This just in: Jack seemed to be dominating in Magic, the Gathering. However, in their second face off, Madeline pulled out a never-before-used defense saving herself in the last moment, and made a huge comeback by playing another card from the new deck Emily gave her just this week. 

In other news, Howell Nature Camp, already a planet-friendly place by its very mission to save and care for injured or vulnerable wildlife, has become even more environmentally conscientious than ever. This summer, camper-led initiatives have spurred trash pickup hikes along the camp’s many trails, and food a new food scraps waste management system. 

Not-to-be-missed artistic offerings of this past July included a soaring a cappella rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides,” stand-up comedy routines managing to be both wacky and actually in good taste, and the most spirited cover of Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” since the minions first came on the scene.

What in the world can all these wildly diverse events have in common? Well of course, these news flashes barely scratch the surface of a single week’s worth of Yunasa memories highlighting some of Yunasa campers’ many, and profoundly intense, passions.

Yunasa lets young people be the most concentrated and complete version of themselves, in the full support of a community, or “tribe” as we often call it, of others who appreciate and truly celebrate all the sparkling facets. When I first attended Yunasa about 17 years ago, I immediately went home and told my sister that she should attend as soon as she became old enough.  That was a surprising move only because, although coming from the same parentage and family, the crossover of our major interests is pretty much zero. She wouldn’t be caught dead watching a dance video, while learning a new dance is the thing that has always excited me most. And on the other hand, I couldn’t tell you the difference between a sci-fi novel or ones about sentient robots, and have probably never read a spy series, both of which would probably make my sister ashamed to even admit she knows me.

However, at Yunasa, it’s equally possible to meet a new trusted companion with whom you can finally go in-depth with into your specific passions, or conversely with someone who on the outside, you may have very little in common. They might even come from a totally different generation! Somehow still, when we come together around the campfire to begin and end every camp, you’ll hear the words being sung out, “It’s in every one of us, to be wise, find your heart…” and it’s pretty close to a guarantee that each new and returning camper will have touched some part of that wisdom within themselves during the week. Best of all, they’ll probably have some new skills to help them feel a greater confidence in their ability to reach it again whenever it’s needed throughout the year. 

Participating in Yunasa as a counselor now feels like a yearly dream. The consecutive years of camp are often as different from one another in highlight activities, favorite jokes, or warmest bunk memories as can be, and yet the through line of them all is seeing a place where each year more people reunite with a sense of deep belonging and acceptance for all they are and are growing into. Having a summer camp that brings people from all over the country, and sometimes the world, as part of IEA’s offerings is extraordinarily special. If you are interested in joining us at camp this summer, please apply with the link below to begin your journey of being a part of a special community.

Apply to Yunasa 2023

In addition, if you are interested in contributing, any donation goes a long way toward making what was initially only a dream of the Fellows, now into a living reality. It is the opinion of a 10-year+ Yunasa veteran that the risk of some tears on the last day of camp, when you must bid farewell to friends you may not see for at least another year, is worth the opportunity of finding oneself and richly-cherished connections, which are so great a part of the Yunasa experience. 

Hi! My name is Cassie Kaplan and I am from Indianapolis, Indiana. I am currently a sophomore in college at Southern Methodist University and I am majoring in Biology and Anthropology. I attended Yunasa as a camper for four years in addition to two years as a leadership camper. I have also been a counselor at Yunasa for the past two years. My first year at Yunasa was at age eleven. I was having trouble fitting in at school and on my sports teams because I had different interests and saw the world differently than my classmates or teammates. But once I got to Yunasa, I found people just like me. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who saw the world like I did. 

As a counselor, I have been able to help provide the same space that brought me so much joy and community during my formative years. One of my favorite moments from Yunasa this summer was the variety show, which is an open setting that allows anyone who wants to share one of their passions to do so. Performances range from singing to stand-up comedy to magic tricks. The variety show was one of my favorite activities as a camper, and it continues to be one of my favorite activities as a counselor. 

If these events and the community-feel sound like something you are interested in, I encourage you to apply to Yunasa through the application link below. We are excited to meet you and have you join the Yunasa tribe!

Apply to Yunasa 2023

Being able to return to Yunasa is such a privilege, and it is only through the generous donations given to IEA that I, along with the other counselors, are able to do so. Without the help of donors, this wonderful camp would not be able to continue to provide the home that it has been for me, and many others like me.

Thank you,

Cassie

After two years of not being together in person, Yunasa and Yunasa West 2021 marked a smooth and graceful transition back to our traditional week-long sleepaway summer camps.

The pandemic has taught us many valuable lessons, and throughout camp, I witnessed many of these great qualities. Campers and staff demonstrated incredible kindness, understanding, and support to one another. We have learned to treasure the beauty in everyday small moments, to pay attention to nature, appreciate what we have and who we love, and to extend a helping hand to those in need. Despite the lack of social interaction during shelter-at-home, it took no time for campers to reconnect and find common interests. They were courteous, respectful, considerate, and kind.

Leading up to camp, IEA took many steps to prepare for a safe and fun week for all participants. Partnering with our host camps – YMCA Camp Shady Brook in Colorado and YMCA Camp Copneconic in Michigan – we thoroughly studied the federal, state, and local health guidelines to make modifications for our residential summer camps. We made thoughtful changes to comply to the “cohorting” guidelines while creating safe opportunities for all campers and staff to connect throughout the week. Additionally, our host camps held themselves to the highest cleaning standard by implementing strict cleaning procedures daily and weekly to ensure that all campers can safely enjoy all camp activities.

Throughout the planning process, IEA kept close and frequent communications with all parents. We made sure that there are no questions left unanswered, and that all families know “what to expect” during this special year.

Though we had a lot of modifications this year, both camps offered a much-needed reunion after all that we have endured. We are able to ran both camps safely and successfully due to a combination of teamwork, leadership, improvisation, and good faith. I especially want to thank all of our parents for their trust in IEA, persistent partnership and understanding throughout this camp season.

I wish everyone a refreshing and joyful start to fall, and look forward to another great camp season in 2022!

Working as an intern for the Institute for Educational Advancement has been a wonderful experience, the highlight of my summer. You might think I’d be an old hand in IEA; after all, I attended the Yunasa summer camp for the past eight years before I aged out, the last two years as a member of the camp’s leadership program. Then I volunteered as a general assistant with Academy. But there was plenty to learn at IEA, and it was great to be able to give back to the program and people that gave so much to me.

Working in an office environment was something new to me as this was my first job, and my first paycheck. I was mainly working with the Academy team, but I also helped with the EXPLORE program and Gifted Resource Center (GRC), which is part of the IEA website. I edited entries, checked that information was correct and tried to sort through the tedious task of straightening out over 900 entries. In addition to working with GRC, I had many other tasks that involved similar skills and had similar requirements. I created templates and inputted surveys into online survey analysis programs. The challenge was to stay focused on tasks which could become tedious or monotonous but needed constant attention to detail. From this, I learned quite possibly the most important lesson of my internship.

That lesson was to develop the ability to find a purpose in everything I did. From getting a student water to the aforementioned important and detailed tasks, everything is part of a larger and important program. Getting student water could help them have a better learning experience. My seemingly tedious work on the Gifted Resource Center not only helps improve people’s experience when using it but took something off the plate of other staff, allowing them to work on other tasks.

This is not to say working at IEA is all tedious paperwork. The most enjoyable component of my work at IEA was the opportunity to work closely with students and teachers in the Academy classes. I learned many skills I am sure I will take not only to my next job but into my future career, while still having an enjoyable time. The kids were fun; the teachers were amazing. I accrued the nickname “tall Kate,” as there was a student named Kate in one of the classes where I assisted. When I think about the kids I met, I can’t help but smile. The experiences I have had over the course of the summer in my internship taught me a lot and will stay with me for years to come.

Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities at IEA. Help us spread the word and share this blog post with others! 

Do you fit in? Do you have friends? Do you filter your feelings, your thoughts, your ideas or your words when around others? Have you “played the part” to be accepted?  Are you worried about losing your true self?  Do you wonder if you will ever be understood?  Do you feel things so intensely that sometimes you think there must be something wrong with you?

Pretty deep questions for a kid to have to deal with, huh? Well, like it or not, questions and thoughts like this are what many gifted outliers deal with.  It is not easy to look like a kid, yet think, worry and fret over issues that are so not “kid-like”. On top of not being easy, there is the issue of not having anyone to rant to, or talk to, or just hang with that also understands you. A lot of us gifted kids don’t have a tribe.

Finding My Tribe

This year in June, I, like so many other kids across the country, will be attending summer camp.  However, my summer camp is so much more than just a summer camp.  I will be attending  Yunasa West  – It’s located in the beautiful mountains of Colorado,  far away from cities, technology and really far away from my home in California.

Yunasa West is where I’ve found my tribe. It is a summer camp program for gifted kids to help them understand themselves; and for me, it’s helped me understand that I belong.

‘Yunasa’ means Balance in Lakota, and the goal of the one week camp is to balance all sides of giftedness – intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical. This is not as easy as it sounds, since balance does not come naturally to kids who tend to be “high-energy” in their area of strength. Yunasa gives us a chance to strengthen our weaknesses and grow; all in an attempt to achieve balance. Every time after camp, I go away knowing more about myself, and feeling more like I truly have a place in the world.

One week?  All of this in one tiny, little week?

Sure, one week of being with a group you really belong in may not seem like enough time, but it is!  I came away from my very first summer at Yunasa with knowledge – the following knowledge:

Everyone belongs somewhere. There is always someone like you in the world.

It gives me something to look forward to for the next year, as well as the knowledge that I’m not alone in the world.

I’m Home

The words, ‘I’ve found my tribe,’ will be mentioned a lot here, and I want to share something with you, to help fully express how true those words are.

I have experienced “first day of camp” thrice, and on each of those first days at Yunasa, the words “I’m home,” run through my mind…over and over.

I know I’m safe at Yunasa, and I can be me. I can let go of my chameleon-ness.  I can talk about things that outside of Yunasa, would just cause people to stare at me confusedly, and/or then tease me about.

My home with my tribe is a place where I can talk about nearly being knocked off a hill by a tiny plant that wasn’t even moving; all because I was holding my hands out to it – and not be laughed at.

The place where people don’t tease me about my grade level, or ask if I’ve skipped grades. The place that I fit in. My second (or is it my first?) home.

Belonging is more important than fitting in.

Being a part of my tribe, means I am respected and my knowledge and my knowing is valued and can be shared with others. The same is true of the elders in our tribe; their knowledge and knowing is valued and they lovingly pass it on to us.  Being this odd, different, quirky kid can be a little scary. We can look around searching for proof that we will be okay. We search for adults who are like us, so we can be reassured that we too can grow up and grow into our true selves. It is sometimes hard to find those examples of our future selves, (too many people have hidden themselves, or have played the part of a chameleon for so long that they have forgotten who they really are) so when we are at Yunasa, we look up to our elders, and breathe a sigh of relief.

Stephanie Tolan, one of the Camp Elders, and  a Senior Fellow of Yunasa, compares gifted kids and cheetahs.

“If a cheetah is confined to a 10 X 12 foot cage, though it may pace or fling itself against the bars in restless frustration, it won’t run 70 mph.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah has only 20 mph rabbits to chase for food, it won’t run 70 mph while hunting. If it did, it would flash past its prey and go hungry! Though it might well run on its own for exercise, recreation, fulfillment of its internal drive, when given only rabbits to eat the hunting cheetah will run only fast enough to catch a rabbit.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah is fed Zoo Chow it may not run at all.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?

If a cheetah is sick or if its legs have been broken, it won’t even walk.

IS IT STILL A CHEETAH?”

“…Schools are to extraordinarily intelligent children what zoos are to cheetahs. Many schools provide a 10 x 12 foot cage, giving the unusual mind no room to get up to speed. Many highly gifted children sit in the classroom the way big cats sit in their cages, dull-eyed and silent. Some, unable to resist the urge from inside even though they can’t exercise it, pace the bars, snarl and lash out at their keepers, or throw themselves against the bars until they do themselves damage.”

-Stephanie Tolan  (for the complete Is It A Cheetah essay…click here)

Yunasa, to me, is a place where cheetahs can run full-speed, with no bars to hold them back. A place where we can grow and learn about ourselves, and where we are given tools to help us… out in the ‘real world.’

Yunasa is an amazing refuge and a second home,  if you feel like you don’t fit in – anywhere. 

It’s a place to just be yourself and a place where you will learn to balance all parts of yourself.

I Belong

I have found a place where I belong. I have found a place where I can see a little of myself in my peers. I have found a place where I can see my future walking along side me.  Yunasa exists for longer than just one week, as I always take a little of it away with me each summer, and nurture it until I return the next year.  I have learned to live for every moment of every day, and not just for my one week homecoming at Yunasa. Yes, Yunasa has helped teach me this!

If you are interested in applying for a Yunasa Summer Camp, please visit the IEA website for more information and full application.

This post originally appeared on Hannah’s blog, Uncharted Journey, and has been reposted with permission.

IEA’s pioneering Yunasa summer camps unite highly able youngsters with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children. Campers explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

When I sat down to write a blog post on the wonder of Yunasa and Yunasa West, I was completely baffled as to how to begin. I sat, hands stagnant upon my keyboard as I searched for words that would adequately capture the essence of this magical summer. When I am thwarted by writer’s block, I often feel compelled to turn to the words of a beloved author or poet for inspiration. And so, I begin this blog with the words of Hafez, a Persian poet from the fourteenth century.

“With That Moon Language” by Hafez

Admit something: Everyone you see, you say to them, “Love me.”
Of course you do not do this out loud, otherwise
Someone would call the cops.
Still though, think about this, this great pull in us to connect.
Why not become the one who lives with a
Full moon in each eye that is always saying,
With that sweet moon language, what every other eye in
This world is dying to hear?

At Yunasa last year, I was deeply moved by the overall acceptance I witnessed as the uniqueness and individuality and quirkiness of each child was celebrated by the entire group. I never experienced anything like that amongst my peers as a child, and I felt grateful that a place exists where such unconditional acceptance envelopes each young person. This year, I was especially struck by the wisdom of the campers at both Yunasa and Yunasa West.

I watched, in awe, as campers – both new and seasoned – intentionally reached out to include some of the more shy and timid children; I listened, in awe, to conversations between campers that reflected profound insight and deep thought; and I shared conversations with quite a few campers whose empathy and self-understanding touched me deeply. This year, the Counselors in Training (CITs) at Yunasa in Michigan decided to orchestrate a “friendship panel,” or an open discussion with the entire population of campers about issues pertaining to relationships amongst friends. The younger campers had lots of questions, both general and specific, and the CITs demonstrated the type of wisdom one encounters within clusters of brilliant philosophers. They led an enlightening and interesting conversation that could easily have continued for hours.

Both camps were marked by traditional Yunasa Programming: Heart of the Matter – small group sessions with clinical psychologist and Senior Fellow Patty Gatto-Walden; Fellows’ Workshops, e.g., Emotional Life of the Brain with Michael Piechowski, Energy Healing with Stef Tolan, Archetypes: The Four-Fold Way with Shelagh Gallagher and Dan Tichenor, and Psychosynthesis Scenarios with Jim Delisle; Counselors’ Workshops, e.g., Duct Tape Crafts with Darcy, Russian Fairy Tales with Paul, Soccer with Lucy and Steph, History with Wade, and Music Improv with Ethan; traditional camp activities – zipline, giant swing, high ropes, kayaking, rock climbing, fishing, and hammockville; Psychosynthesis – daily guided meditation in small groups; and evening activities such as the Variety Show, Campfire, Social, and Movie Night (we watched Big Hero Six). Special guests of Yunasa West – Louise Hindle and Dr. Amy Gaesser – offered workshops on poetry and EFT, respectively. Dr. April DeGennarro, our special guest at Yunasa Michigan, offered two compelling workshops pertaining to the identity we display on social media.

At Yunasa West, each psychosynthesis group performed a skit to demonstrate one of Dabrowski’s overexcitabilities. The Fellows, counselors, and I laughed hysterically as our wise young campers harnessed their creativity and impressive theatric talent to portray individuals who exemplify the intellectual, sensual, imaginational, emotional, and psychomotor overexcitabilities. Although we all laughed – a lot – their dramatic depictions were not far from reality!

This year, we read Listen! by Stef Tolan to correspond with the Yunasa theme, which was also “Listen.” We chose this theme because listening to our bodies, minds, spirits, emotions, and, of course, listening to one another is imperative as we seek balance. At Yunasa, we aim to pay attention – to listen closely – to the world around us, even as we sit silently amongst the trees, absorbing the sounds, colors, life, and history of our surroundings. Listening and mindfulness are closely related. As I listen, I grow attentive to the way my body feels and what that means; I am able to gauge my emotions with a deeper sensitivity; I am more equipped to empathize with others.

I have now participated in three Yunasa camps, and each time, I come home with a heightened sense of attentiveness. My interactions with the Fellows, campers, and counselors of Yunasa help me return to a vibrant place of attention. We miss so much when we dwell inside our heads, bend our heads over our phones, and stare blankly as we move through life. Thank you, people of Yunasa, for existing and for inspiring.

And with that, I shall end this blog post in the same way it began.

“Ten times a day something happens to me like this – some strengthening throb of amazement – some good sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest and the wisest thing I know: that the soul exists and is built entirely out of attentiveness.”
–Mary Oliver

Summer days at IEA continue to be filled with time spent with our amazing community members across the country! Take a look at some of the highlights from the month of July:

Students jumped in to fill more than 40 spots in Academy Summer Session II, where they explored everything from Algebra to Jane Austen and were taught by content area specialists.

68 campers gathered in Michigan for Yunasa. Stay tuned for more updates and photos at the conclusion of camp!
           

IEA Apprenticeship Mentor and Caltech researcher Ashish Mahabal gave a mini-lecture on transients – astronomical objects that change in brightness on short time-scales.

CDB Finalists were interviewed in Houston, Boise, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Boston, Charlotte, Minneapolis, Orlando, and Washington, D.C.

Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy students examined meteorites from the Moon, Vesta, and other celestial bodies.

Brianna, IEA’s Resources Coordinator, joined our friends from The Gifted Development Center at the 2015 SENG Conference in Denver.

We filmed interviews at The Barder House and Academy for our new IEA video, coming soon!

Students in the Adventures in the Planetary Science Academy class took a field trip to explore the light and optics exhibit at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

A new staff member, Niña, joined the IEA team as a Program Coordinator.

Academy students taking Astronomy went on a field trip to the Griffith Observatory for more hands-on learning.

Have news to share? Please send the community member’s name and affiliation with IEA along with a photo or video to IEAgifted@educationaladvancement.org. We’d love to showcase your milestones, accomplishments, and interests with the rest of the IEA community!

Want to see more highlights from this summer? Check out what happened in the IEA community in June!

Scientists @ Work – Advanced Research Workshops

San Marino, California

Offered March through May 2015

Scientists @ Work evening workshops are designed to advance students’ intellectual curiosity through access to new knowledge from research scientists in the Los Angeles area. Working with a professional scientist, students will be introduced to the skills needed to be a successful scientific researcher in areas such as coding, mechanical engineering, or advanced physics.

These evening workshops led by Caltech researchers will include a lecture, seminar, and hands-on learning experience. Space will be limited.

Tuition*: $25 per workshop or $60 for 3 workshops

Summer Apprenticeship 2015

Los Angeles and Pasadena, California

June 22-August 7, 2015

IEA’s summer Apprenticeship Program is more than an internship – it’s a place where high potential students can advance their intellectual passions with incredible mentors. Apprenticeship 2015 is non-residential and will provide opportunities for immersion in engaging research and the chance to meet peers with shared interests. Apprentices will work as professionals during the day, and in the evening, they will enjoy weekly social gatherings and workshops with lead college advisors, counselors, and other experts.

Local gifted high school students are invited to apply for this prestigious experience. Apprentices will be placed at Caltech, USC, and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where they will work with a team of professionals to gain hands-on, intellectually stimulating advanced research experience in a field of their choice.

Summer Apprenticeship is a place for students to develop their passions alongside helpful professionals.

Tuition*: $1,400

Academy for High School

San Marino, California

April 6-May 30, 2015

As our students grow, we grow. For the first time, IEA Academy will offer STEM classes for high school students during the Spring Session. These challenging enrichment classes focus on exploration and application of knowledge and are taught by content area specialists. Schedules will be announced in early March – stay tuned for more details!

These are amazing opportunities for young adults. As one 2014 Apprentice said:

“The experience of actually doing work in astrophysics, rather than just learning things in a classroom, was a very valuable experience that taught me a lot about the environment and the world of work and research. I also discovered that I would want to be in that environment, something that is hard to determine when just learning about astronomy in the regular classroom.”

In addition to these new and updated program offerings in the Los Angeles area, IEA continues to provide our Yunasa and Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship for teenagers nationwide.

• IEA’s Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship awards highly gifted applicants with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual intellectual and personal needs. Students apply in 7th grade.

• IEA’s pioneering and award-winning Yunasa summer camps for gifted youth unite highly able youngsters ages 10-15 with experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children. In a nurturing setting campers explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

*Financial aid for all IEA programs is available to families in need.

The Apprenticeship Program is not sponsored or endorsed by Caltech, UCLA or USC.

Sign up for our email newsletter to receive more information and updates on IEA programs for gifted high school students.

Please share this information with any friends, parents, students, teachers, and administrators who may be interested.

Selecting an appropriate summer camp for a gifted student requires careful consideration of the whole child. Who are they, and how can they benefit from the summer? There are no standard answers to this. Some students want to spend the summer more fully pursuing a passion. Others want to try something new. And some don’t want to go to camp at all, preferring to read, imagine, work for money, visit family, or more. All of these are worthwhile options.

To understand a child’s greatest strengths and needs, and how educational choices can best support a child, I often look to Dabrowski’s Theory of Overexcitabilities, also often called intensities. If we can identify a child’s intensities, we can better analyze which resources best serve him or her. For a good understanding of Dabrowski’s theory of gifted children and their intensities, I recommend Sharon Lind’s article, “Overexcitability and the Gifted.”

Before considering the environment of a summer program, there are a few overarching questions to consider. Do they want to fill their summer with what they already know they like, or do they choose to try something personally challenging? Do they want to stay in their comfort zone, or experience a summer outside of it? After your child has answered these questions, you can think about your child’s needs more specifically. Here are ideas, based on my work with gifted children, to help you think about summer camps and programs based on their personal intensities.

Psychomotor Overexcitabilities

These children are restless, driven, usually in movement, active and energetic. They can successfully attend camps with non-athletic foci, but they must have daily opportunities for physical expression.

Last summer a gifted rising high school senior was in a college counseling seminar I led. The best part of his summer was playing basketball, and it seemed the worst part was sitting in my two-hour meeting. His dream is to attend the U.S. Naval Academy, and toward that he had an aggressive schedule of running and weight lifting. Another student told me he had to practice circus stunts every day or he would be depressed.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• A big campus with easy access to open spaces
• Fast-paced sports options
• Challenging physical activities with some sense of riskiness
• A climate that allows daily outdoor activities
• Sleeping arrangements that accommodate students who need fewer than average hours of sleep
• Camp programing that encourages students to settle themselves into some quiet time

Sensual Overexcitabilities

These children are highly sensitive to pleasurable or displeasureable sights, smells, textures, tastes and sounds. They can feel overwhelmed by increased sensory input, especially if they are placed in a displeasureable environment. Food quality is particularly important for these children. Music, language and art camps are well suited to these students.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Appealing food – One IEA client attended a Chinese language camp, which was a great experience for her – except that she did not like Chinese food. (She did come to like some of the menu’s choices.) Camps with strong kitchen odors can also be a problem for these children.
• Supportive dining arrangements – Food is what you eat, plus how you eat it. Is the meal rushed? Is the camp turning over tables to feed everyone? Is the eating area clean? Or are students encouraged to sit, have conversation and stay at the table as long as they want?
• Good air quality
• Access to music
• Visually soothing campus – One student told me she would only feel peaceful if she was surrounded by trees.

Intellectual Overexcitabilities

These children need to seek, understand, analyze and synthesize knowledge. They are able to concentrate for long periods and love to talk about theoretical and moral issues. They can be unintentionally critical of other students who are not peers.

Last month, I was in workshops with gifted high school students who aired their frustrations with limits on intellectual exploration. Most of them cited teachers who were sometimes unable to explain advanced material. AP classes are a mixed blessing: there is more advanced material, but so many assignments and a strict curriculum crowd out genuine thought.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Association with teachers or mentors who have complete mastery of their field
• Connection with peers who can socialize in compatible ways
• Intense learning possibilities
• Opportunities to discuss moral concerns
• Time to read

Imaginational Overexcitabilities

These children often create their own private worlds with imaginary people and storylines. They tend to prefer fantasies and dreams over facts and have preferences for the unique and unusual.

One gifted student interested in art had a superb summer in an architecture program. He was thrilled when his teacher gave him a viewfinder and told him to walk around the city, looking only at the details of architectural elements. He loved it all, especially working with the viewfinder.

A summer experience for this type of student should in some way include:

• Creative inlets and outlets such as plays, movies, creative writing, poetry, photography and crafts
• Storytelling
• Access to workshop space on an as-needed schedule
• Free time to imagine and wander
• Something within the program that is new to the student and out of the ordinary

Emotional Overexcitabilities

These children have intense feelings within themselves and strongly identify with the feelings of others. Their intensity includes physical responses, such as stomach aches, and they can be accused of over-reacting in situations.

This intensity is a challenge for residential camp staff, especially if the camp counselors are young. One student with emotional overexcitabilities was unable to sleep at residential camp until she was allowed a visitor and began to receive daily mail.

A summer experience for this type of student should include:

• An empathetic environment
• Mature counselors with good communication skills
• Camp commitment to accepting all feelings
• A calm environment, sometimes facilitated by a low staff to student ratio
• Good medical facilities, especially if the child is on any medication

As an organization specifically dedicated to serving gifted students, all of IEA’s programs keep these overexcitabilities in mind. For programs not specifically designed for gifted students, theses intensities are important to consider and have the potential to make a significant difference in your child’s summer program experience.

IEA is currently accepting applications for summer programs for gifted kids ages 5 to 18. For more information about these programs, please visit the Program page of our website. Apply today!

What factors do you consider when selecting a summer program for your gifted child? Please share in the comment section below.

Like this post? Sign up for our email newsletter to receive more information and resources about gifted youth delivered straight to your inbox.

About the Institute for Educational Advancement: IEA is an independent, national non-profit organization that matches gifted children with customized educational programs designed to serve their complex intellectual, social, emotional, spiritual, and physical needs.

• Academy provides challenging year-round enrichment classes for 2nd-8th graders focusing on exploration and application of knowledge.
• The Apprenticeship program is a summer residential experience that matches high school students with renowned mentors in fields such as math, science, medicine, and industrial design.
• The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship awards highly gifted 7th grade applicants with a four-year scholarship to a high school that fits their individual intellectual and personal needs.
• Yunasa and Yunasa West are week-long summer camps uniting highly able middle schoolers and experts in the social and emotional development of gifted children to explore and grow the intellectual, spiritual, emotional, social, and physical aspects of their lives.

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