Gifted Atlanta

Just about everything I post on GiftedAtlanta.com is local to the Atlanta area.

The one exception I make is the Appalachian Institute for Creative Learning, held for two weeks each summer on the campus of Warren Wilson College, just outside Asheville, North Carolina.

For years, I had been intrigued by AICL with its wide range of courses. Where many programs billing themselves as gifted camps are science and technology heavy, AICL offers classes in music, magic, philosophy, and Dungeons & Dragons, just to name a few of the dozens of courses for 2015.

Last summer, my kids went to AICL and loved it. And I loved it, too, because I’ve never been anywhere where children’s creativity and individuality were so honored.

Let’s face it: Gifted kids can be unusual and quirky. Too often in life, they are embarrassed by their differences. At AICL, their quirks aren’t ridiculed. They’re celebrated. AICL is a safe place where exceptional children can meet other kids like them — kids who think it’s cool to learn about medieval warfare, form a marching band, create a documentary, or build a house out of cardboard.

AICL is open to children ages 8 to 17, with day camp or residential options. Children need not be gifted identified by their school to attend. As the camp’s web site puts it, “[W]e call our campers motivated learners, figuring anyone who shows up to take biology, math, or art in July is motivated.”