. DeVries, M.S.E. - Raising a gifted child is both a joy and a challenge, yet parents of gifted children have few resources for reliable parenting information. The four authors, who have decades of professional experience with gifted children and their families, provide practical guidance in areas such as: Characteristics of gifted children; Peer relations; Sibling issues; Motivation & underachievement; Discipline issues; Intensity & stress; Depression & unhappiness; Educational planning; Parenting concerns; Finding professional help; and more.

     

    • Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students: Helping Kids Cope with Explosive Feelings, by Christine Fonseca – Designed to provide support for the difficult job of parenting and teaching gifted children, this book provides the resource parents and teachers need to not only understand why gifted children are so extreme in their behavior, but also learn specific strategies to teach gifted children how to live with their intensity. Specific strategies are offered for stress management, underperformance in school, perfectionism, and social anxiety.

     

    • Raising Your Spirited Child, by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka, Ed.D. - The spirited child—often called "difficult" or "strong-willed"—possesses traits we value in adults yet find challenging in children. Research shows that spirited kids are wired to be "more"—by temperament, they are more intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent, and uncomfortable with change than the average child. Newly revised, featuring the most up-to-date research, effective strategies, and real-life stories.

Competitions

    • An extensive list of competition opportunities in academic areas and the arts
    • Doodle 4 Google: Calling all K-12 students – bring your creativity to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium you choose. The winner’s artwork will be featured on the Google homepage, and several finalists will win some great scholarships. 
    • Young Scientist Challenge: Calling all curious minds and problem solvers! The Young Scientist Challenge is now open for entries. Students in grades 5-8 are invited to submit a 1-2 minute video describing a unique solution to an everyday problem for the chance to win $25,000 and an exclusive 3M Mentorship. Ten finalists will be chosen for their passion for science, spirit of innovation and ingenuity, and effective communication skills.
    • Society of Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest - "Why free news media are important" An essay contest to increase high school student's knowledge and understanding of the importance of the Free Media to our lives.  All students enrolled in grades 9-12 in public, private and home schools.

General Resources

    • Byrdseed - resources on and for gifted children, including a parent mailing list

Just for Fun!

Learning Opportunities

    • Georgia State University’s Saturday School for Scholars and Leaders, providing educational opportunities for the enrichment and encouragement of gifted and talented children since 1975. Each session, Atlanta area educators teach a variety of enrichment classes, ranging from the fine and applied arts to math and science designed to challenge participants at all levels (K- 8th grade).

     

    • GA Tech's CEISMC K.I.D.S. Club Workshops, a program designed for kids in 2nd through 5th grade who are interested in discovering and learning more about science, technology, engineering, arts and math! Workshops take place on Georgia Tech's Midtown campus on select Saturdays throughout the year from 12PM -3PM.

     

    • GA Tech's CEISMC STEAM Workshops, workshops for students in 6th through 12th grade. These STEAM Workshops encourage students to study and pursue a career in the STEAM fields by exposing them to many different topics of science and engineering along with a technology. During each session, students participate in a variety of hands-on activities that promote creativity, problem solving, and teamwork in 6th through 12th grade students. STEAM Workshops will be held at the Georgia Tech Midtown campus on select Saturdays throughout the year from 12PM to 3PM.

     

     

    • Summer Institute for the Gifted at Emory Through Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) programs, students experience the energy and excitement of campus life at prestigious schools and universities across America. SIG summer enrichment camps help students strengthen current skills and interests, explore new subject areas, and interact with other kids who love learning.

     

    •  CDC Museum Disease Detective Camp (DDC) is an interdisciplinary educational program organized by the CDC Museum. Admission is open to high-school students during the summer before their junior or senior years. Over the course of five days, campers are immersed in the diverse field of public health. Topics vary year to year, but may include: public health interventions, global health, infectious disease, chronic disease, injury prevention, data analysis, surveys, school wellness programs, violence prevention, environmental health, emergency preparedness, outbreaks, scientific communication, laboratory technology, disease surveillance, epidemiology, and public health law. 

     

    • Vanderbilt Summer Academy, a pre-college residential program for gifted students at Vanderbilt University. VSA is an intentionally designed accelerated summer experience for academically advanced students, grounded in academic rigor and scholarly exploration, while also focused on fostering a strong sense of community and friendship. Under the expert leadership of dedicated staff, VSA offers three different age-based residential sessions for students ranging from 7th to 12th grade. Courses are taught by faculty, graduate students and content experts. PTY also provides day programs for K-6 students.

     

    • NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program, a writing event that happens every November where the challenge is to complete an entire novel in just 30 days. Participants begin writing November 1 and finish by November 30. The Young Writers Program (YWP) allows 17-and-under participants to set reasonable, yet challenging, individual word-count goals.

Talent Searches