How we use technology is more important than ever these days – our education, advocacy, work and social lives are primarily limited to online settings. In light of youth’s increased reliance on technology as well as current racial and social justice movements, IEA offered a complimentary Spyglass online workshop series this month called Digital Civics: Changemakers of Tomorrow.

Bethany Ellerbrook, whose graduate research explored tween and teen media engagement, led students through four workshops. In “Fact or Fiction,” students learned how to identify misinformation and craft persuasive pitches in support of a cause they care about. The student-selected topics included global climate change, the Black Lives Matter movement, unequal access to food and clean water, education disparities and marine pollution. It was inspiring to hear directly from our stellar students about the changes they want to make for the betterment of the future!

In “Raising Awareness” and “Telling the Story,” students explored the fundamentals of visual design and video production, then created powerful Instagram posts to advocate for their causes. Finally, in “Content and Conversations,” they discussed online echo chambers and the differences between debate and dialogue, plus shared their final designs with one another.

In the last meetings of each of the two class sections, students shared their final thoughts and takeaways: they were proud of themselves for what they were able to create in under two weeks and excited to continue acting in support of their causes. Several students were also inspired to share their creations on their own social media! See below for some of their final creations, and see the rest on the class Instagram Page.

Although we are looking forward to learning together in person again, it has been incredible to meet students from all over the country. This summer, the Spyglass program has served students from almost 20 states. In the Digital Civics series alone, brought together students from California, Washington, DC, Florida, Arkansas and more. We can’t wait to see how these students continue to make a difference and advocate for their causes!

The final Digital Civics workshop ended with a quote from the late civil rights activist and US Representative John Lewis: “When you see something that is not right, you must say something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part…”

We’d love to hear from our community: what causes are you passionate about? What online resources help you and others advocate for positive change?

This summer’s ever-changing landscape provides children and youth of all ages an opportunity to participate in fun, challenging learning through IEA’s virtual programs. When the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person summer programming, we knew we had to find ways to connect with our students virtually instead. As a non-profit that supports all aspects of a gifted child, IEA is very aware of the extreme toll this pandemic has taken on the intellectual, social and emotional wellbeing of students and their families. IEA’s parents and students were eager for the organization to provide quality material in safe learning environments that engage our young people intellectually and channel their intensities and anxieties in healthy ways.

“Our kids look forward to joining us each summer at our Learning Center in Pasadena and at our Yunasa camps” said Elizabeth D. Jones, President & Co-Founder of IEA. “While we knew we could bring our existing content online, we also challenged staff to go further and think of ways we could ensure our community can connect with one another, even from a distance.”

IEA’s small but mighty staff and faculty quickly created compelling online content and provided virtual spaces for communities to come together. This summer, IEA will continue to offer advanced learning and social opportunities virtually.

In addition to online Academy classes and virtualYunasa summer camps, families can sign up now for IEA’s new Spyglass workshops, which use a digital platform to bring high-level content into the homes of gifted and advanced students across the country. Spyglass will consist of live, interactive sessions, both standalone and in series, on a variety of topics for a range of ages. This summer, students can sign up for workshops like the highly relevant series Digital Civics, Changemakers of Tomorrow, which will challenge students to identify reliable sources versus misinformation, utilize effective strategies for communicating information and create impactful media content. Students will be encouraged to work together to apply these skills through projects that raise awareness of causes important to them and their communities. Other Spyglass series scheduled include Critical Studies of Science Fiction, College and Career Readiness and Introduction to Speech and Debate.

Families have already found these resources extremely helpful. As one IEA parent stated, “We have only been able to engage with IEA through camp Yunasa. The online content tailored to gifted kids that IEA is planning to offer is a huge bright spot for me coming out of this awful experience! We can’t get this type of content otherwise.”

Together, we can ensure our students are able to continue to grow both mentally and interpersonally this distanced summer.

Sign up now for any of the classes online or call IEA at 626-403-8900 to learn more about these programs.

The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is deeply saddened by the most recent examples of the horrific injustice that has plagued our nation’s Black community for far too long. We join communities around the world that are banding together to mourn and work towards social justice. We share in the grief and pain caused by these tragedies, yet we are hopeful that this outcry against racism and violence will result in real change. 
 
IEA is committed to being part of the solution. We are listening, asking questions, learning and taking action. IEA serves children of all ages and backgrounds; we understand that the dialogue about inequality and violence will look different in each family.  These conversations are important for us all.  Our children are watching us – they want to help us create a more just and civil society that embraces equality and condemns racism. As an organization, IEA celebrates differences. We teach tolerance, respect and acceptance for all, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or background. We hope to inspire change in our nation by modeling integrity, respect and understanding. IEA strives to offer a welcoming space for conversation and healing, a space where uniqueness is honored, and discrimination and violence are never tolerated. Yet we know we can do more.
 
We invite our entire community to the conversation and hope that you will dialogue with us by sending your feedback and suggestions. IEA is taking the following actions:

• We are hosting a Spyglass workshop: “Digital Civics: Changemakers of Tomorrow” as a complimentary offering.
• We are expanding our work to diversify IEA’s community with the help of partner organizations.
• We are gathering and disseminating resources for IEA’s community.
• We are advancing our Public Policy efforts to ensure gifted youth from all backgrounds are identified and served.
• We encourage our constituency to use their voice to vote.

We have gathered a collection of resources that may be of assistance, and we will continue to update this list on IEA’s blog.  Please continue to share articles, books, podcasts or videos that have been helpful for your family!
 
IEA is committed to listening to your voices, and we will work together to create social justice. Thank you for allowing IEA to be a part of your lives.
 
In Solidarity,
 
Elizabeth D. Jones
IEA President
 

RESOURCES

This section will be updated regularly as we receive feedback and resource suggestions from the IEA community. 

Books about Racism:

• NY Times: List of Kids Books on Racism
• Embrace.org: Where to Find Diverse Children Books
• Charis Books and More: Books that Teach White Children and Teens How to Undo Racism and White Surpremecy

Videos

• CNN/Sesame Street racism town hall
• Story Pirates: Black Lives Matter

Articles

• • Your Kids Aren’t Too Young to Talk About Race: Resource Roundup
  • Q/A from NPR: Q&A: How To Talk To Kids About Black Lives And Police Violence
  • Black Lives Matter. Black Minds Matter, Too: The Case For Prioritizing Equity In Gifted Education As An Urgent Racial Justice Issue
  • NY Times: I was a Low Income College. Classes Weren’t the Heard Part
  • NAGC Blog: Black Lives Matter in Gifted Programs