Belin-Blank Chautauqua: Summer Opportunities for Professional Development

Chautauqua: adult education, building community with presentations, discussion, and cultural events.

In July, the Belin-Blank Center is hosting the first Chautauqua series in Iowa City.  Chautauqua I (July 14-18) and Chautauqua II (July 21 – 26, including class on Saturday) will feature six separate workshops on campus with additional online components.

Chautauqua I	Chautauqua II
Family Issues and Giftedness (M-T) Programming/Curriculum for High-Ability Students: Real-World Problem Solving (W-Th) Science for High-Ability Students (F)	Counseling/Psychological Needs of Gifted (M-T) Coordinating Gifted/Talented Programs (W-Th) Staff Development for Gifted Programs (F-S)

Participants may enroll in any one of the workshops; those who enroll at the graduate level for all three workshops in either week—or both—receive an automatic tuition scholarship from the Belin-Blank Center for one of three classes (three workshops for the cost of two; six for the cost of four).

Limited housing will be available at Burge Hall, adjacent to Blank Honors Center, for those enrolling in all three workshops during either Chautauqua. Contact Melissa Keeling at 800-336-6463 or melissa-keeling@uiowa.edu for registration information. Single rooms are available for $54; double rooms are $36. Reservations, including payment, are due by June 16.

Optional evening activities are available at no cost during each Chautauqua:  examples include movies with gifted themes, Creativity Cracker-barrel, and tech tools for differentiation, as well as Friday-night music in downtown Iowa City.

As always, in addition to the face-to-face opportunities, the Center will provide online workshops throughout the summer:  Gender Issues and Giftedness; Ethnic and Cultural Issues and Giftedness; Bibliotherapy for High-Ability Learners; Cognitive/Affective Needs of Gifted; Perfectionism and High-Ability Learners; Differentiation at the Secondary Level; Current Readings and Research in Gifted Education.

All workshops, on campus or online, fulfill requirements for the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement.

Two hours of academic credit are available for the July 7 – 10 Advanced Placement Teacher Training Institute (APTTI). As well, Supporting K-12 Students with STEM Research meets on Friday, July 11, and online; both APTTI and STEM Research fulfill requirements for the Programming strand for the TAG Endorsement; participants receive a 50% tuition scholarship (based on the cost of graduate tuition).

If you are new to the University of Iowa, or if it has been a year since you enrolled, be sure to complete the admission process as a Continuing Education workshop student—not degree-seeking, and not completing a certificate (university certificates do not equate to state endorsements).

Please share this information with colleagues who would benefit from learning more about developing the talents of high-ability learners.  If you have questions, please contact Dr. Laurie Croft, Administrator, Professional Development, at laurie-croft@uiowa.edu.