Help Meet the Needs of High Potential Students
With shrinking budgets and school reform, many parents are finding school districts are unable to fully meet the needs of their academically talented children. To help them reach their full potential and to provide them with the intellectual stimulation that may be lacking in schools, more parents are turning to supplemental programs like the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG). SIG, a not-forprofit organization, provides programs during the summer months designed to meet the abilities and needs of academically gifted and talented students. SIG’s threeweek summer sessions allow students to mature and develop in every element of his or her life, develop long-lasting and meaningful relationships and increase their self-confidence and thinking in divergent ways – all within a safe and secure environment.
“SIG’s mission is to help gifted children achieve their fullest potential,” states Barbara Swicord, Ed.D., President and CEO of the Summer Institute for the Gifted. “Our program is best known for providing educational summer programs designed specifically to stimulate the intellect of academically talented students, and has been a leader in gifted education since 1984, but has expanded into programs for educators, parents and online programs to serve the gifted community.” Supplemental programs like SIG help to keep students motivated and engaged in the education process by providing participants with additional stimulation and academic challenges beyond the traditional curriculum. SIG’s residential Summer Camps are available to students between the ages of 9 and 18 and are offered at ten college campuses across the country: Amherst College, Bryn Mawr College, Dartmouth College, Emory University, Princeton University, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, UT Austin, Vassar College and Yale University.
SIG provides the highest quality academic offerings for gifted students with a unique approach to gifted education focusing upon the intellectual, social and emotional needs of each student. SIG offers the richest course curriculum available to gifted students with more than 80 challenging academic courses. “As a gifted student, it is not always apparent exactly how far [my daughter] can fly in a traditional school setting,” remarks one parent of a SIG student. “However, SIG definitely raised the bar for her and she soared right over it!”SIG also offers day programs for students between the ages of 4 and 12 at also for a ree-week period. These non-residential programs are designed for students in grades one through six and combine a structured academic schedule with daily recreational activities. In addition to academics, both residential and day participants engage in cultural, recreational, creative exercises, entertainment, trips and a host of other activities to foster well-rounded development.
By Tiffany Betz
