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.
Rockfest is coming up at Tellus Museum
If your child is into cool rocks, the annual Rockfest rock show at Tellus Museum, June 14 and 15, is the place to be. Kids will be able to see thousands of rocks and minerals, crack open geodes, see how rocks are made into jewelry, and do geology-themed activities.
Pro tip: Many of the rocks and gems on display will be for sale by vendors, so set expectations — and maybe a shopping budget — with your child ahead of time. If you want to just look and not buy anything, in my experience, the vendors are totally fine with that, especially when dealing with children who love rocks and gems. After all, most of the vendors are rock lovers, too.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, although some activities will end at 4 p.m.
Admission to Rockfest is covered by general admission to the museum.
Four upcoming science activities, all free
Science ATL, the group that organizes the annual Atlanta Science Festival, has three upcoming “science walks” and a presentation about computers that interface with the human brain.
- Discovery Walk along South Peachtree Creek in DeKalb County – tomorrow, May 3
- Nature Navigators walk at Sweetwater Creek in Lithia Springs – Saturday, May 17
- Discovery Walk at Emory University – Saturday, May 31
- “StoryCollider” show at Georgia Tech, featuring people whose lives were changed by computers that connect to the brain – Wednesday, May 7
All of these events are free, but advance registration is required. If you want to be notified about events like these in the future, sign up for Science ATL’s newsletter.
April workshops at Georgia Tech
Registration is open for Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club and STEAM Workshop classes for Saturday, April 19, 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.
Summer camps at West Georgia
University of West Georgia has opened registration for its 2025 youth summer camps, being held this June and July. Camps are available for rising kindergartners through rising 12th graders.
For grades K-2, Wolves Exploration Camp will run daily from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. From UWG’s description, this is an immersive camp that emphasizes activity outside the classroom.
STEM camps are open to rising K-8. These camps are being operated by the Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center.
Students rising to grades 6 through 12 can enroll in UWG Immersion Camps. These sessions are led by UWG faculty and staff, covering such topics as film, archaeology, esports and more.
Gifted Atlanta 