Gifted Children

Helen Karnes, San Diego Mensa's Gifted Children's Coordinator, writes a monthly column. Here are some of them:

• December 2006 : "Causes of School Frustrations and the Way Around It All"
• November 2006 : For our Young Mensans
• September 2004: "Attributes Of A Self-Actualized Person"
• August 2004: "Gifted Children"

Guest columns :

• January 2007 : "Quotations on Wry"
• December 2006 : "Toying with Ideas"

American Mensa hosts an e-mail list for people interested in gifted children. See http://www.lists.us.mensa.org/mailman/listinfo/brightkids. It is an "open" list; that is, you don't have to be an official "Gifted Children's Coordinator" to join. So sign up!

Here are some recent messages from that list, to whet your appetite:

• Enrollment deadlines for US University-Based Talent Search Programs.

  Enrollment deadlines are imminent for the Talent Search programs offered for highly gifted young people by Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, Duke, and the University of Denver offer such programs.

  Taking the tests through the Talent Searches gives families additional information about a child's math and verbal reasoning abilities, leads to recognition, and links gifted students to special programs that help them develop their special abilities.

  Program, region, website, and application deadlines are below.
   

  • Program: Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth (CTY)

    For students in AK, AZ, CA, CT, DE, HI, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, OR, PA, RI, VA, VT, WA, WV, DC

    Website:  www.cty.jhu.edu

    Application deadlines:

    • 7th and 8th graders: November 30

    • 5th and 6th graders: November 19

    • 2nd through 4th graders: no deadline, but test before February 15 for summer courses

    Online application at http://cty.jhu.edu/ts/registeronline.html
     

  • Program: The Northwestern University Center for Talent Development (CTD)

    For students in: IL, IN, MI, SD, ND, OH, WI, and MN

    Website:   http://www.ctd.northwestern.edu/

    Application deadlines (use online application only at this point) Jan 22 (SAT) & Feb 12 (ACT) 2005 registration has a deadline of Dec 10, 2004.

    • March 12 (SAT) & April 9 (ACT) 2005 registration has a deadline of Feb 2, 2005.

    • January 29, 2005 (EXPLORE) registration has a deadline of Jan 5, 2005.

    • February 26, 2005  (EXPLORE) registration has a deadline of Feb 2, 2005.

    Online application at https://wallstreet.itcs.northwestern.edu/CTD/register/MATSP00.asp
     

  • Program: University of Denver Rocky Mountain Talent Search

    For students in CO, NV, NM, WY, ID, MT, and UT

    website: http://www.du.edu/education/ces/rmts.html

    Deadlines:  (from the program director:  "We hope most students will apply by 11/17 so they will be eligible for the summer program and awards ceremonies."

    Downloadable application at: http://www.du.edu/education/ces/rmts_forms.html
     

• (Saturn's moon) Titan Art contest

The Planetary Society has announced an International Art Contest to celebrate Huygens encounter with Saturn's Moon Titan. The contest is called "Imagining Titan: Artists Peer Beneath the Veil."

The Grand Prize winner will receive a fantastic trip to the European Space Agency (ESA) Mission Control in Darmstadt, Germany, where the winner will be present for the spacecraft's encounter with Titan! The deadline for this contest is 28 November 2004.

The contest is open to everyone aged 10 and above.

We want to spread the word to as many people as possible. The Society requests your help to get the information to your local schools, libraries, art institutes, art schools and any other venue where interested people might gather.

For contest rules, list of prizes, creative ideas and how to enter, please visit the Society web page http://planetary.org/saturn/art . Use this link to enter the contest electronically.