Scholarships for 7th graders with high ability, low incomes
The application period for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program, a scholarship for high-performing students with financial need, opens today.
The Young Scholars program awards scholarships that can be used for enrichment — from music lessons to summer programs — or for private-school tuition. Students apply when they are in 7th grade, and scholarship winners receive financial support for five years, beginning in 8th grade.
Award winners also receive academic guidance from advisers with the program, and participate in summer programs.
To apply, a student must come from a family with an adjusted annual gross income of $95,000 or less.
The application period closes in March, but the application has lots of parts to complete, including personal and teacher recommendations, so it’s wise to get an early start.
UGA-Duke TIP weekend for 8th-11th grade students
Registration is open for two UGA-Duke TIP Scholar Weekends to be held on the University of Georgia campus. This two-day program gives students the chance to study in depth a topic that is likely outside the curriculum of their school, and to do so in a college environment with like-minded peers.
The two available weekends are Jan. 27-28 and March 3-4, 2018.
Scholar Weekends are open to any students in grades 8 to 11 who either participated in the Duke-TIP 7th Grade Talent Search or have been gifted identified by their school. This includes students who are enrolled in honors, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or accelerated classes.
Topics include music, psychology, marine biology, global politics, public speaking, and “Star Wars mock trial.”
Students will arrive on the UGA campus on Saturday morning, spend the day learning, stay overnight on the UGA campus, and continue their studies on Sunday. Courses are taught by UGA professors, graduate students, professionals, and gifted educators.
Registration deadline for Jan. 27-28 is Jan. 19; the deadline for the March weekend is Feb. 9. Popular courses typically fill before the registration deadline. Cost is $450. Financial aid may be available.
Girls’ coding program at Georgia Tech now taking applications
Girls in grades 6 to 10 are invited to apply to TheGirlCodeProject, a program that teaches girls about computer programming through video game design and encourages them to pursue STEM education and careers.
TheGirlCodeProject has three parts:
- Lecture, a computer camp where the girls learn the GameMaker programming language, April 2-6, 2018
- Design, during which small teams of girls work together, under the guidance of Tech students, to create a video game with a STEM theme, April 7 to August 24, 2018
- Presentation, when each team presents its game to a panel of judges, with prizes and scholarships awarded to the winning team, August 25, 2018
TheGirlCodeProject was established at Georgia Tech in 2016 and is led by faculty and students of the university.
Applications will be taken through March 2, 2018 and are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Free admission to Atlanta History Center on MLK Day
The Atlanta History Center is offering free admission on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Admission to the Margaret Mitchell House is also free that day.
Among the activities available that day are:
- A Trek to the River’s Edge, a documentary about student activists in the civil rights movement in Atlanta
- Freedom Ride interactive simulation
- Newsreel footage from the March on Washington, and a viewing of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech
A complete list of activities can be found on the Atlanta History Center web site.
Tour Europe in June 2019 for 75th anniversary of D-Day
North Atlanta High School invites students and parents from the metro Atlanta community to join in a trip to Europe in June 2019 to visit historic sites and participate in celebrations honoring the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
The two-week trip will be coordinated through EF Tours. The itinerary includes visits to England, France, Belgium, and Germany.
Participating students may be able to earn high-school credit for completing the tour. The trip is open to students ages 13 and up.
Cost is $4,360 for students and $5,010 for adults. These prices include round-trip airfare, transportation while abroad, all hotels, most meals, admission to attractions and events, and travel insurance. Prices may go up as the trip date approaches. EF Tours is offering a $200 discount if you register and make a non-refundable deposit of $95 before Dec. 31, 2017. EF Tours can provide students with an online fundraising page for the trip.
The gifted coordinator at North Atlanta High School, Dr. Deanna Hasty, has provided a flier with more information. If you have additional questions, you can contact her using the e-mail address found in the flier.
High school meteorology class at Ga. Tech
Georgia Tech’s K.I.D.S. Club is offering a new, one-day class for high school students to explore meteorology.
This three-hour Saturday session teaches students the basics of observing and analyzing weather patterns. The class will be offered on Jan. 20, Feb. 17 and March 17, 2018. Each of these sessions is identical; students should sign up for only one of the three dates.
K.I.D.S. Club also continues its classes for middle and high-school students, including LEGO Robotics and mobile app development, as well as its elementary school program featuring interactive science activities for students in grades 2 through 5.
December session of Duke TIP at UGA for 5th and 6th graders
Registration is open for the December 2, 2017 session of the UGA-Duke TIP Academic Adventures program for students in grades 5 and 6.
This one-day program, held on the UGA campus, gives talented kids a chance to study topics of interest with other high-achieving peers.
Topics for the December session include engineering, zoology, sound / music, genetics, sharks, and more.
To participate in Academic Adventures, your child must be registered with the Duke TIP 4th/5th/6th Grade Talent Search. Not registered with Duke TIP? Learn more about how to get started so you can take advantage of opportunities like this one.
Popular classes will fill up quickly. Financial aid is available.
A chance to try Math Circle at Emory
Think of Emory Math Circle as a club for kids in grades 6-12 who love math — not just working math problems, but deeper thinking about mathematical concepts.
The program meets on Saturday afternoons on the Emory campus. Groups are taught by Ph.D. students from the Emory Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
If Math Circle sounds like it might be a fit for your child, you can sign up for a sample session this fall. The sample classes are open to only to students who have not participated in Math Circle. (Those who have attended the math festival at Emory, but have never enrolled in Math Circle, are eligible.)
Saturday enrichment classes in Gwinnett for elementary & middle school students
The fall session of Gwinnett Alliance for Gifted Education’s Saturday Exploration Program will begin October 7, 2017.
These Saturday morning classes, held at Level Creek Elementary School in Suwanee, are designed for gifted and high-achieving students in grades 2 through 8. Topics for fall include computer programming, personal finance, entrepreneurship, and zoology.
Registration deadline is September 25.
Online certificate in gifted education for parents as well as teachers
When Arizona State University asked me to share information about their online graduate certificate program in gifted education, I was reluctant at first. I think of gifted ed certification as something for classroom teachers, and I think most of my readers are parents.
However, the university representative said this program of study would also be useful for parents who homeschool their gifted kids, or for parents who simply want to better understand their children’s learning needs and how to better advocate for their kids within a traditional school setting.
I’m all for parents becoming stronger advocates for their children — and, in time, for the general population of gifted children — so if you want to know more, download the PDF of the Graduate-Certificate-Gifted-Education-Program-Guide. To enroll, you must have a bachelor’s degree. The certification requires five classes and they say it can be completed in two years.
Gifted Atlanta 