Free Guidebooks to Help Exceptionally Bright Children

The Davidson Institute serves profoundly gifted young people under the age of 18. As part of its mission, Davidson Institute professionals have written a series of guidebooks designed to assist families in finding the most appropriate educational settings for their exceptionally bright children. The guidebooks are excellent resources and can be downloaded at no cost. While the guidebooks are written for parents and students, teachers should also become familiar with them so that they can effectively advise families.

• Advocating for Exceptionally Gifted Young People—What should you know about your child? What should you know about gifted education? How should you formulate a plan? How should you approach your child’s school? How can you monitor your child’s education?
• Investigating Early College Entrance: A Guidebook for Parents and a Guidebook for Students—How does one assess whether a student is ready for early college entrance? How might early entrance impact the family? What about scholarships and other financial aid?
• Investigating Gap Year Opportunities—A gap year is a “break from formal education to become more immersed in another culture, to volunteer domestically or abroad, to gain experience and maturity…” It is becoming more common in the U.S., especially for students who graduate early from high school. This guidebook discusses possible options for a gap year, the pros and cons of taking a gap year, and what colleges think of students who pursue this option.
• Volunteerism and Community Service—This guidebook provides resources, strategies, and valuable information to think about when considering the who, what, where, when, how, and why questions associated with volunteering.
• Considering Homeschooling—Readers will find information on homeschool curriculum, applying to college, cost considerations, networking with other families, homeschool laws and more.
• Mentorships—How does one search for a mentor? What types of mentoring relationships are available? What characteristics should a great mentor have?

Mentors for Gifted Students

Some students have such esoteric interests that it is only through one-on-one coaching and support that they can get the intellectual nourishment that they need. Understanding the value of mentors, how to find good mentors, and ways to structure mentorships are important tools. Here are some links that will be helpful.

• Finding a Mentor for Your Gifted Child—Lorel Shea provides reasons why even young gifted students benefit from mentorships. She also gives tips for finding mentors. The author’s advice applies to students of any age who are gifted academically or have very strong interests.
• Mentoring: An Interview with a Davidson Fellow’s Mentor –Dr. Woodbury and 2010 Davidson Fellow Laureate Kyle Loh—The type of mentorship described here is for mature, highly gifted, highly motivated students who are in middle school or high school and have academic needs that far surpass what would be found in even specialized schools for the gifted. The student described in this interview was interested in stem cell research. He entered Rutgers University at the age of 13.
• Mentorships: A Guidebook—This guidebook, published by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, helps students and adults determine if a young person is ready to pursue a mentorship and, if not, what alternatives are available. It includes parameters for setting up different types of mentorships and suggestions for finding mentors.
• More from the Davidson Institute—The Davidson Institute has a wealth of information on mentorships (and many other topics that apply to gifted individuals). You can count on this website to sort through all the information that is available and post the very best. Type "mentor" in the search area at the top of the page.

Summer Apprenticeship Program for Gifted Students

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the nation's most talented young people. It follows the Optimal Match Philosophy, matching a student's assessed needs with the optimal educational resources. The organization crosses traditional educational boundaries by working in public, independent, parochial and alternative schools.

One of the IEA programs—the Apprenticeship Program—provides gifted high school students with intensive learning opportunities working with teams of professionals in medicine, industrial design, science, law, and business at some of the nation's leading universities, corporations, and research facilities. Participants apply their talents in real-world environments where they are encouraged to employ creative problem-solving techniques.

Apprentices reside in a college dormitory for the duration of the program. This experience gives participants the opportunity to sample college life. The gathering of Apprentices from several different programs in one residential area creates a unique community of highly motivated students where the exchange of ideas is encouraged.

In the evenings and on weekends, Apprentices attend cultural events, participate in recreational activities, and explore the city.

Apprentices are supervised by adults throughout the program. All participants work with mentors and their colleagues during the day and are supervised by IEA staff at all other times.

During the summer of 2012, the program will take place both in Los Angeles and in San Diego. A wide variety of topics are open to apprentices, including

1. Industrial Design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena
2. Scientific Computing at the California Institute of Technology
3. Liver Stem Cell Maintenance at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
4. Air Pollution Research at the Aerosol Lab of the University of Southern California
5. Architecture at the Borden Partnership and USC School of Architecture
6. Law and Order at the Los Angeles Superior Court
7. Bioinformatics at San Diego State University
8. Physics at San Diego State University
9. Entomology at the San Diego Natural History Museum
10. Environmental Engineering at San Diego State University

Check back with the IEA website often as more programs and information will be added.

A student is eligible to apply if currently a freshman, sophomore, or junior and the student meets the prerequisites for his preferred site(s).

Tuition is expensive, but financial aid is available to individuals who qualify and financial concerns should not discourage any student from applying.

The deadline for applying to the Apprenticeship Program has passed,  but IEA will likely accept applications until all spaces have been filled. If you would like to apply, contact Jessica Houben at Apprenticeship@educationaladvancement.org.

For the right student, this is an excellent opportunity.

Keep Gifted Students Motivated Through Mentoring

One Canadian middle school instituted a successful mentor program that continued for almost ten years. The program was originally brought to the school by two mothers who felt their children would benefit from the added mental stimulation.

In one sample year, 28 students were paired with various professionals, including an architect, a doctor, several writers, a biathlon coach, a municipal counselor, veterinarian, several artists, a theatrical makeup expert, a lawyer, a carpenter, some photographers, an interior designer, computer experts, and a cartoonist. These community members met with the children for two hours each week over an 8-10 week period. At the end of the program, students presented to their classmates. These young people accomplished a variety of tasks under the tutelage of their mentors, including building a ski rack, mastering an architectural drafting program, and working at a veterinary hospital.

The adults in charge of the program expressed surprised that they were able to so readily find community members to volunteer their time to help the students and that the program was very fulfilling both to the mentors and the young people.

Participating students were carefully screened to determine their strong subject interests and willingness to commit to the necessary time.

While this particular program was created at school, parents can also seek out mentors for their children outside of the school setting. Think about the type of person who might support the child’s interest and begin networking through friends and professional acquaintances.