Did you know that there are state and national associations that exist to support gifted and advanced learners and their families and educators? Not only do these organizations provide information and resources, but they also provide training opportunities and conferences.
The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), just celebrated their 70th anniversary as an organization. It is the “nation’s leading organization focused on the needs of gifted and talented children” and is “dedicated to uplifting and empowering those who support children with advanced abilities, NAGC provides energizing professional learning, impactful research, and inspiring advocacy to ensure all children have equitable opportunities and support to develop their gifts and talents.”
Knowledge Center – NAGC maintains a robust collection of information for parents and educators. You can find information on the basics of gifted education and the NAGC standards, pieces on strategies and best practices, and NAGC position statements. There are numerous publications, ranging from scholarly journals like Gifted Child Quarterly to those for teachers and parents – Teaching for High Potential and Parenting for High Potential. You can also access a variety of reports, blog posts, and parent TIP sheets. There is also a GT Resource Directory where you can search by key words for programs and tools.
Professional Learning – NAGC holds an annual convention with programming for parents, psychologists, researchers, and educators each year in November. There is also a Leadership and Advocacy conference hosted in March and an annual symposium on Equity. NAGC’s LEAP education products support educator learning and strategy implementation. The Expert Speakers Bureau connects schools, districts, and parent groups with experts in the field as speakers for their events. NAGC also recognizes innovative educators serving historically underrepresented populations through scholarships to the annual convention and ongoing mentorship with the Javits-Frasier Scholars Program.
Avocate – Through federal legislative activity, NAGC has maintained the Javits Grant, the only national financial support for gifted education. They also support state associates and advocacy at the state level, and publish an biannual State of the States report detailing the status of gifted education in each state. There is also advice on advocating for our child in the classroom, school, and district.
Community – NAGC collaborates with over 40 state and local affiliates to connect and advocate on behalf of gifted children. There are several networks and special interests groups you can join within NAGC as a member, as well as NAGC Engage, an online community where you can connect with others to ask questions and get support. You can also volunteer for committees and run for leadership positions for network leadership or even for the board of directors. NAGC also recognizes outstanding adult contributions through awards and scholarships, and supports the Dr. Martin D. Jenkins Scholarship/Award recognizing the achievements of highly gifted black students who excel academically.
NAGC offers a parent membership for $59/year which includes both quarterly magazines – Parenting for High Potential and Teaching for High Potential, the NAGC NewsSource weekly e-newsletter, and the NAGC Insider monthly newsletter.
Michelle Swain is the Director of Gifted and Advanced Academics at Round Rock ISD.