Message from the Director: How Kids Feel About School Matters

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

In 2018, Saba Ali, Susan Assouline, Duhita Mahatmya, and I were awarded a US Department of Education JAVITS grant titled, Culturally responsive talent identification and career exploration (TICE). The overall goal of the project has been to broaden participation of underrepresented students in talented and gifted programming and to increase opportunities for academic and career achievement. Our team, which includes several graduate students and Emily Ladendorf from the Belin-Blank Center, has accomplished a lot in the past four and a half years. Now it’s time to share our findings!

Last week, our work was published in High Ability Studies, an academic journal that examines developing potential across disciplines. The tile of the paper is Patterns of high ability and underrepresented students’ subject-specific psychosocial strengths: A latent profile analysis. While this title may seem a little intimidating to those outside of academia, the underlying idea is both simple and important: bright underrepresented students are not all the same, particularly when it comes to their approach to and feelings about academics. 

Led by Duhita Mahatmya, we took a theoretical approach to understanding patterns of psychosocial and academic strengths among 240 middle school students who participated in the TICE program. We measured students’ skill in reading, mathematics, and science and their beliefs about these skills. We also looked at students’ career interests, goals, and outcome expectations. Finally, we inventoried their academic goals. From these assessments, we identified student profiles – that is, we grouped students with similar traits. We labeled these groups as follows:

• Uninspired
• Confident but Directionless
• Humanities Focused
• STEM Focused
• Confident and Highly Capable

Students in these categories did not differ based on whether they were in their school’s gifted program, their abilities, or whether they had a disability. That means that a student identified for the gifted program was just as likely to be in the Uninspired group as the Confident and Highly Capable group.  Likewise, students of equally high academic potential appeared across all groups.  Students’ strengths vary widely, making it important for educators to tailor interventions based on the psychosocial profiles that students bring to the classroom. For example, a teacher would talk about future career options differently with an Uninspired student than a student who is Confident and sure of their future path.  This kind of differentiation in approach becomes particularly important for students from underrepresented backgrounds, who may not have the support they need to thrive.

There is diversity among talented students, both in their domains of talent and in their psychosocial presentation. Knowing a student’s academic abilities is not enough – knowing their psychosocial strengths is important, too!

Is your child a high achiever?

We’d love to have them join our neuroscience research team.

Our colleagues at the Michaelson Lab are seeking research volunteers who can partner with us to better understand the strengths and concerns of exceptionally talented individuals.

If your student meets any of the below criteria:

• participated in accelerated coursework in school
• skipped a grade
• qualified for a gifted program in school
• competed for admission into a talent development program for art, music, dance, or writing
• competed for admission into a talent development program for math, science, or engineering

We are also eager to have your family members participate in this research if they are available. Participation will involve answering surveys about your mental health and creative strengths and talents, and potentially: 1) donating saliva for genetic research 2) participating in an MRI session (brain scan). The Michaelson Lab provides compensation for participation.

Please visit https://redcap.link/devGenes today to learn more and to enroll! If you have questions, please reach out at michaelson-lab@uiowa.edu or by phone at 319-335-8882.

APSI at Iowa Offers Much More Than Learning

The Belin-Blank Center hosts the only College Board-approved teacher training site for Advanced Placement (AP) classes in the state of Iowa. This summer, the Center will host two session of APSI on campus (June 26-29 and July 10-13) and one session online (July 17-20) for a total of 18 single-subject classes. All Iowa teachers can apply for a significant scholarship ($500) through the Belin-Blank Center to apply toward the registration fee. Additionally, anyone who completes registration by May 26^th will pay a reduced cost and have the chance to win an Amazon gift card. 

More information, including the specific courses offered, can be found at the APSI website. 

The on-campus APSI at Iowa experience sets itself apart from other AP training opportunities in five ways:

Learning: We pride ourselves on hiring excellent instructors – veteran AP teachers themselves – who provide a wealth of ideas and strategies that participants can use with their students in the fall. The learning spaces are conducive to interactions among participants and feature fast and reliable wireless internet. Top-notch customer service coupled with breaks, snacks, and included daily lunch helps to set a perfect learning environment.

Enrichment: Iowa City is designated as a UNESCO City of Literature. We pride ourselves on creativity and innovation, and the University of Iowa campus is home to multiple museums. The Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum have special exhibits throughout the year, and the Stanley Museum of Art, which opened its doors just last year, is home to one of the best collections of African art in the world.

Shopping: Whether you are looking for Hawkeye gear or something more eclectic to bring home, Iowa City has options. The Pedestrian Mall is adjacent to campus with a variety of stores to window shop or to find a keepsake to remember your summer in Iowa City! Prairie Lights Books & Café has been a local and visitor favorite since 1978. The Coral Ridge Mall and Williamsburg Outlet Mall are both a short drive away.

Relaxation: Because learning is meant to be fun, professional learning should not be stressful. The University of Iowa campus and the surrounding area provide the perfect backdrop to foster relaxation. There is ample outdoor space to unwind and clear your thoughts. The campus is a designated arboretum with over 8,000 trees, including a horse chestnut sapling from the tree outside Anne Frank’s annex. Our participants enjoy the many walking paths and quiet neighborhoods, as well as simply sitting near the Iowa River, which runs through campus.

Welcoming: The University of Iowa is an inviting setting to learn new ideas, with a diverse and welcoming community. Participants feel safe here and appreciate the nesting of the AP training within a homey location versus a sterile hotel conference room. Iowa City has maintained a small-town feel but offers big-city amenities.

Come learn with us!

Lessons Learned from STOMP

The theatrical performance STOMP debuted in New York City in 1994. On January 21, 2023 the show came to Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa. Students from the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy and the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality were among attendees who enjoyed an invigorating performance featuring matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and more. As I watched the show, I couldn’t help but think of the parallels to gifted and talented education.

STOMP celebrates an uncommon approach to creating a stage show. In the same way that STOMP uses a variety of objects to create a continuum of sounds, schools and other educational organizations must establish a continuum of services to meet the needs of students in their talent areas. One size does not fit all, so a program that offers multiple options (e.g., acceleration, independent projects, extracurricular activities) is more likely to match its students’ needs.

STOMP is well choreographed, with the components of the show creating a meaningful experience. The performers know what they are doing and why they are doing it. Programs and services for gifted and talented students must contain the same level of organization. We must be driven by a clear mission and vision, well-defined program goals, and research-based best practice. These key foundational pieces guide day-to-day decision-making.

STOMP is interactive, with performers not only interacting constantly with one another on stage, but also reaching out to the audience. On multiple occasions, they extend an invitation to clap along to become more immersed in the performance. Similarly, gifted education shouldn’t be siloed from the rest of the field of education. Through engaging with a variety of stakeholders, we not only gain support for what we do, but we also develop pathways to better serve students. School boards, special education teams, classroom teachers, parents/guardians, and administrators can be excellent sources of new ideas.

STOMP incorporates a varied collection of objects into the performance as well as fielding a diverse cast. They all work together seamlessly for a common goal. Gifted education and schools have come a long way in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion, but there is still work to be done. We need to continue to make advances in providing opportunities to learn, assessing student strengths and areas for growth, discovering talent, and broadening curriculum. All students should have access to an engaging, appropriately challenging classroom experience that meets their academic needs.

STOMP is loud, and the performers are proud of what they have to offer. As a field, we need to be loud and proud of what we do to meet the needs of gifted and/or talented students. The National Association for Gifted Children, its state affiliates, and gifted education centers are staunch advocates for the field. The same commitment and level of effort needs to be apparent within every local context, and it’s important to show the impact that gifted programs and other talent development have. In places where gifted programs don’t exist, a grassroots movement needs to be initiated because bright students exist in all populations, and they need to be challenged in school.

STOMP has had an incredible run on Broadway and across the country. Gifted education and talent development offer incredible opportunities for students, and a vibrant gifted program should be an important aspect of all school systems. In both cases, a diverse, well-choreographed, interactive approach is the most successful one.

An Opportunity for Educators New to Gifted Education

The Connie Belin & Jacqueline N. Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education is a preeminent professional development program in the field of gifted education. Launched by Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, the program was intended to help educators better understand the nature and needs of gifted learners. This summer’s Fellowship will be its 43rd year of introducing educators to the field.

Applications open in early March. Please share information about the program with colleagues who are interested in meeting the needs of advanced learners but have little preparation to do so!  We are especially interested in recruiting teacher leaders for the Fellowship. These educators are in a unique position to share evidence-based information about gifted/talented learners with multiple teachers in their buildings and districts. We continue to welcome applications from teachers who have realized they need greater understanding to help those students who finish their work early and already know much of the grade-level content.

The Fellowship will be held from July 17 – 21, 2023. The Fellowship provides room and board to participants, and we ask districts to pay $250 to cover the costs of materials and presenters. Participants can choose to enroll for two semester hours of academic credit, which fulfill hours in the Psychology strand of the State of Iowa Gifted and Talented Endorsement. Participants receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship (as determined by cost of graduate tuition; those who register as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship).

We will send information to superintendents and school principals when the application period opens, so be sure to ask those gatekeepers for the information when it arrives. The Belin-Blank Fellowship is professional learning at its best! Visit belinblank.org/fellowship to read more.

Hone Your Writing Skills This Summer

We have writing opportunities for grades 3 through 11 this summer! Whether you’re just starting your authorship journey or you’re looking for fellow writers to dissect the finer points of storytelling, we have a program for that.

• Grades 3-4: Greek Mythology: Through the Use of Modern Graphic Novels, June 19-23
• Grades 5-6: Creative Writing, June 19-23 and the Workshop for Young Writers, July 31-August 4
• Grades 7-8: A Writer’s Retreat, June 25-30 and the Workshop for Young Writers, July 31-August 4
• Grades 9-12: Summer Writing Online, July 10-28

A Growing Program Supporting Twice-Exceptional College Students

The Belin-Blank Center piloted its Academy for Twice-Exceptionality in Fall 2021. After decades of success with our first university-based program, the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy, discussions began on how to create a program that supports twice-exceptional college students at the University of Iowa. The inaugural cohort consisted of two students. The main emphasis was on weekly meetings and a few social events. Although the cohort was small, they provided us with excellent input and experience as we planned for Fall 2022. 

Fast forward to today, and there are now seven students in the Academy! The program has expanded beyond weekly meetings to monthly group workshops, more regular social events, communication with families (every three weeks), a Spring Family Weekend, and plans for additional staffing. In the past year, we more clearly detailed the student support framework to address academic, practical living, executive functioning, and social/emotional skills. A scope and sequence have been drafted to focus on the varied needs of students in their first year through their graduation year. Topics include understanding a syllabus, finding classes on campus, email communication, planning for job fairs, and applying for jobs and/or graduate school. The University of Iowa campus is rich with student-centered resources. We have established many partnerships, such as with Student Disability Services, University of Iowa Libraries, Housing & Dining, the Career Center, and Admissions.  

In January, we surveyed the current cohort and received our first glimpse into the program’s effectiveness. All seven students responded “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” to the following questions: 

• The program has helped me advocate for myself. 
• The program has helped me challenge myself to take more safe/healthy risks. 
• The program has helped me with interacting with others at the University of Iowa. 
• Setting goals in the program has helped me accomplish what I had hoped. 
• During the weekly one-on-one meetings, I receive useful ideas and suggestions to try on my own. 
• During the weekly one-on-one meetings, I receive useful support to help me reach my goals. 

None of the students responded “somewhat disagree” or strongly disagree” to any of the fourteen survey questions about the intended support framework provided.  

College is a journey. The Belin-Blank Center is committed to joining students whose profile requires some additional support to get to a desired destination. When asked what they enjoyed best about participation in the program, one student responded, “I have enjoyed meeting more and more people who are in the same boat as me.” The University of Iowa is an incredible “boat” that is full of opportunity, and the Belin-Blank Center is committed to assisting these students as they steer their own boat. 

Learn more about the Academy of Twice-Exceptionality on our website.

Welcome, Patience and Jill!

This year, a new year brought new colleagues! We are excited to welcome two new members of our staff.

Patience Duepa-Kannah joined us after earning her B.A in Education Studies & Human Relations this past December. In her tenure since as Administrative Services Coordinator, she has already proven invaluable during the rush of summer program applications. Chances are that if you have called the Center or emailed a question about your summer program application, Patience was there to help!

Jill Schenck began working at the Center part-time as an undergraduate, learning the ropes from our IT staff and helping to make sure that the technological aspects of our summer programs ran smoothly. Following her graduation with a B.A. in Philosophy and Ethics and Public Policy in December, Jill joined our staff as an IT Assistant. From SQL queries to copy editing, Jill has tackled a wide array of behind-the-scenes projects to help keep the Center moving forward.

Professional Learning: Spring Semester 2023

Do you remember Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery? The author once said that “nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know,” and that goes for taking advantage of just-in-time professional learning opportunities! Consider adding one or more of these to your busy schedule to learn to support your gifted/talented students even better.

This semester, the Belin-Blank Center, in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Education, is offering opportunities for teachers to further develop their understanding of gifted learners and how to meet their needs, as well as providing classes that apply to the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement in Gifted Education.

• EDTL:4066:0EXW Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education begins March 20 (ending on May 12). This three-semester course focuses on arguably the most crucial focus for advanced learners: what is best practice in the classroom? This class fulfills the requirement for the Programming for the Gifted strand of the endorsement and develops expertise in the 2019 NAGC Pre-K – Grade 12 Gifted Programming Standards, especially Standard 1 Learning and Development, Standard 3 Curriculum Planning and Instruction, and Standard 5 Programming.

• EDTL:4075:0WKA Topics in TAG Programming: Acceleration as an Option for Gifted Students begins on March 28 and continues through April 17. This workshop is designed for those who take advantage of one (or both) of the acceleration webinars offered by the Center this spring.

On Thursday, February 23, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik and Dr. Randy Lange provide an Introduction to the Integrated Acceleration System; on Thursday, March 23, Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools will focus on preparing the team, planning for the meeting, and follow up. Dr. Susan Assouline, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, and Dr. Randy Lange will provide those with familiarity with the Integrated Acceleration System greater understanding about the practical aspects of grade skipping.

Participants can join webinars live or can watch a recording. Multiple participants can watch the webinar or recording with one registration, so suggest that your school, district, or AEA register!

Participants in this class will build on the knowledge provided during the webinar(s) and extend their understanding about acceleration. Participants will also receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship based on the cost of graduate tuition (those registered with the University of Iowa as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship). This class fulfills the requirement for the Programming for the Gifted strand.

• PSQF:5194:0WKC allows those who register for the ITAG Spring Workshop to extend their learning by focusing specifically on the presenter’s book, Start Seeing and Serving Underserved Gifted Students. The workshop begins on April 24 (through May 12). Participants receive an automatic 50% tuition scholarship based on the cost of graduate tuition (those registered with the University of Iowa as undergraduates receive a smaller scholarship). This class fulfills the requirement for the Administrative strand.

Workshops with automatic scholarships require participation in the event (e.g., the webinar or the Spring Workshop). Registration is restricted; contact educators@belinblank.org to override the restriction.

Enrollment in practicum is still available. EDTL:4188:0EXW is for those who want to complete more than one semester hour of practicum credit and begins on March 20. EDTL:4189:0WKA begins April 17 and provides one semester hour of practicum with the focus on the age level opposite that of certification, as required by the State of Iowa. Both courses end on May 5, and both require contacting educators@belinblank.org to override a course restriction and enroll.

Get Registered for Credit

To participate in endorsement classes, you must register once each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the purposes of the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student regardless of your professional status. In other words, if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit (e.g., promotion in your school), you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for courses at belinblank.org/educators/reg.

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

It’s February, which means it’s time for our periodic roundup of upcoming events at the Center.

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 20-May 12, 2023
• Professional Development & Outreach: 
  • Chatauqua I: June 12-17, 2023
  • Chatauqua II: June 19-24, 2023
  • On-campus AP Summer Institute (APSI): June 26-30
  • On-campus APSI: July 10-14, 2023
  • Online APSI: July 17-20, 2023
  • Belin Fellowship: July 17-21, 2023

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Information Sessions

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Summer Programs

• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students (details to come in future newsletters): June 12, 2023
• Twice-Exceptional Summer Camp (details to come in future newsletters): June 13-14, 2023
• JSA (Grades 3-6)
  • Session 1: June 19-June 23, 2023
  • Session 2: July 17-21, 2023
• JSI (Grades 7-8): June 26-30, 2023
• PRSI: July 9-21, 2023
• Summer Writing Online: July 10-July 28, 2023

Webinar for Parents

• IEP or 504 Meeting: What You Should Know: April 4, 2023

Webinar for Educators

• Advanced Users of Acceleration Tools: Preparing the Team, Planning for the Meeting, and Follow-Up: March 23, 4:00-5:30 PM

Message from the Director: Jingle Bells and ASD Screeners

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

As I am writing this note, there is one more week in the semester and only about three more weeks left in 2022. Then in January, I’ll be starting my 20^th year at the University of Iowa. It really does not seem possible! Throughout my tenure, one of my biggest joys has been contributing to the research on twice-exceptionality. In my new role as Belin-Blank Center director, I am fortunate to be able to continue this journey and am proud of a recent publication in Gifted and Talented International that is an example of this work.  

Along with a team of UI counseling psychology students, we developed the High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS). The impetus for this study was noticing in our Assessment and Counseling Clinic and through our research on twice-exceptionality that high ability youth with autism spectrum disorder  (ASD) sometimes have unique presentations, resulting in diagnosis occurring later in development. This is problematic since researchers and clinicians emphasize the importance of early intervention for persons with ASD. At the same time, evaluations are very time consuming and pricey, and not all families have insurance that covers the costs. In this study, we discuss how we developed the HFAS and provide preliminary evidence of its effectiveness:  

Qualitative and quantitative development of the High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS)  

Megan Foley-Nicpon, Margaret Candler, Erica Behrens, Zachary Sussman, Owen Gaasedelen, and Cara Wienkes 

ABSTRACT  

ASD manifests in children throughout the ability spectrum, though screening tools may not adequately identify high-ability youth who would benefit from a comprehensive identification evaluation; thus, the impetus for developing The High Functioning ASD Screener (HFAS). Information from content area expert interviews determined the 93-item pilot form administered to high ability youth (ages 5 years, 11 months to 18 years, 2 months) with ASD (n = 15), average ability students (n = 10), and high ability students (n = 23). ANOVAs identified items that differentiated the three groups and/or were most endorsed by the high ability/ASD group, resulting in the 36-item HFAS. Preliminary receiver operating characteristic curves indicate the scale is excellent at classification. 

The HFAS is the first measure of its kind to help clinicians screen for ASD among high ability populations specifically.  It is also the first to help researchers learn more about best practices in assessment and intervention for high ability youth with ASD.  While more research is needed to further validate this screener before we can make it available to clinicians, this publication is an important step toward earlier diagnosis and intervention for high ability youth with ASD.   

As we approach the end of 2022, it’s a good time to reflect on the past year and to think about all that we hope to do and experience in the next one.  This year has brought many changes for me, most notably a new position as director.  As I’ve settled into the role, we’ve begun a strategic planning process that will continue well into the new year, leading to exciting new directions for the Center.  I hope you all have a safe and healthy holiday season, and Cheers to 2023!  

Megan  

Middle School Scholarship Opportunity from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

The Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship open to high-performing 7th grade students with some financial need. It provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for high school. There are Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, music/art lessons, support for the purchase of hardware and software needs, and other learning enrichment opportunities that are specific to the student. This is an opportunity that many families are not aware of and we want to change that.

Northwestern’s Center for Talent Development (CTD) works collaboratively with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation to educate families and educators about this opportunity and help families through the application process. Throughout the winter and spring, Tammie Stewart, CTD Outreach Manager for the Young Scholars program, is offering free online workshops for anyone interested in learning more about how to apply. The next information session is scheduled for Monday, March 13th at 6 p.m. (Central). The application will close May 11, 2023.

More information is available online. If you have any questions or would like to arrange for an information session at your school, please contact Tammie Stewart at tammie-stewart@northwestern.edu.

Upcoming Webinar on Preparing for an IEP or 504 Meeting

This interactive webinar presented by the Belin-Blank Center Assessment and Counseling Clinic is for parents/guardians who might have questions about IEP or 504 meetings.

Highlights will include: defining key terms, differences between an IEP and a 504 plan, common accommodations and modifications (including tech-based), and how to prepare for the meeting. There will be time for questions!

• Presented by Jenny Feng, MA, current University of Iowa doctoral student.
• 6:30PM–7:15PM on Wednesday, January 18, 2023
• Cost: $10 (donated to Assessment and Counseling Clinic financial aid fund)

Come learn with us!

Our Commitment to Twice-Exceptionality

The Belin-Blank Center uses the definition of twice-exceptionality (2e) drafted by Dr. Sally Reis and her colleagues: 2e learners both “demonstrate the potential for high achievement or creative productivity in one or more domains…AND…manifest one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria.” Despite the high potential these students possess, they are often not identified and/or admitted into programs for talented students. Their unique profile results in misunderstanding and frustration for schools, parents/guardians, and the students themselves. This reality serves as the catalyst for our research and programming efforts to ensure these students are challenged and engaged in school: 

• Research articles, chapters, and presentations on twice-exceptionality. Drs. Megan Foley-Nicpon and Susan Assouline from the Belin-Blank Center are considered research leaders in this area. 
• The Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment & Counseling Clinic offers comprehensive clinical services for twice-exceptional students, including evaluations, therapy, and consultations. In 2022, we served over 125 students and families. 
• An online social skills group for twice-exceptional middle school students in Iowa. 
• A partnership with Carver College of Medicine’s Iowa Neuroscience Institute on research and intervention projects.  
• A Summit on the Neuroscience of Twice-Exceptionality co-hosted with the Iowa Neuroscience Institute in 2021. The summit featured speakers sharing research from several different domains, including neuroscience, genetics, gifted education, special education, psychology, and psychiatry. 
• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students sponsored by the Iowa Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, returning for its second year on June 12, 2023. More details to come! 
• Specific guidance and support in the Integrated Acceleration System, a tool used in grade-skipping decisions, for twice-exceptional students being considered for acceleration. 
• The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality, a support system for twice-exceptional University of Iowa students. Supports include partnering with UI services, individual weekly meetings, topical workshops, planned social events, and communication with parents/guardians. 
• The new Twice-Exceptional Summer Academy will run June 13 & 14, 2023. This summer offering for students who finished grades 9 or 10 will be held on the University of Iowa campus. More details are coming soon!  

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

It’s that time again – here’s our periodic roundup of upcoming events at the Center.

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education: December 21, 2022
  • Identification of Students for Gifted Programs: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Program Models in Gifted Education: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Assessment of Giftedness: January 17-March 10, 2023
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 20-May 12, 2023
• Professional Development & Outreach: 
  • Chatauqua I: June 12-17, 2023
  • Chatauqua II: June 19-24, 2023
  • On-campus AP Summer Institute (APSI): June 26-30
  • On-campus APSI: July 10-14, 2023
  • Online APSI: July 17-20, 2023
  • Belin Fellowship: July 17-21, 2023

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

• Spring semester information sessions coming soon on the website.

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Webinar for Parents

• IEP or 504 Meeting: What You Should Know: January 18, 2023

Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)

• JSHS research proposal site opens: January 2, 2023
• Iowa-JSHS Symposium: March 6-7, 2023

Summer Programs

• A neuroscience-focused summer program for twice-exceptional students (details to come): June 12, 2023
• Twice-Exceptional Summer Camp (details to come in future newsletters): June 13-14, 2023
• SSTP Online: June 19-July 28, 2023
• JSA: June 19-June 23, 2023
• SSTP In-Person: June 21-July 28, 2023
• BSI: June 25-June 30, 2023
• PRSI: July 9-21, 2023
• Summer Writing Online: July 10-July 28, 2023

Advanced Placement Opens Doors

Photo by Nicole Berro on Pexels.com

The Belin-Blank Center has provided challenging programs for decades. Research suggests that when bright students’ readiness is matched with curriculum and instruction, they are more engaged at school. Advanced Placement^® classes are just one vehicle we use to bring out the best in students.  

Advanced Placement (AP)^® is a program created by the College Board College in the United States and Canada. AP^® offers a college-level curriculum to students while in high school. The AP^® curriculum for various subjects is created for the College Board by a panel (including college-level educators) with expertise in a specific field. Many colleges and universities grant placement and/or credit students based on AP^® exam scores. For a high school course to have the designation, it must be audited by the College Board. 

There are several benefits of taking Advanced Placement^® classes. AP^® classes serve as excellent preparation for college. Their content aligns with introductory college courses. AP^® classes on a transcript communicate to college admissions that a student is motivated and ready for college’s rigors, especially at selective colleges and universities. AP^® classes bolster the strength of an application and could help raise it to the top of the pile of applicants. The content and instructional strategies in AP^® classes foster engagement, which is especially important for students tackling rigorous coursework. Finally, students can often translate a good score on the end-of-term AP^® Exam into tuition savings, as many colleges will count such scores towards a student’s general education requirements. Research has found that students who take at least one AP^® class are more likely to perform better in their first year in college than peers who did not take one (regardless of whether they took an AP^® exam or not).  

Please visit the Advanced Placement^® link of the UI Admission website for more information on Advanced Placement^® and the University of Iowa. 

Iowa Online AP Academy

Geography can seriously impact the availability of advanced coursework. Offering AP® courses in rural schools is often difficult due to small class sizes and a lack of resources. The Belin-Blank Center’s Iowa Online AP® Academy (IOAPA) partners with the State of Iowa to provide free access to various online advanced courses for Iowa students who do not have access to these courses in their schools. IOAPA offers fifteen different AP^® classes (e.g., Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, US History, and English Literature) to almost 100 Iowa schools this semester. Registration for the Spring 2023 semester is open now. Please visit the IOAPA website for more information. 

Check Out IOAPA

The Belin-Blank Center is also proud to be the only approved AP® training site in the state. Each summer, we offer Advanced Placement® Summer Institute (APSI) for teachers to acquire AP® preparation from expert consultants and network with like-minded educators. In Summer 2023, we will offer three weeks of APSI (two on-campus and one online). Like the philosophy of access to AP® for students through IOAPA, the Center commits to providing an online APSI option, so teachers seeking training can attend regardless of location. The APSI offerings for Summer 2023 include Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science & Principles, English Language, English Literature, Government & Politics, Macroeconomics, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, Statistics, US History, and World History. Please visit the APSI website for more information, including requirements for the Iowa teacher grant that covers most of the APSI registration fee.  

Learn About AP Summer Institute

Professional Development for Spring and Summer 2023

“Teachers benefit from professional development trainings that are focused, purposeful, provide examples of what the targeted expectation should look like, and allow teachers the opportunity to apply what they have learned and implement it into their instruction”

(Keely Blair P’Pool, 2021, p. 100)

Photo by RF._.studio on Pexels.com

That is why professional development has been an integral part of the Belin-Blank Center since 1980, when Dr. Nicholas Colangelo, founding director of the Center, was first talking with Connie and David Belin and Jaqueline and Mike Blank about how to best support gifted and talented children.

Winter Session

Over winter break, the Center will offer EDTL:4085:0WKA Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education (December 21, 2022 – January 13, 2023), allowing “just-in-time” professional learning on topics of most interest to participants.

Spring Semester

In Spring of 2023, the Center is offering three-semester-hour extension classes (Identification, Program Models, Curriculum Concepts) and a two-semester-hour class about Administration and Policy Issues.  A variety of workshops are also available.  Check belinblank.org/courses after the Thanksgiving holiday to see everything that is available.

Summer Professional Development Options

Belin-Blank Fellowship

The Belin-Blank Center will host the 43^rd Connie Belin & Jaqueline N. Blank Fellowship Program in Gifted Education, July 16 – 21, 2023, on campus at the University of Iowa.  One of the longest-running professional learning programs in the country, the Fellowship allows those with little background in gifted education and talent development to immerse themselves in ways to identify and understand gifted students, including those who have been traditionally underrepresented, and ways to develop students’ talents.  This is the time for parents and teachers of the gifted to find allies in their schools, urging those who have an interest and would benefit from the program to apply for the Fellowship, free of cost to participants (although participants do need to cover the cost of travel to Iowa City).  Room and board, as well as presentations from experts in the field, are all part of the Fellowship.  Teacher leaders / instructional coaches are especially welcome!  Anyone wanting to earn academic credit can enroll in CSED:5237:0WKA.  Look for application materials in mid-January (belinblank.org/fellowship)!

Online Coursework

Summer of 2023 will offer both PSQF:4123:0EXW Academic Acceleration and the CSED or EDTL:4137:0EXW Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (both three-semester-hour extension classes), as well as multiple online and asynchronous one-semester-hour courses, offered in a workshop format.  Everything available will be posted at belinblank.org/courses early in December.

Belin-Blank Chautauqua

As well as online opportunities, the Belin-Blank Chautauqua (belinblank.org/chautauqua) will take place in June 2023.  Over the two weeks from June 12 – 17 and June 19 – 24, participants will have an opportunity to participate in up to six workshops that will include two days of either face-to-face interaction on campus in Blank Honors Center or via Zoom (participants may choose the option best for them).  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 (i.e., three workshops for the cost of two; six for the cost of four). Chautauqua offers opportunities in the Psychology, Programming, and Administrative strands, making earning the endorsement easier than ever.  Chautauqua classes differ from summer to summer, allowing those interested in the endorsement (belinblank.org/endorsement) to complete all of their work through Chautauqua over two summers.  Between online and Chautauqua opportunities, endorsement candidates can complete all of their work before the next academic year.

Get Registered for Credit

To participate in endorsement classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the purposes of the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student regardless of your professional status. In other words, if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most (belinblank.org/educators/reg).

Getting Ready for the 69th Annual NAGC Convention

Nesibe Karakis and Laurie Croft

Photo by Luis Quintero on Pexels.com

Many of us dedicated to meeting the needs of gifted learners—and supporting the development of their varied talents—are looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues next week in Indianapolis.  We often talk about the importance of ensuring gifted learners spend time with their true peers, and it’s the same for professionals in the field. 

Our field is a small one, though, and the word bittersweet comes to mind when thinking about this year’s convention without Dr. Marcia Gentry, the winner of the 2022 NAGC President’s Award.  She contributed so much to the field, and to our awareness of “missingness,” that is, inequity in identification and services.  While we go to learn from our peers, Dr. Gentry’s voice will be there in many sessions, but we will miss her.

The October newsletter from the Belin-Blank Center included a message from our new director, Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with reflections on lessons learned from Dr. Gentry.  We also have a post-doctoral colleague at the Center, Dr. Nesibe Karakis, who graduated from Purdue University.  Dr. Karakis shared insights from colleagues at Purdue:

Dr. F. Richard Olenchak, Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies, noted that

Having been friends with Marcia Gentry for over 35 years as far back as graduate school, I not only enjoyed working with her, I most enjoyed spending brainstorming sessions with her. Marcia’s dry wit and tendency to drift to dark humor not only ended up helping us to see the positives in otherwise stressful scenarios, but these occasions stimulated my own thinking to find the positive dichotomies when we zeroed in on the cynical side of things. I will go through the rest of my life loving her as one of my dearest friends. She was far more than a work colleague for me.

Dr. Nielsen Pereira, Associate Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies, shared

It is very difficult for me to separate Marcia’s impact on me as a person and scholar since she was such an integral part of my life for over 15 years. It also would be difficult to decide on only a couple of things that impressed me about knowing and working with Marcia, but I will focus on two that come to mind now: her brilliance and her generosity. Marcia was definitely and truly a brilliant scholar. When I look at her contributions to the field (some we have collaborated on), I see how unique and brilliant her ideas were. The Total School Cluster Grouping model, the HOPE projects, the Native American Research Initiative, the Access Denied report all represent her passion for making gifted services more equitable and accessible to students from underserved populations. Additionally, each of these included a twist on things that have been considered best practices in gifted education. More recently, the introduction of “missingness” as a concept when looking at underrepresentation in gifted education (see Access Denied report) is (in my opinion) a contribution that could be key to, hopefully, one day achieving equity in gifted education. Marcia’s generosity is something that I had the privilege to experience at a personal level, but also in professional settings. Over the years, she went from being my doctoral advisor to a colleague and a friend I knew I could trust and count on in almost any situation. She was generous with her time, resources, friends, and so many other things. She helped me in times of great need and when I simply needed a hand or advice. She was always the first to reach out (to me and others) to offer help or support. She also was always willing to share her home with friends and colleagues. I will always remember each celebration at her house… graduation parties for doctoral students, end-of-the year celebrations, a welcome reception for a guest, and many others. She will always have a special place in my heart and I will always remember her as the best mentor and colleague I could have asked for and a dear friend.

Dr. Alissa Cress, Clinical Assistant Professor, Purdue University, Gifted Creative and Talented Studies

I worked with Dr. Marcia Gentry since the beginning of my graduate school program in 2016. Although that is not long in the scope of her amazing career, I was honored to work with her for the time we had. I was her 25^th advisee to graduate with a Ph.D.! Learning from her expertise in the field and how she navigated professional and personal challenges life attempted to throw at her were just a few of the many qualities I found most admirable about her. Her constant, selfless dedication to creating opportunities for all students inspired me and everyone in her life to do and be better. Marcia Gentry’s impact on the world of gifted education—and the world as a whole—will outlast her for decades to come.  

Dr. Olenchak will be presenting at the Convention with Jeffrey Thomas about Exploring Social-emotional Development of High-Ability LGBTQ through Retrospectives.

Dr. Pereira will be presenting with Hernan Castillow-Hermosilla and Yuxiao Zhang about Are They Really Gifted Too? Challenges in Identifying Underrepresented Gifted Students; with Dr. Sarah Bright, Zafer Ozen, and Tugce Karatas: Fostering SEL Skills in STEM Curricula for Underrepresented Gifted Students; and with Dr. Joni Lakin, Dr. Emily Mofield, and Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, focusing on Research into Practice (topic varied by presenter).

Dr. Cress will be presenting with Abdullah A. Tuzgen about Reducing Biases and Creating Partnerships to Recognize & Foster Children’s Gifts and Talents; with Dr. Jennifer Richardson and Dr. Yukiko Maeda, discussing Total School Cluster Grouping: New Research Findings, Directions, and Discussion; and with Abdullah Tuzgen and Hernan Castillo-Hermosilla about What Do Teachers Really Think about Differentiation? Strategies, Successes, and Solutions.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Presentations from staff and faculty at the Belin-Blank Center include:

Dr. Laurie Croft & Dr. Alena Treat, Diverse Faces in Gifted Education: LGBTQ+

Sheyanne Smith, Dr. Toni Szymanski, & Dr. Laurie Croft, Expanding Concepts of Multi-tiered Systems of Support to Serve Gifted Children

Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Dr. Susan Assouline, Dr. Duhita Mahatmya, and Dr. Saba Ali, A Hybrid Model of Talent Identification-career Exploration for Underrepresented Students

Dr. Kimberley Chandler, Dr. Jaime Castellano, Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Dr. Kristina Henry Collins, Erik Francis, Dr. Anne Gray, Dr. Nancy Hertzog, Dr. Tiombe Bisa Kendrick-Dunn, Dr. Kimberly Lansdowne, & Dr. PJ Sedillo, Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Learners: Meeting the Needs of Special Populations in Gifted Education

Dr. Del Siegle, Dr. Betsy McCoach, Dr. Catherine Little, Dr. Susan Assouline, & Dr. Scott Peters, Not so Fast: Think Twice about Identification

Dr. Lori Ihrig & Dr. Nesibe Karakis, Developing Rural STEM Talent Through Afterschool Programs

Dr Randy Lange & Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Transition Planning for Whole-grade Acceleration

Dr. Joni Lakin, Dr. Emily Mofield, Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, & Dr. Nielsen Pereira, Research into Practice

Dr. Katie Schabilion & Dr. Amanda Berns, Essential Tips for Teachers of Twice-Exceptional Students

Dr. Katie Schabilion, R&E Dissertation Award Recipients Presentation

Posters of interest from staff and faculty at the Belin-Blank Center include:

Anna Payne & Dr. Laurie Croft, Acceleration: Insights into Environmental Constraints to an Effective Practice

Dr. Toni Szymanski & Dr. Laurie Croft, Exploring Curriculum Models through Lesson Planning

Dr. Nesibe Karakas, Dr. Lori Ihrig, & Dr. Duhita Mahatmya, Who Is Missing from Rural STEM Talent Development Efforts?

Dr. Randy Lange & Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik, Grade-skipping: The Essential Considerations

Message from the Director: What does DEI Mean for Talent Development and Education?

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

The focus of the fall Belin-Blank Center newsletter is on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). What does a DEI focus mean for talent development and education? For decades, Professor Marcia Gentry asked that question and provided scholars and educators with viable answers. There was a collective sadness among all who knew her a few months ago, on August 31st, when she passed away.

Professor Gentry was a faculty member in the Department of Educational Studies and Director of the Gifted Education Research and Resource Center, both at Purdue University. Her work focused on talent identification and development among youth from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and Black, Latinx, and Native American communities. She highlighted the underrepresentation crisis in gifted and talented programs across the nation. Her research described inclusive and expanded programming for historically underserved populations, and she translated this research into best practice for educators throughout the country. Her impact is truly difficult to put into words and will last far into the future.

We at the Belin-Blank Center are committed to uplifting Professor Gentry’s work. As we revisit our mission, vision, values, and strategic plan, DEI and anti-racism are at the forefront. We already have in existence many initiatives and programs related to this value. For example, our extensive work with twice-exceptional youth through our research, clinical, and university programs; the Iowa Online Advanced Placement Academy that provides AP opportunities for rural youth; two federal grants serving talented underrepresented students in STEM and rural settings; professional development focused on DEI; and our extensive financial aid for families to attend student programs or visit our clinic psychologists.

But we can do more. I hope to increase school and community outreach regarding best practice in identification; assist more families in their homes and communities with twice-exceptional youth; spearhead DEI-focused funding initiatives; and consider community-based participatory research approaches to programming and research. We must face the biased and discriminatory history of the field and commit to a better future. 

Toward the end of her life, I was fortunate to have a brief text conversation with Professor Gentry through her daughter. I told Professor Gentry the impact she has had on me professionally and, more importantly, thousands of talented youth whom would have otherwise been excluded from gifted and talented programming. Her response impacted me greatly – mostly that she said Susan Assouline and I were “women committed to the cause.”

Professor Gentry, I thank you, I’ll never forget you, and I vow to be committed tirelessly to the cause.     

Recent Research on Twice-Exceptionality

The Belin-Blank Center has an extensive body of work on twice-exceptionality — from our Assessment and Counseling Clinic to professional learning to leading research. Our director, Dr. Megan Foley Nicpon, is a leader in that field. Here are some of the recent publications that come from her work.

“Policy Considerations for Twice-Exceptional Students”

Abstract: Policies for talented students with disabilities, or twice-exceptional students, exist in very few states across the country. Historically, families of twice-exceptional students have found most of their support through implementation of Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) or 504 Accommodation plans. Yet, there is no federal mandate for gifted education service provision; consequently, these students’ coexisting high abilities often are overlooked. We recommend states modify their gifted and talented policies to address specifically twice-exceptional best practices in identification, such as using universal screening methods tied to curriculum interventions, and intervention, such as creating Gifted Individual Education Plans in conjunction with IEPs. These methods outline not only service provision for one’s disability but also specify methods for developing talent among twice-exceptional youth. (Foley-Nicpon, M., & Teriba, A. (2022). Policy considerations for twice-exceptional students. Gifted Child Today, 45(1), 212-219. https://doi.org/10.1177/10762175221110943)

“Developmental Milestones as Early Indicators of Twice-Exceptionality”

Abstract: Twice-exceptional individuals are those who have high cognitive ability in one or more areas, but also have a diagnosed disability. The needs of these individuals likely differ from those with high cognitive ability without a disability and those who solely have a disability. Intervening early can offer exceptional benefits for twice-exceptional individuals, but this has proved challenging due to the high cognitive abilities masking disabilities. This study explores if parent-reported developmental milestones can predict the number of disabilities diagnosed for an individual, including Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Specific Learning Disorder (SLD). Using a clinical sample of about 1,300 individuals, we used a Bayesian cumulative logistic model to explore if developmental milestones can predict the number of diagnoses after controlling for IQ and age. Study results showed that when an individual began to count and read informed predictions for the number of future diagnoses in the clinical sample. Implications for future study and practitioners are discussed in further detail. (LeBeau, B., Schabilion, K., Assouline, S. G., Foley-Nicpon, M., Doobay, A. F., & Mahatmya, D. (2022). Developmental milestones as early indicators of twice-exceptionality. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2022.107671)

“Excellence Expected, Needs Overlooked: Implications for Working With Asian American Twice-Exceptional Students”

Abstract: Twice-exceptional students often face challenges stemming from misconception, misidentification, or misplacement in educational systems (Foley-Nicpon & Candler, 2018). Because the disability may mask the gift/talent domain or the gift/ talent domain may mask the disability, it can be challenging to recognize these students and appropriately respond to their learning needs (Baldwin et al., 2015). For Asian Americans in particular, the Asian American community has vocalized the problematic nature of ignoring the heterogeneity and diversity within the community and the impact this has on their education (Park, 2019; Wong, 2015). Without considering their racialized experiences, the learning and social and emotional needs of Asian American twice- exceptional (AA2E) students might not be captured fully. Asian American students are well represented in the U.S. gifted and talented education (GATE) system; they are 5% of school populations but 10% of GATE populations (Civil Rights Data Collection, n.d.; Ford, 2013). These data seem to support the model minority stereotype, a stereotype that can negatively affect talented and gifted Asian American students who may feel pressured to maintain high standards and internalize this high expectation (Henfield et al., 2014; Mun & Hertzog, 2019; Wong, 2015). When “what giftedness or disability should look like” meets “what Asian American should be like,” the multilayered stereotypes make it even harder to recognize, understand, and respond to the needs of AA2E students. In this article, we discuss the development and needs of AA2E students. We provide strategies to support practitioners in addressing (a) the diversity within the Asian American community, (b) family culture and dynamics regarding immigration and education, and (c) mental health needs of AA2E students. We hope to leave teachers and educational practitioners feeling better able to support the needs of diverse AA2E students in their classrooms. (Park, S., & Foley-Nicpon, M. (2022). Excellence expected, needs overlooked: Implications for working with Asian American twice-exceptional students. Teaching Exceptional Children. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F00400599221097020)

To hear more about the Belin-Blank Center’s research, be sure to attend our presentations or stop by Booth 506 at the National Association for Gifted Children 69th Annual Convention in Indianapolis next month!

Interview with an Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Student

In 2021, the Belin-Blank Center created a new university-based program, the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality. This program provides individualized support to University of Iowa students who are twice-exceptional. We define twice-exceptional as learners who demonstrate the potential for high achievement or creative productivity in one or more domains AND who manifest one or more disabilities as defined by federal or state eligibility criteria. 

By collaborating with our university partners, we can offer a support structure that addresses academics, practical skills, and social-emotional needs. Once accepted into the program, a student receives services from admission through graduation. 

We recently sat down with one of our Academy for Twice-Exceptionality students so he could share his story. 

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Q: What is one of your favorite things at the University of Iowa? 

A: I really like the closeness of everything. Because the town is right next to the university, it is easy to get to both classes and stores. The way that the two are organized makes it very walkable. 

Q: What is your major?  

A: I am majoring in biomedical engineering. Although I haven’t decided exactly how I want to use my degree in the future, I am interested in a career with a research focus on things to be used in the medical field. I would like to be employed in a setting that designs something to help people, like prosthetics, medical software, or imaging technology.  

Q: What are your areas of talent?  

A: My talent areas are definitely mathematics and music. Math has always come to me pretty simply. My major requires a lot of mathematics, so I know in the future, I will be using it in my job. The engineering courses at Iowa have developed my math talent, specifically through real-life application problems and experiences. I used to sing in a chorus in school but haven’t joined any musical groups on campus. I do listen to music a lot at home.  

Q: How did you hear about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality? 

A: I am not sure how I first heard about it, but it was in a few different ways. I was identified as twice-exceptional later in life. My clinician in Des Moines told me about it. My parents also talked to me about it. I also am active with the Autism Society of Iowa. I believe I heard something about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality through that group as well.  

Q: What do you feel has been the biggest benefit of the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality for you as a student? 

A: Getting to know people with the same mindset as me. Other students in the Academy seem to have the same way of thinking that I do. Sometimes when I talk to people, I don’t think they are on the same wavelength as me. In the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality, people have similar thought processes as me. 

Q: What do you do to take care of yourself, especially your mental health, during the school year? 

A: I know that I get nervous. Now, I know how to calm myself down. I lie down and listen to music. I have been doing this for a long time. During the school year, I have to be careful not to lie down and listen to music for too long.  

Q: What extracurriculars are you involved in on campus? 

A: I am a supplemental instructor for a course through the Academic Retention Center at Iowa. I pair the lecture’s content in my sessions by assisting students who are having difficulty with the content through problems (including ones I have them create). I am also involved with Parkview Church in Iowa City. 

Q: What is something you would like other prospective students to know about the Academy of Twice-Exceptionality?  

A: Coming into it, I didn’t know what the support method would be like, so others should know it combines one-on-one meetings with a professional and community sessions with the entire group. 

Q: What is a goal you have for yourself this semester?   

A: My main goal is to do the best I can in my classes. Previously in classes, I didn’t study too well or prepare enough for projects. This might be a difficult goal, but my goal is a 4.0 for this semester.  

Q: What are three fun facts about you?  

1. I have triplet cousins. 
2. My parents have had a total of three sphinx cats (they still have two). 
3. My favorite philosophical book is The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.  

If you are interested in learning more about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality, check out our website. The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality could be the right fit for you! 

Learn More

5 Things That Every Educator and School System Should Know

The Gifted Education field is more committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion than ever. In August 2022, the National Association for Gifted Children hosted its second annual National Symposium on Equity for Black and Brown Students. The Belin-Blank Center started its Academy for Twice-Exceptionality in the Fall of 2021. Researchers and national gifted education centers are focusing on key issues and providing schools with practical ideas to implement. Here are five essential ideas and/or resources to help schools do this. 

Donna Y. Ford’s Equity Goal and Equity Formula

Dr. Ford believes that schools and program schools must be deliberate in setting specific minimal goals, especially regarding representation, to be equitable for their students. She introduced the Equity Formula that supplies a target percentage goal to better address underrepresentation in advanced programming. With this target in mind, decision and policymakers can review current placement criteria and/or processes to find barriers for students traditionally “missed” for advanced programming within a school system. This article shares more information on this important idea.  

Local Norms

For too long, gifted programs used national percentiles in deciding who was identified for a variety of advanced programming. While a national perspective has some degree of value in interpreting scores, especially at the district level, a specific program at a particular site does not need to cast such a wide perspective on scores. Schools should serve the students within them, so it makes much more sense to compare the students within a school. Dr. Scott Peters has written prolifically on the benefits of using per school local norms in helping to make gifted programs more equitable. Here is an article detailing “Everything You Need to Know” about local norms.  

Tips for Improving Identification of Gifted EL Students

The face of America’s students is changing. In the Fall of 2020, Hispanic students made up 28% of public school students. Because gifts and talents are found among all populations, schools must do a better job of discovering students for advanced programs within this population. The National Center for Research on Gifted Education at the University of Connecticut conducts excellent research that often results in practical resources for schools. Their tips address screening, identification, communication, and professional development. These tips are also available as a downloadable pdf.  

Jacob’s Ladder Program

There is great power in scaffolding as an intervention. Students with high potential might need focused support to better access critical and creative thinking tasks. Dr. Tamra Stambaugh began working with an interactive approach to scaffold reading as a graduate student at the College of William & Mary. As a result, the Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program was developed. Using a ladder image, students move from lower-order, concrete thinking skills to higher-order, critical and creative thinking skills. The critical thinking skills (consequences and implications, generalizations, and main idea/theme/concept) are based on the work of Paul’s Reasoning Model. In addition to “ladders” related to short stories, poems, fables, and non-fiction, there are ladders that focus on affective skills.  

The Paradox of Giftedness and Autism

According to the Autistic Society’s research, approximately fifty children are diagnosed with autism in the United States every day. With the increasing number of autistic students across the country, schools and families must work together to support student success. While it is essential to focus on the strengths of all students diagnosed with autism, this is a non-negotiable when working with the twice-exceptional student population. The Belin-Blank Center drafted a Packet of Information to supply recommendations for administrators and educators that would lead to a positive experience for twice-exceptional students. The experience-based information and suggestions offered in this resource have resulted from working with gifted students diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through our Assessment and Counseling Clinic.   

We encourage you to view this list as a foundation and a catalyst. The five items shared here are research-based and should be considered in any effort to better address diversity, equity, and inclusion within a program for advanced students. They have been developed from solid thinking, so they serve as an excellent foundation from which to grow. Inevitably, new ideas that will help schools will be forthcoming from leaders in the field. We urge practitioners, especially those in decision-making positions, to stay up-to-date with current research and research-based resources. It is our hope that this list serves as that spark! 

For You at the Belin-Blank Center

Don’t miss any of the helpful information for talented students, families, and educators this semester!

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Practicum in Teaching & Curriculum Development in Gifted Education: October 24, 2022
  • Reading for High-Ability Learners: October 24, 2022
  • Practicum in Gifted/Talented Education: November 14, 2022
  • NAGC Convention Subsession: November 22, 2022
  • Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education: December 21, 2022

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

• On Campus: November 3, 2022
• Online: November 8 or December 6, 2022

Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Information Session

• Online: 6:30 pm on November 9, 2022

Computer Science Python Fundamentals

• Start anytime!
• Access ends June 30, 2023

Disability as Diversity in Gifted Education

Students with disabilities are often underrepresented in gifted education programs. Being “twice-exceptional,” (the coexistence of disability and high ability) seems paradoxical to many, despite growing awareness of and research on twice-exceptionality. Here are a few tips for increasing twice-exceptional (2e) students’ access to gifted services.

Increase communication between gifted, general, and special education teams. Often, students who are identified for special education services first are eliminated from consideration for gifted programming (either intentionally or accidentally). Increasing opportunities for collaboration across classroom environments can promote the identification of talents among students with disabilities.

Use universal screenings in place of nomination or referral processes. As with other underrepresented groups, unconscious biases can prevent the referral of 2e students for further evaluation. Reliance on nomination or referral procedures as an entry point for further evaluation will likely exclude students who could otherwise benefit from participation. Benchmark assessments and other curriculum-based measures can be used as screening tools without requiring additional testing.

Use domain-specific rather than global talent identification processes. Reliance on one overall measure of talent will likely inaccurately exclude 2e students, whose cognitive and academic profiles are often more variable. Consideration of available programming can help determine the domains to assess, as identification processes should always be aligned with services.

For more information on serving twice-exceptional students, visit our Assessment and Counseling Clinic‘s website.

Starting Soon: Reading for High Ability Learners

One of the needs perceived in the fall semester is appropriate programming in reading for gifted learners!  The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented reported that approximately 50% – 70% of traditional reading material could be eliminated for gifted and talented learners.

Workshop:         EDTL:4026:0WKA  Reading for High Ability Learners

Dates:                   October 24 – November 11, 2022

Instructor:           Dr. Patricia Champion

Format:                Fully asynchronous online workshop

This workshop reviews the purposes and methods of reading instruction, with a focus on developmentally-appropriate needs of high-ability readers. Topics include genres of literature, enriched and accelerated reading curricula, and the role of reading in the social and emotional development of gifted students.

Get Registered for Credit

To participate in endorsement classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the purposes of the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student regardless of your professional status. In other words, if you won’t benefit in other ways from the graduate credit, you can save tuition dollars. Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for the courses that interest you the most (belinblank.org/educators/reg).

If more than one person from your school or district enrolls, the Belin-Blank Center is pleased to provide an automatic 50% tuition scholarship to those using this workshop as a professional learning community!  Just contact educators@belinblank.org to let our professional development team know.

Taking advantage of workshops is one of the most cost-effective ways to earn the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement.  Workshops are focused on one topic for three weeks; tuition is the only cost associated with a workshop (no additional fees).  Many workshops (ITAG credit, NAGC credit, Belin-Blank Chautauqua in the summer) offer automatic scholarships!

The Belin-Blank Center meets all national Standards for Gifted Education, including Standards for Faculty.

We look forward to supporting your professional learning needs!

Message from the Director: New Beginnings

by Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, Belin-Blank Center Director

August is synonymous with new beginnings for many of us.

Kids are heading back to school – it is my favorite time to check social media feeds to see friends post first-day-of-school pictures. On campus, we welcomed new students from across the globe, including new arrivals to our Bucksbaum Early Entrance and Twice-Exceptional Academies. Over the weekend, thousands of students met new friends, ate ice cream on the University of Iowa’s President’s lawn, and learned the Iowa fight song.

It’s a great time to be a Hawkeye!  

New beginnings are also happening at the Belin-Blank Center – I started as Director on August 1^st.

I am not new to Iowa or the Center, however. I arrived in January 2004 as a postdoctoral scholar in the Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic. I later became a licensed psychologist, focusing mainly on assessment and intervention with twice-exceptional youth. In 2008, I joined the UI Counseling Psychology faculty.

There, I have had the honor of training future child psychologists, researching talent development among underrepresented groups, and serving the college, University, and Iowa community.

In the Belin-Blank Center’s 34-year history, there have been only two directors before me: Nicholas Colangelo and Susan Assouline. Both are giants in the field known internationally for their development of the Center, love for and dedication to talented youth, and commitment to creating best practices for acceleration and twice-exceptional intervention. I am honored to continue their legacy and the legacy of the Center.

I know these are big shoes to fill.

However, I join a dedicated staff and faculty who care deeply about the Center and its mission. I am certain we will continue to do great things. We seek to be the leaders in talent development for elementary through university-aged students; diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in gifted education; research and discovery for high ability and twice-exceptional youth; and collaboration and outreach both within and outside the University.

Together, we will embrace this new beginning and continue the Belin-Blank Center’s impact far into the future.

High achiever? Join neuroscience research.

If you or your child have talent in a particular domain, please consider this request from our partners in the Michaelson Lab.

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We are seeking research volunteers who can partner with us to better understand the strengths and concerns of exceptionally talented individuals. 

If you (or your child) meet any of the below criteria, regardless of any other diagnosis you may have, we want you to participate:

• have participated in accelerated coursework in school
• have skipped a grade
• have competed for admission into talent development program for art, music, dance, or writing
• have competed for admission into talent development program for math, science, or engineering
• earned or recruited for an athletic scholarship at the collegiate level
• a clinically assessed IQ > 90th percentile (120 or above) 
• scored 29 or higher on the ACT
• scored 1300 or higher on the SAT

We are also eager to have your family members participate in this research if they are available. Participation will involve answering surveys about your mental health and creative strengths and talents, and potentially: 1) donating saliva for genetic research 2) participating in an MRI session (brain scan). 

Participants who complete online enrollment and return a saliva kit will receive a $20 Amazon gift card. Additional compensation for follow-up studies (e.g., the MRI scan) is also available.

Please visit http://2e.devgenes.org today to learn more and to enroll!  If you have questions, please reach out to us at michaelson-lab@uiowa.edu or by phone at 319-335-8882.

This Fall at the Belin-Blank Center

Don’t miss any of the helpful information for talented students, families, and educators this semester!

FOR EDUCATORS

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Conceptions of Talent Development: October 17, 2022
  • Practicum in Teaching & Curriculum Development in Gifted Education: October 24, 2022
  • Practicum in Gifted/Talented Education: November 14, 2022
• Webinars:
  • The Integrated Acceleration System: Making Decisions about Grade-Skipping: September 13, 2022, 4:00-5:30pm

FOR STUDENTS & FAMILIES

Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy Information Sessions

• On Campus: September 12 or October 11, 2022
• Online: November 8 or December 6, 2022

Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Information Sessions

• On Campus: 10:00 am on October 18, 2022,
• Online: 6:30 pm on August 31, September 28, or November 9, 2022

Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Submissions Opening Soon!

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program of its kind. It celebrates creative teens locally and nationally with awards, exhibitions, publications, and scholarships. 

The Belin-Blank Center is proud to serve as the Iowa and Midwest Region-at-Large Affiliate for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program. We accept and judge art and writing submissions for those regions, hold an awards ceremony recognizing regional winners, and provide summer programming for talented young artists and writers.

Participating in the Awards enters your work into consideration for Gold Key, Silver Key, Honorable Mention, American Visions Nominee, and American Voices Nominee Awards. We present these awards to Iowa and Midwest students in a celebration ceremony and exhibition in the spring. 

Submissions will open on September 1st. Receive scholarships, cash awards, or tuition assistance by participating in the Awards!

Learn How to Enter

Learn More about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality

“We tossed a small pebble and made a big splash.” 

Jacqueline Blank  

Fall 2022 marks the first official semester of the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality! Although we supported two students last year, the full program we envisioned will be in place this academic year for our inaugural cohort of twice-exceptional University of Iowa students.  

The Academy’s three-part structure of support (academics, practical skills, and social-emotional skills) will take place through whole group workshops, weekly one-on-one meetings, planned social events, and a cohort living situation for first-year students.  

We are now recruiting for our 2023-2024 cohort!

If you are interested in finding out more about the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality, please plan to attend one of our Information Sessions. The dates for the online sessions are August 31^st, September 28^th, and November 9^th, 2022. We also have an on-campus Information Session planned for October 18^th. Sign up for a session at belinblank.org/2eacademy.  

The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality is a prime example of building off the Belin-Blank Center’s expertise and showing a commitment to tossing a small pebble. We are confident that the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality is the right fit for many students, and we would love to talk about it with you! 

LEARN MORE

Learn to Develop Talent in Any Domain

Talent needs to be recognized and fostered within all domains and fields, so its focus must expand beyond K-12 classrooms and business. To that end, the Belin-Blank Center, in collaboration with the University of Iowa College of Education, has developed a Graduate Certificate in Talent Development. This certificate is hinged upon a broad perspective of talent development, and it will prepare professionals in any domain to recognize and develop talented people in whatever their field may be.  

What is talent development? Talent development is a systematic process that supplies the necessary skills and training, so an individual’s talent area(s) is actualized. Discovering and developing talent fosters equity when casting and considering a broader “net” and when the process includes proper support and accommodations.  

We are excited about this professional learning opportunity because of its potential to partner with multiple departments at the University of Iowa and professionals from various fields. While we predict the Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will attract K-12 pre-service and in-service educators, we drafted it to be relevant for individuals outside of education (e.g., the arts, STEM, athletics, or leadership).  

Our one-of-a-kind Graduate Certificate in Talent Development is open for Fall 2022 registration.

This meaningful learning experience can be completed 100% online or in a hybrid fashion. It is research-based, provides elective course choices within and outside education, and culminates with an interest-based project. If you have any questions, contact Randy Lange at randolph-lange@uiowa.edu 

Come learn with us! 

To learn more or register, visit our website.

Learn More

Message From the Director: The Last Word

by Dr. Susan Assouline, Belin-Blank Center Director

Welcome back! 

After a two-year pandemic-imposed hiatus from onsite professional development and on-campus residential student programs, the hallways of the Blank Honors Center resound with the happy voices and excited footsteps of students and teachers. Their faces reflect the anticipation of making new friends and engaging in meaningful new learning. None of this would be possible without months of careful planning. Multiple teams of Belin-Blank Center colleagues attend to the details so participants can enjoy our comprehensive programming. I am very appreciative of my colleagues’ unflinching commitment to excellence. 

Welcome to our summer faculty and staff! Serving several hundred students and teachers takes many sets of hands, ears, eyes, feet, minds, and hearts. From residence hall advisors to student assistants to front-desk support, many of the summer program staff are undergraduate and graduate students. Their praises often go unsung, so I want to take this opportunity to thank them. 

Welcome to our many faculty colleagues who mentor and instruct students and teachers. This summer, we are pleased to have Ms. Cori Milan as the student program coordinator for our residential student programs, the Secondary Student Training Program (SSTP), Perry Research Summer Institute (PRSI), and Summer Art/Writing Residencies (SAR/SWR). In addition to Ms. Milan, we will work with our colleague, Dr. Barry Schreier, a clinical professor in counseling psychology and the Director of Higher Education Programming at the Iowa Center for School Mental Health. Dr. Schreier leads our efforts to enhance the student experience through increased attention to social-emotional well-being and the professional development of the staff who support our students.  

Welcome to licensed psychologist Dr. Christopher Smith, the newest Assessment and Counseling Clinic staff member. Dr. Smith joins a dedicated team of professionals who kept the Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic open throughout the pandemic. 

Welcome to Dr. Megan Foley-Nicpon, recently named the Myron and Jacqueline Blank Endowed Chair and the new Belin-Blank Center Director. Dr. Foley-Nicpon brings a wealth of experience to this position and is singularly qualified to become the third director of the Belin-Blank Center. Watching Dr. Foley-Nicpon present her formal job talk was one of the more joyous moments of my 32-year career. We’ve been colleagues since 2004, and she has enhanced the reputation of the Belin-Blank Center in multiple areas, including twice-exceptionality and talent development. Dr. Foley-Nicpon will begin her tenure as director in August, making this my final post as director. 

Welcoming new colleagues and delighting in the wonder of a Belin-Blank summer makes my last “Message from the Director” bittersweet. Nostalgia fills my thoughts as I reflect on the many moments that form decades of personal, professional, and organizational growth and development. We have done so much together during this time, and I know this team of professionals will have many more triumphs to come. 

I have had the opportunity to work with amazing colleagues and a dedicated advisory board. I have a loving family who has graced me with their phenomenal support throughout my entire career.  

I am now approaching my final weeks as the Myron and Jacqueline Blank Endowed Chair and Director of the Belin-Blank Center. Only one word adequately captures the sentiment that fills my heart: Gratitude. 

Belin-Blank Center Finalists Win Big at Nationals!

Finalists from two of our programs, Invent Iowa and the Iowa Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), recently competed at the national level in their respective programs.

2022 Invent Iowa Finalists at the National Invention Convention

Invent Iowa finalists advanced to the National Invention Convention, hosted by the Henry Ford Museum.

Charles Smith (Ottumwa) won 2nd place in the 3rd-grade division, as well as Best Video Presentation, for his E.F.A.F. (Emergency Floor plan App for First responders). Jason Ahn (Ames) won a Patent Application Award and Best Logbook for his ARE Board (Auto Rolling & Erasing Whiteboard). Those who are interested can view the complete list of winners or watch the award ceremony replay.

Finalists at the Iowa Regional JSHS earned an expense-paid trip to compete at the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

In the oral presentations, Amara Orth (Lewis Central High) won 2nd place in the Life Sciences category, for an $8,000 scholarship! In the poster competition, Jasmyn Hoeger (Beckman Catholic High School) won 3rd place in the Biomedical Science category and a $350 scholarship. A full list of winners is posted here.

Congratulations to all!

Coming Up at the Belin-Blank Center

Don’t miss any exciting opportunities for students, families, and educators at the Belin-Blank Center!

For Educators

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • Introduction to Educating Gifted Students: August 22, 2022
  • Conceptions of Talent Development: October 17, 2022
  • Practicum: October 24, 2022, or November 14, 2022
• Summer Programming for Educators:
  • Chautauqua: July 11, 2022
  • AP Summer Institute (Online): August 1-5, 2022

For Students & Families

Summer Programs

• Junior Scholars Academy
  • Registration open
  • Session 3: July 5-8, 2022
  • Session 4: July 11-15, 2022
  • Session 5: July 18-22, 2022
• Summer Art Residency
  • Applications open
  • July 10–29, 2022
• Summer Writing Residency
  • Applications open
  • July 10-29, 2022 (on campus) or July 11-29, 2022 (online)
• Workshop for Young Writers
  • Applications open
  • August 1-5 (online)

Join Us!

AP Summer Institute – Online!

Advanced Placement (AP) coursework is one of the most recognized forms of acceleration. There are many benefits to taking an AP course, including providing the appropriate level of challenge for talented students.

Advanced Placement classes help develop college-level academic skills. The classes are made up of students and educators with a strong commitment to excellence in learning and problem-solving. These are all qualities necessary in college. Many students who enter college are shocked at the amount of work and study time involved. Taking AP classes in high school will better prepare them for challenging college classes.

The Belin-Blank Center is proud to be an approved site to provide AP summer training for teachers. To accommodate as many teachers as possible, we are offering an online session (August 1-5, 2022). The seven AP trainings offered online are Computer Science & Principles, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition, Physics I, Psychology, Spanish Language & Culture, and Statistics.

We would love to work with you this summer! Learn more and sign up here.

Join us!

NEW! Graduate Certificate in Talent Development

The Belin-Blank Center is pleased to announce our new graduate certificate in talent development! It addresses talent development from a broad perspective and considers multiple fields. This certificate will be open to current, degree-seeking students at the University of Iowa and non-degree students (e.g., full/part-time personnel in teaching and/or a wide range of professions). The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will provide a synthesis of theory and multiple perspectives across various areas of study and provide opportunities for registrants across fields to engage and interact with the common goal of how to best match individuals with appropriately enriching experiences (within and outside of school). 

Photo by Katerina Holmes on Pexels.com

The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Talent Development is to increase understanding of talented individuals, the process of talent development and the creative process, and to prepare advocates for talented individuals. The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will provide a research-based foundation for cultivating talent and encouraging best practices, especially in K-12 schools.  The emphasis on talent development is moving away from simplistic “pull-out” programming within schools and exploring more sophisticated conceptions of the development of expertise in specific fields and domains. The proposed certificate intends to train professionals across fields to develop talent among artists, athletes, business leaders, musicians, and STEM, to name a few. 

The Graduate Certificate in Talent Development will be available in Fall 2022. It consists of 14 semester hours and can be earned completely online. Its three-fold learning approach is composed of: 

1) required coursework (6 semester hours),  

2) interest-based elective coursework (6 semester hours – can reside in any UI department), and  

3) a culminating independent Capstone Exploration Project (steered completely by student interest).  

If you have any questions, please contact Randy Lange (randolph-lange@uiowa.edu).

We would love to learn with you!

Does Your Child Need More Academic Challenge at School This Fall?

Our Assessment and Counseling Clinic can help you learn more about your child and their academic needs.

Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels.com

Our clinic offers individual educational assessments to help you better understand your child’s cognitive and academic strengths. These evaluations can assist with academic planning by helping determine whether your child is ready for advanced learning opportunities such as acceleration and enrichment programming. You can use the results to better advocate for your student’s advanced learning needs at school. When shared with your child’s educators, the results may inform team decisions about identification for enrichment and/or accelerated programming.

These assessments involve tests of intellectual and academic skills, including above-level skills, as well as a screening of psychosocial factors that may be relevant to academic planning decisions.

If you’re interested in learning more about educational assessments and other clinic services, visit our website. To request information about pursuing an educational assessment for your child, click here.

Professional Learning Makes All the Difference

by Dr. Laurie Croft, Associate Director for Professional Development

Gifted and talented students have unique social-emotional needs AND unique academic needs.  Professional learning allows educators to understand and address those unique needs, and that facilitates student success in school and in life in a wide variety of ways.  Peterson (2009) suggested that giftedness can actually be a risk factor for poor personal and educational outcomes.  Comprehensive preparation to interact with and support the various challenges faced by gifted learners facilitates appropriate affective and academic development.

Photo by mentatdgt on Pexels.com

Belin-Blank Chautauqua 2022

The Belin-Blank Chautauqua provides six classes for professionals, who can take any or all.  Allowing educators to spend time with others who share their focus on the nature and needs of gifted students—either in person on campus or via Zoom—each class meets from 9:00 – noon and 1:00 – 4:00 pm for the first two days of each class.  Participants finish up any readings and final projects over the next couple of weeks, working online and independently. 

All classes fulfill one of the strands required for the State of Iowa Talented and Gifted Endorsement and count toward the total number of 12 required credits.  Enrolling in Chautauqua allows an educator to complete half of the endorsement this summer, and the different Chautauqua schedule from summer to summer allows a participant to complete the endorsement program the next year.

Those who enroll in all three graduate credits the first week receive a full tuition scholarship for one class; those who enroll in all six credits receive a full tuition scholarship for two classes, one each week.  In other words, the Belin-Blank Center covers the cost of two of the six classes; the Center understands the value of professional development!

Chautauqua Courses in 2022

Chautauqua courses include the following in Week I:

Thinking Skills (EDTL:4072:0WKA), Jul 11 – 29, taught by Dr. Laurie Croft;

Topics: Executive Functioning for Learning and Life (new in 2022; EDTL:4096:0WKB), Jul 13 – Aug 2, taught by Dr. Kristine Milburn; and

Counseling and Psychological Needs of the Gifted (RCE:4125:0WKA, Jul 15 – Aug 4, taught by Dr. Debra Mishak.

Chautauqua continues in Week II:

Gender Issues and Giftedness (RCE:4123:0WKA), Jul 18 – Aug 5, taught by Dr. Haley Wikoff;

Topics: Infusing Language Arts with Creative Thinking (EDTL:4096:0WKC), Jul 20 – Aug 5, taught by Gwen Livingstone Pakora, MA; and

Staff Development for Gifted Programs (EPLS:4113:0WKA), Jul 22 – Aug 5, taught by Lori Danker, MA and MSE.

Learn more about Chautauqua at belinblank.org/chautauqua.

Advanced Placement Summer Institute

Teacher Training in Advanced Placement Courses (EDTL:5080:0WKA), available to those participating in the University of Iowa Advanced Placement Summer Institute.  The Belin-Blank Center provides a 50% tuition scholarship, allowing participants to earn two hours for the cost of one graduate credit.  The APSI takes place on campus from Jun 28 – Jul 1.  Contact educators@belinblank.org about information to override the restriction on enrollment. 

APSI participants benefit from earning another credit hour for Differentiation at the Secondary Level (EDTL:4074:0WKA), Jul 11 – 29, taught by Dr. Kristine Milburn.  APSI participants receive a 50% tuition scholarship for this class, as well.

Fully Online and Asynchronous Courses

In addition to Chautauqua courses this summer, the Center, in partnership with the University of Iowa College of Education, is offering additional online courses that are fully asynchronous.  Professional learning opportunities began at the end of May, but they continue in July, including:

Leadership Skills for G/T Students, K – 12 (EDTL:4029:0WKA), taught by Dr. Beth Maloney;

Differentiation at the Secondary Level (EDTL:4074:0WKA), Jul 11 – 29, taught by Dr. Kristine Milburn.

The practicum experience, required for the endorsement is available every semester, including summer.

For more information about all the summer professional learning opportunities available, visit belinblank.org/courses.

Visit belinblank.org/educators/reg for all the information you need to get registered as a non-degree seeking Distance and Online student.

Welcoming a New Licensed Psychologist to the Assessment and Counseling Clinic!

We are so excited to welcome Dr. Christopher Smith to the Belin-Blank Center! Dr. Smith is joining the Assessment and Counseling Clinic as a licensed psychologist.

Dr. Smith earned his BA from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and his MA and PhD from Alliant International University in San Francisco, CA. He completed his internship at an inpatient psychiatric hospital in Augusta, Maine, and his post-doctoral fellowship working with children and adolescents at an eating disorder clinic in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He holds psychology licenses in Iowa, New York, and Massachusetts. Most recently, he worked as a licensed psychologist at ChildServe in Iowa City.

We are looking forward to having Dr. Smith on the team at the ACC! He will be involved in providing clinical assessment and counseling services to gifted and twice-exceptional students and supporting research and other clinic initiatives.

Be sure to check out all of the clinical services we provide in our Assessment and Counseling Clinic. If you are interested in requesting more information about scheduling clinic services, you can do so here!

Big news!

Dr. Foley Nicpon

Congratulations to Megan Foley Nicpon on being named the new director of the Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development and the new Myron and Jaqueline Blank Endowed Chair in Gifted Education!

Read more on the College of Education’s website.

Message from the Director: Opening Doors for Talent Development

by Dr. Susan Assouline, Belin-Blank Center Director

“You’re a girl; you don’t need to take calculus.”

I’ve never forgotten those words stated by my high school counselor when I inquired about registering for calculus my senior year. That was then. I didn’t even question the statement. Not taking calculus in high school probably closed some doors for me, but other doors — education and psychology – opened.

Many decades have passed since then. Legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sex or “…any other classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual[i]” has opened doors to more opportunities for more people. We are all better off because of those legalities. Nevertheless, much work remains concerning nondiscrimination, societal racism, and social justice. Furthermore, we have not fully addressed the most significant issue facing students, families, and educators: inequality in educational programming, especially in access to gifted education. The gifted programming inequalities in schools nationwide are society’s way of saying, “You’re a _________; you don’t need access to gifted programming.”  Educators, researchers, and psychologists can do better.

This spring, the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) dedicated an entire issue of their flagship journal, Gifted Child Quarterly, to equity in gifted education. I applaud my colleagues who contributed to that special issue, which catalyzed the entire field to reflect and act. We can all make a difference in addressing this pernicious problem in education, which reflects a broader problem related to discrimination and lack of respect for diversity. At the Belin-Blank Center, we continuously aspire to offer services and programming focused on talent development through our student programs and professional development opportunities. We seek to recognize the strengths and potential of a diverse student population more fully.

As a high school junior, I didn’t know then the impact of being excluded from an educational opportunity based on one educator’s bias about girls and advanced math. Now I recognize that that experience was the entry point to a career as an educator, administrator, and researcher dedicated to ensuring that we extend opportunities to all who would benefit from them.

Bias, whether implicit or explicit, leads to exclusion and discrimination that has long-term consequences. It denies marginalized communities and people opportunities that would positively contribute to their lives and to society. Each of us has the power to chip away at discrimination through our words and our actions.

There has been improvement for some, but there is much more to do. I have hope because of a new generation of educators. This generation has greater awareness of the vastness of human potential, which we should not limit based on “classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual.” As we look to the future, professional educators must ensure that inclusion and equity become focal points of practice and policy. We aim to lead the way.

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[i] The University of Iowa prohibits discrimination in employment, educational programs, and activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, pregnancy, disability, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, service in the U.S. military, sexual orientation, gender identity, associational preferences, or any other classification that deprives the person of consideration as an individual. The university also affirms its commitment to providing equal opportunities and equal access to university facilities. For additional information on nondiscrimination policies, contact the Director, Office of Institutional Equity, the University of Iowa, 202 Jessup Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242-1316, 319-335-0705, oie-ui@uiowa.edu.

Sign Up for Summer!

Don’t miss any exciting opportunities for students, families, and educators at the Belin-Blank Center!

For Educators

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • The Integrated Acceleration System: Making Decisions About Grade-Skipping: February 26, 2022
  • Topics in Teaching and Learning (Teaching Outside the Lines: Developing Creativity in Every Learner): February 16, 2022
  • Prog/Curr for High Ability Students: March 7, 2022
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 21, 2022
  • Practicum: March 21, 2022, or April 18, 2022
  • Continuing Education Individual Study (Connecting to Align Gifted Programming and Services): April 25, 2022
  • Intro to Educating Gifted Students: May 16, 2022, June 13, 2022, or August 22, 2022
  • Academic Acceleration: June 6, 2022
  • Senior Honors Project: June 13, 2022
  • Conceptions of Talent Development: October 17, 2022
  • Practicum: October 24, 2022, or November 14, 2022
• Summer Programming for Educators:
  • Belin Fellowship: June 19-24, 2022
  • AP Summer Institute (On Campus): June 28 – July 1, 2022
  • Chautauqua: July 11, 2022
  • AP Summer Institute (Online): August 1-5, 2022

For Students & Families

Summer Programs

• Junior Scholars Academy
  • Registration open
  • Session 1: June 13-17, 2022
  • Session 2: June 20-24, 2022
  • Session 3: July 5-8, 2022
  • Session 4: July 11-15, 2022
  • Session 5: July 18-22, 2022
• Summer Art Residency
  • Applications open
  • July 10–29, 2022
• Summer Writing Residency
  • Applications open
  • July 10-29, 2022 (on campus) or July 11-29, 2022 (online)
• Workshop for Young Writers
  • Applications open
  • August 1-5 (online)

Join Us!

Online Professional Learning in Summer 2022

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

John Cotton Dana, an American library and museum director, brilliantly asserted that “who dares to teach must never cease to learn.”  That is certainly true of teachers who support the needs of gifted and talented learners.

Teachers from across the country who are new to the field of gifted education and talent development look for coursework to help them earn the Talented and Gifted Endorsement.  Teachers who already work in gifted programs continue to develop their understanding of gifted children and how to best develop their talents.

Chautauqua

The Belin-Blank Center sponsors Chautauqua in the summer, and many teachers take advantage of one or more of the six one-semester-hour classes that begin over two weeks in July.  Each of these classes meets, either in person on the University of Iowa campus or via Zoom, for the first two days of the class; look for more information at belinblank.org/Chautauqua.

Online Programming

Others might prefer the flexible format of fully online and asynchronous opportunities throughout the summer.  All classes are one semester hour unless otherwise indicated.

May 17 – Jun 6	EDTL:4096:0WKA (Topics)	Assessing Achievement for Talent Development (Programming strand)	Anna Payne
Jun 6 – 24	EDTL:4024:0WKA	Differentiating Projects with Technology (Programming strand; updated content)	Dr. Antonia Szymanski
Jun 6 – Jul 29	PSQF:4123:0EXW (3 semester hours [s.h.])	Academic Acceleration (1 s.h. each in the Psychology, Programming, and 1 Administrative strands)	Dr. Ann Lupkowski-Shoplik
Jun 13 – Aug 4	EDTL/RCE:4137:0EXW (3 semester hours)	Introduction to Educating Gifted Students (Psychology strand)	Dr. Kimberley Chandler
Jun 20 – Jul 11	EDTL:4085:0WKA	Current Readings & Research in Gifted Education (strand based on readings)	Anna Payne
Jun 27 – Jul 18	PSQF:4126:0WKA	Cognitive/Affective Needs of Gifted Students (Psychology strand)	Dr. Katie Schabilion
Jul 1 – 22	EDTL:5080:0WKA	Teacher Training in Advanced Placement Courses** (Programming strand)	Dr. Randy Lange
Jul 6 – June 24	EDTL:4029:0WKA	Leadership Skills for G/T Students, K – 12 (Programming strand)	Dr. Beth Maloney
Jul 11 – 29	EDTL:4074:0WKA	Differentiation at the Secondary Level (Programming strand)	Dr. Kristine Milburn

**option for participants in the University of Iowa Advanced Placement Summer Institute (belinblank.org/apsi)

Registration

To take part in classes, participants must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. Those earning the Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education may register as either graduate or undergraduate students, regardless of professional status (undergraduates pay less tuition per course but may lose district benefits). Once participants have their “HawkID” and password, they can follow the directions to register for courses that match their interests and needs. Follow the steps at belinblank.org/educators/reg.

Belin-Blank Chautauqua—Back with an In-Person Option!

Journalist Charles Bowden once said, “Summertime is always the best of what might be.”  That might be the most accurate way to look at the Belin-Blank Chautauqua, an opportunity to enjoy professional learning with colleagues who enjoy time with others who share their interests.

Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the late 19^th and early 20^th Centuries, bringing Americans together to learn and enjoy time spent with one another.  After two years of hosting Chautauqua only online during the pandemic, the Belin-Blank Center is looking forward to hosting participants who want to participate in person, as well as those who choose to continue to participate via Zoom.

Professional Learning

Our Chautauqua is a unique form of professional learning, offering six one-semester-hour classes that begin over two weeks in July.  Each class meets for two days and continues online with readings, an online discussion or two, and a final project.  All classes end on or before August 5 this summer, the final day of the last university summer session.  Those who are interested in expanding their professional expertise in gifted education may enroll in the combination of classes that makes sense for them, from one to all six classes.

Scholarships

Participants who enroll as graduate students in three classes in one week receive a full scholarship for the cost of one class (you pay for two, the Belin-Blank Center provides a scholarship that pays for one).  Participants who enroll as graduate students in all six classes over the two weeks receive a full scholarship for the cost of one class each week (you pay for four, the Belin-Blank Center provides a scholarship that pays for two classes).

Coursework

The six classes represent the strands required for the endorsement in the State of Iowa: 

• the Psychology strand (understanding the nature and needs of gifted/talented learners);
• the Programming strand (appropriately differentiated programming/coursework for talent development);
• the Administrative strand (administrative issues in the field that school personnel might now know).

Classes in Chautauqua are different from one summer to the next, so educators can earn the State of Iowa endorsement in two summers!  For those who want to earn the endorsement even more quickly, Chautauqua classes can be combined with online summer classes to complete the endorsement in one summer.  Classes are offered throughout the year to meet the needs of anyone seeking endorsement or seeking professional development in new areas.

Chautauqua in Summer 2022 includes all one-semester-hour courses:                  

Week 1: Jul 11 – 29 Meets Monday/Tuesday,      9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	EDTL:4072:0WKA	Thinking Skills (Programming strand)	Dr. Laurie Croft
Jul 13 – Aug 2 Meets Wednesday/Thursday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	EDTL:4096:0WKB (Topics)	Executive Functioning: Skills for Learning and Life* (Programming strand)	Dr. Kristine Milburn
Jul 15 – Aug 4 Meets Friday/Saturday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	RCE:4125:0WKA	Counseling/Psychological Needs of the Gifted (Psychology strand)	Dr. Jean Peterson
Week 2: Jul 18 – Aug 5 Meets Monday/Tuesday,      9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	RCE:4123:0WKA	Gender Issues and Giftedness (Psychology strand)	Dr. Jolene Teske
Jul 20 – Aug 5 Meets Wednesday/Thursday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	EDTL:4096:0WKC (Topics)	Infusing Language Arts with Creative Thinking* (Programming strand)	Gwen Livingstone Pokora
Jul 22 – Aug 5 Meets Friday/Saturday, 9:00 – noon; 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.	EPLS:4113:0WKA	Staff Development for Gifted Programs (Administrative strand)	Dr. Jolene Teske

*NEW!

Registration

To take part in classes, you must register one time each year with Distance and Online Education as a non-degree seeking student. For the State of Iowa Endorsement in Talented and Gifted Education, you may register as either a graduate or undergraduate student, regardless of your professional status (scholarships are awarded to those who register as graduate students). Once you have your HawkID and password, you can follow the directions to register for courses that interest or benefit you. Follow the steps laid out at belinblank.org/educators/reg.

Applications Open for the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality

What are people saying about the Belin-Blank Center’s new Academy for Twice-Exceptionality?

“The individual weekly meeting helped me get through college with ideas and suggestions for what I can do better or improve on for exams, projects, and life in college overall.”

-Academy for Twice-Exceptionality Student

In Spring 2021, the staff at the Belin-Blank Center began working on a pilot for an Academy for Twice-Exceptionality. Our expertise in twice-exceptionality and experience with university programs (specifically the Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy), made us the perfect fit for starting such a program. We are now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 cohort!

Academy students must be high school graduates and ideally entering Iowa as first-year or transfer students. (We will consider students who fit other academic standings.) Currently, students who are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or identify as Autistic are the target population. In the future, we hope to be able to expand into other areas of twice-exceptionality. Students must also be registered with the University of Iowa Student Disability Services (SDS).

The Academy for Twice-Exceptionality offers a variety of services for its students:

• a weekly seminar for the entire cohort
• weekly one-on-one meetings to work on individual needs and goals
• assistance with connecting to university-based supports and resources
• helping students better understand their struggles and then leverage their unique strengths
• consistent communication with parents/guardians.

Start the journey to see if the Academy for Twice-Exceptionality is the right fit for you or your student by visiting our website. We are confident we will be!

2022 Winners of Iowa Junior Science & Humanities Symposium

Congratulations to everyone who competed at this week’s Iowa Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS)!  

These high school students are doing impressive research projects and did an excellent job communicating their findings to a panel of judges and an audience of their peers. Regional winners receive scholarships and an expense-paid trip to compete at the annual National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium.

2022 Winners of the Iowa Junior Science and Humanities Symposium

The 2022 Iowa Regional winners are:

🏆 1st place: Amara Orth (Lewis Central High School) – “Secret Sounds of Bees: Analysis of Honey Bee Vibroacoustics Using Hidden Markov Models”

🏆 2nd place: Kiersten Knobbe (Adair-Casey Guthrie Center High School) – “Turbid or Not Turbid? That is the Question: Creating a Water Filtration and Sanitation Method for Developing Countries”

🏆 3rd place: Alina Markutsya (Ames High School) – “Biomechanical Analysis of Balance Beam Skills in Gymnastics”

🏆 4th place: Libby Knipper (Beckman Catholic High School) – “Efficacy of Antimicrobial Starch-Based Plastic Food Storage Films”

🏆 5th place: Jasmyn Hoeger (Beckman Catholic High School) – “Novel Mammalian Fibroblast Cell Culture Media Technique for Ultraviolet Cell Reduction”

Message from the Director

by Dr. Susan Assouline, Belin-Blank Center Director

Today’s view from the Blank Honors Center is grey and bare, seemingly devoid of energy. However, activity and enthusiasm abound inside the Blank Honors Center as we prepare for the Belin-Blank Center’s many student and professional learning programs, services, and information sessions scheduled for the next several months. 

This summer, students in grades 3-11 can choose from science, technology, engineering, art, math, and writing options. Whether online or on-campus, full-day or residential, all of our programs give students access to valuable university-level resources and experts in developing talent. 

Educators can earn their TAG Endorsement through our Chautauqua program and fully online classes. Other excellent professional learning opportunities include our Belin Fellowship and AP Summer Institute.

We are also pleased to welcome two new members of the Belin-Blank Center team! Dr. Nesibe Karakis is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in our STEM Excellence and Leadership program. Mr. Dominic Balestrieri-Fox is our new Administrative Services Coordinator. He works to support many programs across the Center, including the Iowa Online AP Academy, AP Summer Institute, and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. If you encounter either of them when you contact the Belin-Blank Center, please join us in welcoming them!

New colleagues and changing seasons are but two reminders that change is the only constant. January closed with the very sad news that our friend and colleague, University of New South Wales Professor Emerita Miraca Gross, passed away. Dr. Gross’s work had a profound impact on the field of gifted and talented education. This is especially true in academic acceleration, where her contributions are unparalleled. She will always remain an inspiration, and her impact will positively influence many generations of students, families, and professionals. 

Dr. Gross advocated for tools associated with making acceleration decisions, such as our newly developed Integrated Acceleration System.  We invite you to learn more about this tool during an upcoming online session focused on making decisions about grade-skipping, featuring Belin-Blank Center experts.  

It may still be a grey day in February, but we are staying cozy inside the Blank Honors Center, eagerly turning our eyes toward sunnier days. Whether you are a parent, educator, or student, we hope you will join us for one of the many exciting events and programs we are planning for this summer. We are excited to see you soon!

Two New Faces at the Belin-Blank Center

We are pleased to formally introduce two new colleagues here at the Belin-Blank Center!

Dr. Nesibe Karakis is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in STEM Excellence and Leadership at the Belin-Blank Center in the College of Education at the University of Iowa. She earned her doctorate in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies from Purdue University. She is a former middle school math teacher in Turkey. Dr. Karakis’ research focuses on STEM education, professional development, student achievement, quantitative (e.g., statistical analysis, machine learning) and qualitative data analysis, and students from underrepresented populations (e.g., students from ethnically diverse or low-income backgrounds) in gifted education.

Dominic Balestrieri-Fox is the Belin-Blank Center’s new Administrative Services Coordinator. He works to support many programs across the Center, including the Iowa Online AP Academy, AP Summer Institute, and the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University in 2020, where his studies focused on international security and environmental policy. His most recent position before joining the Belin-Blank Center was a US Student Program Fulbright appointment in Trabzon, Turkey, where he taught English speaking lessons at Karadeniz Teknik University. His interests include the intersections between the environment and security, diplomacy, and sustainable agriculture.

Nesibe and Dominic are fantastic additions to our staff, and we are delighted to work alongside them. If you encounter them when you contact the Belin-Blank Center, please join us in welcoming them!

Strengths-Based Assessment to Better Understand Your Student’s Unique Needs

The Belin-Blank Center’s Assessment and Counseling Clinic is pleased to partner with Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development to facilitate access to their Suite of Tools for our clients.

The Suite of Tools is a strengths-based, talent-focused tool that brings together several different types of assessments to help parents and educators celebrate the unique gifts of a particular student and bring their eclectic profile into better focus. The Suite of Tools (2016) was originally developed by Dr. Robin Schader and Dr. Susan Baum at the Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development, and is built on the theme of C.L.U.E.S.: a process of Collecting information, Looking for connections, Uncovering patterns, Exploring options, and Seeking joyful learning.

The first assessment in the Suite of Tools is “My Learning Print,” which explores ways in which students prefer to learn, their specific interests, conditions that enhance understanding, fun hobbies, and family experiences outside of the classroom. The second assessment is called the “Quick Personality Indicator,” which asks participants to rank descriptive statements and then helps students to tally these outcomes to decipher whether they are most like a People Person, Learned Expert, Creative Problem Solver, or Practical Manager. A third tool is the Teacher Feedback form, which offers classroom educators the opportunity to reflect on the core abilities of this student. After a parent interview, each of these CLUES is brought together into a PowerPoint presentation by a seasoned educational therapist who highlights the findings of the Suite of Tools for your distinctive student, and then offers suggestions and direction for talent development opportunities that can enhance this student’s social-emotional growth and promote their intellectual potential. The Suite of Tools is especially helpful to include as an additional lens of insight along with a psychoeducational evaluation, when a learning team is crafting a 504 Plan, or for exploring options of optimal learning during an IEP Meeting.

Bridges Academy case manager Sandra Clifton, supported by her colleague Amy Clark, will be offering these services to interested Assessment and Counseling Clinic clients. For more information, please email sandra.clifton@bridges.edu.

Sandra Clifton

After earning her Masters in English Education and serving over a decade as a high school teacher, Sandra Clifton earned credentials as a professional coach and joined the RULER Team at Yale University to guide teachers in a program of Social-Emotional Learning.  She then opened her own private practice: the Clifton Corner, a safe space of learning to support overwhelmed students who struggle with issues of perfection, motivation, organization, learning differences, and self-esteem. For the past fifteen years, Sandra has worked to promote self-discovery and personal accountability to help young people transform their identity through the tools of mindfulness, creativity, leadership, and positive psychology as a Board Certified Educational Therapist.  Sandra shares a special affinity with both athletes and artists who shine with strengths outside of school–but may encounter challenges with time management, confidence, and/or academic insecurities in the classroom–often identified as gifted, sensitive, and/or twice-exceptional students. Sandra also guides parents through curriculum decisions and school transitions to create more joy in the journey of learning. She is currently working to earn her doctorate in Cognitive Diversity at Bridges Graduate School and is thrilled to be serving as an intern at the Belin-Blank Center.

Amy Clark

Amy Clark is a doctoral student at Bridges Graduate School, a solutions innovator, and a mom. She found her love of twice-exceptional education through the creation of Chestnut Ridge Academy, which she founded to serve her son by creating highly customized experiences for gifted and exceptional minds. In addition to her daily role as a tiny-school leader, she supports families on their own unique journeys. She guides parents to better understand their exceptional children and to uncover strategies for both educating and parenting differently through her company, Exceptionally Engaged. Her decades-long career in research and design at some of the world’s most creative companies has helped millions of people to feel empowered with tools that become part of their everyday lives. She continues to impact lives as an education, neurodiversity, and design consultant to those looking to discover the magic that lies at the intersection of technology and learning. 

Save the Date for Summer

Don’t miss any exciting opportunities for students, families, and educators at the Belin-Blank Center!

For Educators

• Professional Learning Courses / TAG Endorsement:
  • The Integrated Acceleration System: Making Decisions About Grade-Skipping: February 26, 2022
  • Topics in Teaching and Learning (Teaching Outside the Lines: Developing Creativity in Every Learner): February 16, 2022
  • Prog/Curr for High Ability Students: March 7, 2022
  • Curriculum Concepts in Gifted Education: March 21, 2022
  • Practicum: March 21, 2022
  • Practicum: April 18, 2022
  • Continuing Education Individual Study (Connecting to Align Gifted Programming and Services): April 25, 2022
  • Intro to Educating Gifted Students: May 16, 2022 and June 13, 2022
  • Academic Acceleration: June 6, 2022
  • Senior Honors Project: June 13, 2022
• Summer Programming for Educators:
  • Belin Fellowship: June 19-24, 2022
  • AP Summer Institute (On Campus): June 28 – July 1, 2022
  • Chautauqua: July 11, 2022
  • AP Summer Institute (Online): August 1-5, 2022

For Students & Families

Academic Year

• Bucksbaum Early Entrance Academy
  • Information Days: March 8, 2022 and April 19, 2022
• Computer Science Python Fundamentals
  • Start anytime! You’ll have access through June 30, 2022.
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
  • Iowa Regional Symposium: March 7 – 8, 2022
  • National Symposium: April 20-23, 2022
• Invent Iowa
  • State Invention Convention: April 18, 2022

Summer Programs

• Junior Scholars Academy
  • Applications open now
  • Session 1: June 20-24, 2022
  • Session 2: July 18-22, 2022
• Perry Research Scholars Institute
  • Application opens: February 21, 2022
  • Application closes: March 24, 2022
  • Program: July 10-22, 2022
• Secondary Student Training Program
  • Decisions Announced: April 1, 2022
  • Program: June 20 – July 28, 2022 (online) or June 22 – July 29, 2022 (on campus)
• Summer Art Residency
  • Applications open now
  • Priority: Applications submitted by March 1, 2022
  • Program: July 10–29, 2022
• Summer Writing Residency
  • Applications open now
  • Priority: Applications submitted by March 1, 2022
  • Program: July 10-29, 2022 (on campus) or July 11-29, 2022 (online)
• Workshop for Young Writers
  • Applications open now
  • Priority: Applications submitted by March 15, 2022
  • Program: August 1-5 (online)

Join Us!