Gifted Atlanta

Life-long educator Kristy Beam is in the planning stages of creating Georgia Accelerated Career Academy, a public charter school that will allow students in grades 6 to 12 to prepare for careers in healthcare and medicine. On Tuesday, October 22, she’ll host an online informational session, and she’s hoping parents of gifted students will tune in and provide feedback.

Beam, who has worked as a teacher, administrator, and assistant superintendent in the metro Atlanta area, envisions a school where students begin exploring healthcare careers in middle school, work toward certifications as underclassmen, and ultimately earn an associate’s degree while in high school. From there, students could go directly into a healthcare career or embark on further studies in medicine.

The ability to earn an associate’s degree while in high school is available to public school students in Georgia through the Accelerated Career Diploma program, but Beam says it isn’t offered at all schools, and it’s usually suggested only to students who are struggling to stay on track to graduate, not advanced learners. Beam notes that some gifted students become disengaged from typical academic classes, and they might benefit from a program that lets them start pursuing an interest in healthcare and medicine while in high school.

To learn more about the plans for the school, visit https://www.gaaca.net/. To register for the information session, go to the event page.

Located in the downtown Decatur area, Lighthouse Prep is a small, independent school serving grades 2 through 12 that gives students greater autonomy to choose what they learn and at what pace.

Students pick their courses from an online learning platform that school founder Mikala Streeter compares to Coursera. Streeter says it’s ideal for gifted kids, because they can choose a class that matches their interest and mastery level, even if they’re the only child in the school who wants to take that specific class, and even if the school year is already underway.

The school also emphasizes hands-on projects, which likewise match students’ level of expertise and personal interests.

In addition to its full-time program, Lighthouse Prep offers a homeschool hybrid option, where students attend the school one to three days per week.

Midtown International School invites parents and teachers to attend an online presentation about gifted children and how they learn, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024 at 7 p.m.

The one-hour webinar will cover signs of giftedness, types of gifted learners, and strategies to support gifted children’s intellectual and social growth.

Registration for the webinar is required for all attendees.

Midtown International School is an independent school in northeast Atlanta that caters specifically to gifted children in kindergarten through 12th grade.