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Lighthouse Prep offers flexible, child-led learning
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.
Free webinar on gifted learning
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.
Georgia Tech October workshops for grades 2-12
Registration is open for Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop classes for Saturday, October 26, from 9 a.m. to noon on the Georgia Tech campus.
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.
Cost to attend is $65 per student. Unfortunately, the scholarship program that had been offered for the past several years, which was funded through the American Rescue Plan, has ended.
Additional K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops are planned for November 16, and December 7.
Emory to host math festival this Saturday
Emory University’s Math Circle program will host a Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival this Saturday, September 7.
The event targets middle- and high-school students who love math. Students go from table to table, trying out a range of games and puzzles which tend to focus on math concepts more than numerical computation. I attended this event with my kids some years ago, and found it to be challenging yet approachable and fun.
The math festival will be held in the atrium of the Math and Science Center from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. The event is intended as a drop-in activity — families can come and go at any time.
Admission to the festival is free, and free parking is available in the Oxford Road parking deck.
Emory Math Circle registering for fall 2024
The Math Circle program at Emory University is now registering students in grades 6 to 12 for its fall 2024 classes, which will begin in mid-September.
Math Circle is an enrichment program for middle-school and high-school kids who enjoy mathematics and want to explore topics and concepts beyond what’s taught in their regular math class at school.
Classes meet twice a month on Saturdays. High-school classes will meet on the Emory campus; middle-school students can choose from in-person or Zoom-based classes.
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 for grades 2-12
Registration is open for Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop classes for Saturday, September 28, from 9 a.m. to noon on the Georgia Tech campus.
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 and include robotics, computer science, forensic science, biotechnology, and chemistry.
Cost to attend is $65 per student. Unfortunately, the scholarship program that had been offered for the past several years, which was funded through the American Rescue Plan, has ended.
Additional K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshops are planned for October 26, November 16, and December 7.
Get to know DI (Destination Imagination)
I’ll say up front, this one is close to my heart.
Destination Imagination is an international program that encourages children’s creativity and collaborative skills. Working in small teams, kids tackle challenges that require a combination of technical skills, artistic ability, and ingenuity. Some challenges lean more toward the technical, while others require more artistry and theatrical presentation. DI is centered around STEAM components, but the teamwork required provides a separate learning experience of its own, and the child-led nature of the program does wonders for kids’ self-confidence.
My kids were in DI for several years, and I was their “team manager,” so I’m very familiar with how it works and what it does for kids, and I’m a big proponent of the program. Yet as I sit here and try to describe it, it’s surprisingly hard to put into words. That’s why I’d suggest, if you’re looking for an activity for the coming school year that emphasizes creativity and teamwork, you attend one of the upcoming information sessions being presented by the Georgia affiliate of DI and see if it could be a fit for your child and/or your school.
Sessions will be offered via Zoom on July 30 and 31 and August 5 and 6. If none of the available times is convenient for you, you can register and receive a link to watch a recording.
If you’d like more details about my personal experiences in DI, please use the form on the contact page to send me a message. I’m glad to share.
Rockfest coming to Tellus
Tellus Science Museum will present its 33rd annual Rockfest rock and gem show on June 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
Rockfest features gem, mineral, fossil, and jewelry dealers from across the country, along with activities and workshops. Kids can even bring rocks they’ve collected to have them identified by the experts.
Rockfest attendance is included with general admission to the museum.
VOX ATL taking applications for summer multimedia production program
VOX ATL, a non-profit organization that calls itself “Atlanta’s home for uncensored teen publishing and self-expression” is taking applications for its Media Cafe summer program.
Media Cafe is a two-week program that introduces teens to multimedia production, journalism and public speaking. Working in VOX ATL’s downtown office, teens get hands-on experience with writing, video editing, podcasting and graphic design. They also take field trips and meet creative professionals who work in Atlanta.
The program is open to ages 13-19. It’s free, although participants are asked to provide a $100 deposit to hold their spot. The deposit is returned at the end of the session. (Deposit waivers may be available, based on financial need.)
The application deadline is May 22. To learn more, visit the Media Cafe page.
Flash sale on summer writing camps at Atlanta History Center
Atlanta History Center is having a sale this week on its summer writing camps for students who are currently in 6th through 8th grades.
As they describe the camps, “Campers will learn how to become history detectives as they uncover museum mysteries, craft their own spooky stories, experiment with different styles of writing, and dream up their own imaginative worlds, all while having fun and exploring the past through games, historical simulations, and more!”
There’s no code required for the discount, which is $50 for non-members or $40 for members. The discount should appear automatically at registration. (Note that their history camps — which are for younger kids — aren’t part of this sale.) This offer ends this Friday, April 19.
Need more financial help for your child to attend a camp at Atlanta History Center? Camp scholarships are available for students who attend a Title I public school and receive free or reduced lunch. These are available for history camps or writing camps.
Gifted Atlanta 