National Summer Gifted Programs

Stanford:  Pre-Collegiate Studies

Find the program that is right for you

Stanford University selects top high school students from around the world to participate in engaging summer academic programs. These programs are ideal for gifted students currently in grades 8 – 12.

Our programs offer highly motivated, intellectually curious students the opportunity to investigate topics not typically taught in secondary schools. Students engage in small classes taught by instructors who are experts in their fields and passionate about teaching. In this setting, students hone their academic skills and form new friendships with intellectual peers. Students in our residential programs get a taste of college life on the beautiful Stanford campus.  Past students have described their Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies experience as life-changing.

Applications are open for all our programs:

STANFORD SUMMER COLLEGE ACADEMY

Students ages 16 – 19 take courses that have three weeks in a live, real-time online class and three weeks on the beautiful Stanford campus.  Students can chose among 21 courses in a variety of subjects and earn Stanford Continuing Studies credit and a Stanford Continuing Studies transcript. This hybrid program is ideal for students wanting college credit yet don’t have a full eight weeks to be on campus. 

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SUMMER HUMANITIES INSTITUTE

Students currently in grades 10 and 11 explore the big questions at the heart of the humanities in seminars led by distinguished Stanford professors. Students spend the first two weeks intensively studying and researching a topic in history, literature, or philosophy, attending daily lectures by the faculty members, and participating in group discussions and activities in the afternoon. During their third week, students work closely with their professors, graduate students, and writing mentors to produce original research projects.

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STANFORD SUMMER ARTS INSTITUTE—NEW PROGRAM

Students in grades 9 – 11 engage in courses that stand at the intersection of the arts and science showing that the arts are at the heart of what we do and want to be. Our courses take a multilayered, interdisciplinary approach to understanding our relationship to music, visual design, and performance.  Students can choose among six courses ranging from Music Perception to Architecture, Drawing, and Design.

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UNIVERSITY-LEVEL ONLINE MATH & PHYSICS COURSES

For students who have surpassed their high school’s math and physics curriculum, University-Level Online Math & Physics courses are offered throughout the year and are largely self-paced, giving students the opportunity to take a broad array of math and physics courses. Expert instructors are available for optional office hours to meet with students online and offer assistance as they progress through the course material. All courses carry Stanford University Continuing Studies credit, and students earn a Stanford Continuing Studies transcript.

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HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER COLLEGE

Students ages 16 – 19 choose from more than 145 college courses in 30 academic departments, earning Stanford undergraduate course credit and an official Stanford University transcript. Students in the residential, commuting, and online Summer College programs create their own course schedules and experience what life is like as undergraduate students at Stanford.

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PRE-COLLEGIATE SUMMER INSTITUTES

Students currently in grades 8 – 11 engage in intensive study, single-subject courses with instructors and peers who share their talents, passions, and interests. Coursework is tightly integrated with the social experience in academically themed houses. Courses in areas ranging from biotechnology to entrepreneurship to creative writing are customized to give students deep exposure and hands-on experience.

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STANFORD UNIVERSITY MATHEMATICS CAMP [SUMAC]

An elite group of talented rising high school juniors and seniors from around the world convene for intensive study in advanced mathematics. Students participate in lectures, guided research, and group problem solving.

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STANFORD ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL

Academically-talented students, in grades 7 – 12, engage in a worldwide learning community. Through vibrant, real-time, online seminars, the rigorous curriculum challenges students to reason analytically, think creatively, and argue critically. Stanford OHS offers a number of enrollment options including taking solely a single course. Stanford OHS is a WASC accredited school and course credit is transferable to other WASC accredited schools.

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To Learn More About Stanford Programs, visit: SPCS.STANFORD.EDU/NAGC

2016 ASU Barrett Summer Scholars Program

Click HERE for more information

ASU Earth and Space Exploration Day - 11/7/15

This is a wonderful family event that features hands-on exploration activities with earth and space scientists.

WHAT
ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration's annual Earth and Space Exploration Day - This annual event, hosted by Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration, has experienced remarkable growth over the past several years. Staffed by the school's faculty, researchers and students, the event is an opportunity for children and the general public to engage with scientists and researchers one-on-one or in small group settings. Earth and Space Exploration Day is one of the school's most visible efforts to increase science literacy in Arizona.

WHEN
Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

WHERE
Arizona State University Tempe campus - Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (ISTB 4) - located on the corner of McAllister Ave. and Terrace Rd.

WEBSITE
http://sese.asu.edu/earth-and-space-exploration-day

DETAILS
Earth and Space Exploration day is a free annual fall event hosted by the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) on ASU's Tempe campus inside/outside ISTB 4. The SESE community offers special science-related activities from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. for students age five and up, families, educators and anyone interested in exploring Earth and space alongside real scientists. One of the biggest attractions is ISTB 4 with its Gallery of Scientific Exploration offering a variety of interactive exhibits and the Marston Exploration Theater, which will be running 3-D astronomy shows throughout the day. Visitors can see a replica of Curiosity rover, explore Tempe Butte on a guided field trip, pan for gold, watch science demos, dig for meteorites, bring rock samples for Dr. Rock to examine and so much more! Dr. Rock will be available to analyze rock samples and children are encouraged to bring samples from their backyard for analysis.

A list of activities is available on the event's website:
http://sese.asu.edu/earth-and-space-exploration-day.

Pre-registration is encouraged to ensure that visitors are able to secure tickets for the astronomy shows and other ticketed activities. Public parking is free in any ASU lot south of University Avenue on Nov. 10. The most convenient parking is available in the Rural Road parking structure (#4) on Lemon St. and Rural Rd., and the Tyler Street parking structure (#2) on the corner of Tyler Street and McAlister. A parking map is available at: www.asu.edu/map.

NOTE FOR EDUCATORS / TROOP LEADERS
Student visitors can get their event "passport" stamped upon completion of an activity. After the event, some teachers and troop leaders collect the "passports" and award extra-credit or badges based upon the number/types of passport stamps. Free teacher resources will be available such as educator packets, hand-outs, supplies and posters, as well as contacts for outreach and more educational interactions with ASU scientists and students.

Personal Note:
Here's a picture from a few years ago when we enjoyed this event with cousins who came from out of state.  It was very inspiring to these children since several of them are interested in pursuing STEM careers in the future.  Even the toddler enjoyed the experience (well, at least until he lost patience with the picture taking process).

ASU Night of the Open Door - 2015

ASU is sponsoring this wonderful "Night of the Open Door" event at their various campuses.  Open to kids, students, educators, parents, alumni, or anyone who loves learning.

Polytechnic: Feb. 20, 2015 • 5-8:30 p.m.

Tempe: Feb. 28, 2015 • 4-9 p.m.

West: Mar. 28, 2015, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Here is some information from their website:

Arizona State University is a founding member of Arizona SciTech Festival and Night of the Open Door is a signature event, one of the top in the state. Based on a long-running, portal-busting event held each year in Berlin, Germany, this event is held annually, hosting hands-on activities, laboratory tours, book readings, video games; featuring ASU scientists and cutting edge art and research; and opening doors to museums and world-class plant and animal collections. Whether it's a multimedia performance or astronomy show or a sit down with ASU students or faculty to talk about volcanoes, Navajo stories of the stars or Mayan discoveries, it is a night to get behind the scenes and engage with the creative invention that is ASU’s signature blend of science, engineering, art and the humanities.

Spearheaded by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, with partners - the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, and the Biodesign Institute and other ASU partners in 2012 - Night of the Open Door has grown to encompass four campuses, 1,000 volunteers and offerings for just about everyone. So whether you are a kid or a kid-at-heart, a prospective or current student, K-12 educator, life-long learner, alumnus, a Sparky fan, entrepreneur or curious how to build your very own “Birthquake,” Open Door events create the few evenings a year where you can step in and discover what inspires our faculty and staff, artistic, educational and research partners and puts our students in the driver's seat for some of the most innovative solutions and inspiring discoveries in the world.

Register today, follow on twitter and come explore!   

Offered at several campuses (click link for more info). 

That child can't be gifted; he has a disability - MYTH #3

Twice Exceptional Children

By Guest Contributor, Christine Hawkins, Gifted Educator

MYTH:  “That child can’t be gifted.  He has a disability.”  I hesitate to admit that as a young adult and new regular classroom teacher, I once held those words to be true.  Fortunately, with the passage of time, maturity, and continued education, I now recognize the fallacy in this quote.

TRUTH:  Giftedness and disability are not mutually exclusive.  According to Linda Kreger Silverman, Ph. D., founder of The Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, and its subsidiary, Gifted Development Center, “up to one sixth of the identified gifted population has a hidden learning disability.”  The strengths of gifted students can also be weaknesses because their high IQ may allow them to compensate for and/or mask disabilities.  According to authors Kennedy, Banks, and Grandin, in the book Bright Not Broken:  Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism, “the characteristics of Attention Deficit Disorder, Highly Functioning Autism, and Giftedness are strikingly similar.”  The three all may involve intensity, inattention, exceptional vocabulary, behavioral/communicative difficulties, and delays or weaknesses in social development.

               

Giftedness can coexist with learning disabilities.  Individuals with such an overlap are referred to as “twice exceptional” (or 2e) children.  Unfortunately, parents and teachers may focus on the problem behaviors of twice exceptional children, instead of taking into account the gifts or deficits that might be the motivating force behind a child’s behavior.  James Webb, a 2e expert, states “The belief exists that gifted kids will make it on their own.  But a gifted mind doesn’t always find its own way.”  In the case of 2e children, this is especially true.  These students require a strengths-based education which incorporates interventions to address individual deficits as well as activities to foster and develop abilities and talents.

In 2008, Congress passed Section 504 of the Americans With Disabilities Act, which states that students with a disability can obtain an evaluation and services if the disability restricts their ability to learn, think, concentrate or communicate.   Because 2e students can often compensate for their area of disability, and achieve in the average range, schools might not independently pursue diagnosis of a disability.  Due to Section 504, parents may file a written request for an evaluation if they believe their child’s disability restricts their youngster’s ability to learn.  After diagnosis, the twice exceptional child’s unique needs can be properly addressed through instructional strategies which may include grouping with other gifted children, accelerated curriculum in areas of strengths, and support from specially trained teachers in areas or disability. 

As a parent of a 19 year old twice exceptional student, we discovered the wealth of support services available at Arizona State University at their Disability Resource Center only after his freshman year.   My child was labeled as gifted in the second grade, and was able to compensate for his “hidden” Attention Deficit Disorder through high school.  Because of this, we did not pursue an official ADD diagnosis, fearing the ensuing label would carry with it more consequences than benefits.  In hindsight, this diagnosis would have enabled a much more positive transition to academic success in college.   After a rocky start, we privately obtained the diagnosis of disability which made our child eligible for support from a counselor at the Disability Resource Center, accommodations in classes, and even the use of a Smart Pen for taking notes.  He is once again experiencing academic success.  We discovered (a bit late in the game) that high school seniors on their way to college or seeking accommodations at the university level can request a re-assessment under the specifications found within Section 504. 

It is entirely possible for giftedness to co-exist with a learning or behavioral disability.  With planning and support, twice exceptional students can turn their difficulties into triumphs through building upon strengths while addressing areas of weakness.

Click here for more information on Twice Exceptional (2e) Students.

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Many thanks to Shari Murphy, our guest presenter last night.    She did a fantastic job with her presentation on the Twice Exceptional Student.  During her presentation Dabrowski’s Overexcitibilities were mentioned.  Click here to go to our website if you are interested in learning more about the “OEs.”   

Many thanks to Barb VeNard and her team – for their time and efforts last night as well as over the last few years as they have sought ways to provide increased services to our gifted students and involve the community in that process, especially during a time when the legislature has defunded gifted education.   Last night, questions arose about - 

• The Cluster Grouping model.  Click here to go to our website if you would like to learn more about the Cluster Grouping model.    
• The Common Core State Standards.  Click here to go to our website to learn more about the CCSS.    
• Gifted Education Funding.  Unlike Special Education, Gifted Education has been DEFUNDED at BOTH the federal and state levels.   Click here to visit our website to learn more about funding at the state and federal levels.   Look for the "State of Arizona" and "Federal" categories.

Want to get involved?  Email us at gilbertgifted@gmail.com and ask how you can help!