Archive
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.
November workshops at Georgia Tech
It’s that time again — Georgia Tech has opened registration for its next K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop day, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 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 using science to create music, robotics, DNA extraction, coding, solar power, and buidling a working prosthetic.
All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
The final session for fall 2025 will be December 6.
DeKalb County has made gifted testing more inclusive
In the 2024-25 school year, DeKalb County School District changed how it identifies students who should be tested for gifted eligibility, and as a result, more Black and Hispanic students qualified for gifted evaluation.
According to a story published in Rough Draft Atlanta, DeKalb had previously used once-a-year MAP testing as its sole tool to identify students who should be tested for academic giftedness. In 2024-25, the MAP qualifying score was lowered, and another academic factor was also brought into consideration. (From my review of DeKalb’s website, I think it was the ITBS.) This resulted in more students qualifying to take the CogAT assessment to determine their eligibilty for gifted services.
I want to point out that this new development in DCSS absolutely should not be seen as any indictment of their previous screening protocols. In fact, DeKalb County has been following what would be considered best practices in this area for many years. While some school systems require a teacher recommendation for a student to receive gifted evaluation, DeKalb has long based its screening on standardized test scores, removing teacher subjectivity as a factor that could cause inequity. Also, some school systems consider students for gifted evaluation only at particular grade levels, but DeKalb reviews MAP test scores every single school year to find students who should be evaluated for giftedness. DeKalb’s gifted education leadership has long taken pride in doing what it could to identify as many gifted students as possible.
October workshops at Georgia Tech
Just my usual post announcing the opening of registration for the next Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop classes, which are scheduled for Saturday, October 18, 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. All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
Additional sessions this fall will be held November 15 and December 6.
Emory Math Circle fall session starts soon
Registration is open now for the fall 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 beyond what’s 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 explorations beyond the curriculum.
Classes will meet twice a month on Saturdays, beginning September 27. 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.
Georgia Tech September workshops
The start of a new school year means new sessions of Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop classes. The first session will be Saturday, September 27, 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. All workshops meet on the Georgia Tech campus from 9 a.m. to noon.
Additional sessions this fall will be held October 18, November 15, and December 6.
Weather and rockets at Tellus
I’m combining two upcoming Tellus Museum events into one post, to reduce your email clutter.
Saturday, July 12, from noon to 4 p.m., Tellus will host Wild About Weather. Meet local meteorologists, learn about lightning, and see a storm tracker vehicle. No advance registration required, and no fee beyond the price of admission to the museum.
The following Saturday, July 19, they’ll hold one of their occasional Build & Blast Rocket Workshops. This workshop requires advance registration and carries a fee of $20 for Tellus members and $35 for non-members. Participation is restricted to ages 8 and up.
Gifted Atlanta 