Learn about Georgia Tech summer programs
Georgia Tech will host two informational sessions about its 2026 Summer PEAKS programs — one in person and the other online. Both sessions will introduce the program, talk about specific plans for this summer, and answer questions.
Summer PEAKS is Georgia Tech’s summer program for students rising to grades 2 through 12. This year’s sessions will be held from June 1 to July 31. The program is broken into weeks; students can pick as many or as few weeks as they want. Topics for this year’s program haven’t yet been posted.
The in-person information session will be on February 28, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., on the Georgia Tech campus, in the Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons, auditorium 152. The virtual session will be March 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
If you plan to attend either session, you’re asked to register ahead of time.
Registration for Summer PEAKS will open on February 28.
Registration open for Georgia Tech March workshops
Registration is open now for Georgia Tech’s March 14 K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops.
K.I.D.S. Club is open to students in grades 2 through 5. STEAM Workshops are for students in grades 6 through 12. Topics vary by age group. Topics planned for March 14 include chemistry, robotics, coding, animation, game development, soldering, and some special Pi Day celebrations.
All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
The final K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops date for spring 2026 will be April 25.
“High-achieving students deserve to be challenged,” from Brookings Institute
“Gifted kids will be fine regardless.”
This common misconception burns me up every time I hear it, which is why I appreciated an opinion piece, “High-achieving students deserve to be challenged in school,” written by University of Delaware assistant professor Kenneth Shores and published in November by the Brookings Institute.
Shores argues that students who are above grade level often endure days, weeks, and months of boredom in school, especially at the elementary level. Shores finds it unconscionable that advanced students languish for years under the premise that they won’t be harmed. To the contrary, Shores says, the constant boredom is harmful.
Possible solutions he suggests include grouping kids by ability rather than by age, or using technology to allow students to move on to more challenging material.
The piece is about a 10-minute read. I’d recommend it if you’re interested in gifted advocacy in our public schools, either locally or nationally. It would also be good reading to psych yourself up before meeting with a school administrator if you have a child who’s suffering from regular boredom in his or her classroom, as it’s a well-argued reminder that advanced students deserve the chance to learn and grow, not just attend school.
Registration open for Feb. 28 workshops at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech will hold K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops on three Saturdays this spring: February 28, March 14, and April 25, 2026. Registration for the February session is open now.
K.I.D.S. Club is open to students in grades 2 through 5. STEAM Workshops are for students in grades 6 through 12. Topics vary by age group. Topics planned for February 28 include AI, coding, circuits, digestion, and robotics.
All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
Math Circle at Emory starts soon
Registration is open now for the spring 2026 session of Math Circle at Emory University.
Math Circle is an enrichment program for kids in grades 6 through 12. It’s designed for kids who enjoy mathematics and want to explore topics and concepts that aren’t taught in their regular math class at school. Don’t think of it as a way to get ahead of the standard school curriculum, but rather as a chance to explore beyond the curriculum.
Classes will meet twice a month on Saturdays, beginning January 31 or February 7, depending on the class section. All classes will meet on the Emory campus.
You can get more information and register at the Math Circle website.
Emory Math Circle is free to attend, but the program operates with the help of donations, and they suggest a donation of $30 per child for those who can afford to give.
Apply now for scholarships for Georgia Tech summer program
Georgia Tech has opened its application for scholarships for its Summer PEAKS programs for elementary, middle-school, and high-school students.
All scholarships are based on financial need and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To apply, you’ll need to provide documentation of your household income. Students who qualify for the free or reduced lunch program in their public school are likely to qualify for these scholarships. There are no full scholarships, but awards that cover 25%, 50%, or 75% of tuition are available.
Be aware that if you apply for a scholarship, you’ll still need to register separately for the actual program your child wants to participate in, and being selected for a scholarship doesn’t guarantee your child a seat in their preferred program. Registration is scheduled to open at the end of February.
Full information on scholarships is available on the Georgia Tech website. The application launches from the information page.
Statistics competition at Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech’s School of Industrial and Systems Engineering is accepting entries for its annual Olympiad of Probability and Statistics. The competition, which began in 2022, gives high-school students the chance to compete for cash prizes and scholarships to Georgia Tech’s Mission Possible summer camp.
When I posted about this competition in its inaugural year, I wrote that students needed to have taken AP Statistics to qualify. One of the directors recently reached out to me to say that’s not correct. Although the exam the competitors take is based on what’s covered in the College Board AP Statistics exam, students can compete whether or not they have taken the class.
The first round of the competition will be held online on April 3, 2026. Those who advance will compete in a second round on the Georgia Tech campus on April 24, 2026.
The registration deadline is January 21, 2026.
Parents of gifted kids sought for research survey
A local teacher pursuing a doctorate in education is looking for “parents of gifted children who may suspect that their child needs additional support due to real challenges (academic, social, emotional, behavioral)” to complete an online survey.
The researcher, who currently teaches gifted students in a local public school system, has a specific interest in education for students who are twice-exceptional — those who are gifted and also have a learning disability. However, she said parents don’t need to be familiar with 2E education to complete the survey. They simply need to feel that their child would benefit from additional support.
The survey consists of 10 questions. You can access it here: https://forms.gle/1YcTkcojqZGc5nBJ7
The survey is anonymous and confidential.
December workshops at Georgia Tech
It’s my periodic post about Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop. Registration is now open for the sessions scheduled for Saturday, December 6, 2025.
K.I.D.S. Club is open to students in grades 2 through 5. STEAM Workshops are for students in grades 6 through 12. Topics vary by age group. Sessions scheduled for November 15 include polymers, coding, circuits, solar power, robotics, and electric vehicles.
All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
You’re invited to a science fair this Thursday
Lighthouse Prep, an independent school in Stone Mountain, welcomes the public to attend the Metro Atlanta Science Fair this Thursday, Nov. 13, from noon to 2 p.m.
Principal Mikala Streeter wrote that the school’s mission is to “make science fair opportunities accessible to all gifted and curious students across metro Atlanta, including those whose schools or homeschool groups don’t currently offer one.” Winners at the Lighthouse Prep fair will advance to the Gwinnett County Science Fair, which can lead on to higher levels of competition in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair system.
If you want to see what the students have put together, either because you’re curious or to see if this open fair might be a good opportunity for your child in the future, you’ll need to request tickets through the Eventbrite page.
Gifted Atlanta 