Applications are open now to be a Teen Fellow for the spring 2024 - winter 2025 session at the CAC (Chicago Architecture Center). This three-semester program is offered at no cost to selected participants, and gives incoming sophomores, juniors and seniors the chance to explore architecture and design careers, earn college credit and work alongside industry professionals.

Click here for complete details and application information.

The following is from the SENG - Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted - 1/24/24 email newsletter. SENG offers a wide variety of resources on its website, webinars, mini-conferences, and its annual conference. See their website for complete details on the call for proposals.

Ahoy, SENG Community!

Get ready to ride the waves of knowledge and adventure at our upcoming 2024 Annual Conference, happening July 11-13, 2024, in the vibrant city of Berkeley, California! With the theme "Sailing into the Future: Community, Advocacy & Adventure," we're charting a course into an ocean of opportunities.

• Keynote Speakers: We're beyond excited to welcome Paula Prober and Dr. Frank C. Worrell to steer our ship as our esteemed keynote speakers. They're like the captains of our yacht, guiding us through the sea of knowledge with their incredible insights.

• Call for Proposals: Are you an educator, parent, clinician, gifted adult, advocate, entrepreneur, researcher, or practitioner with a knack for navigating the waters of gifted communities, advocacy and adventures? We want you aboard! Submit your proposal for a 75-minute breakout session or a 2-hour workshop by January 31st, 2024. Remember, spots are as coveted as a sunny day at sea, so make sure your proposal shines like the sun!

• Why Present? This is your chance to share your compass – your ideas and experiences – with a diverse and engaged community. Let's make waves together in the realms of our gifted community.

• Conference Highlights: Besides our captivating sessions and workshops, expect networking opportunities as vast as the ocean. Mingle with fellow enthusiasts, learn from the best, and enjoy the beautiful Berkeley breeze.

Don't miss this chance to dock your ideas at SENG's 2024 Annual Conference. Let's set sail together into a future filled with community, advocacy, and adventure. We can't wait to see what treasures you'll bring on board!

Smooth Sailing,

SENG Conference Committee

P.S. Got questions or need help navigating the proposal process? Drop us a line, and we'll be your lighthouse guiding you through!

Key Points to Remember:

• Submit your proposal by January 31st, 2024.
• Join us in Berkeley, July 11-13, 2024.
• Let's sail into the future together!

From the IAGC newsletter . . . 

Are you a newer teacher or PLC?  

Trying to differentiate for advanced learners on-the-go?    

Let the IAGC help you and your PLC get set for your next lesson or unit! 

2 Hours PD credit

Please sign up for:

Educator PD Hour: Curriculum Extension Workshop for New(er) Teachers

When: 01/29/2024  4pm-6pm  CST
Where: virtual -- join us from school or home!

EVENT DETAILS:

Educator PD Hour: Curriculum Extension Workshop for New(er) Teachers

Monday January 29, 2024

4:00pm -6:00pm

virtual

Work smarter, not harder!

Join IAGC Board Members and Gifted Coordinators Denise Kuchta, Deanna Markos, and Lindsay Sudol for an afternoon workshop of ELA and MATH Lesson Planning for your Advanced Students.  

If you are new(er) to the classroom, new to teaching gifted, or new to differentiation, or if you are struggling with what to offer your advanced students when they say they have "finished", then this workshop is for you!

We will spend time together reviewing best practice strategies and then divide into breakout rooms according to your selected content area to tier your next lesson. 

Invite your PLC so you can collaborate, share resources and ideas, and apply new strategies to your current unit.  Finish the workshop with a new extension of your  curriculum that you can use tomorrow!

2 PD hours 

Click here for complete details and registration.

From ADDitude: “An Open Mind Leads to Amazing Opportunities and People Better Than You Imagined. Throughout the college application process, I learned the importance of surrounding myself with people and environments that set me up for success.” Read more here.

Are you a teacher or know someone in education who is interested in improving teaching strategies for gifted education, advanced learning strategies, and high level differentiation?  The Illinois Association for Gifted Children (IAGC) is offering Foundations for Teaching Advanced Learners in Todays Classroom starting January 17, 2024.  PD and SH hours offered.  Here are the details:  https://www.iagcgifted.org/event-5346827 

From ADDitude: "Family Dynamics on ADHD: 5 Rules for Dealing with Relatives’ Judgment. Every holiday season, we face a persistent challenge: how to respond to family members who don’t understand ADHD and yet feel compelled to share their discipline and parenting advice (often loudly). While every family dynamic is unique, here are some general strategies plus scripts for handling a wide range of common problems with obtuse relatives." Read more here.

From ADDitude: “Eradicate The Myth That It’s Those With ADHD Who Need To Change. ADHD misconceptions are not only plentiful, they are enormously threatening to the mental and emotional health of people with ADHD because they cause delayed or missed diagnoses, feelings of shame, and dangerous behaviors. We asked our audience members what myths they would eradicate about ADHD if given the chance." Read more here.

From ADDitude: "Don’t Wait for the Parent-Teacher Conference! 11 Year-Round Cooperation Rules. Your child’s teacher spends five to six hours with him each day. She doesn’t know him like you do, but she sees things you can’t — or won’t. Here’s advice from real parents and teachers who found ways to work together that really benefited everyone." Read more here.

This year, the Illinois Association for Gifted Children and the national group, Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted, are partnering to bring parents in the Chicagoland region a Regional Parent Conference!

CGCC will have an exhibitor booth at the conference and CGCC Board members will be giving a panel presentation, "Walking the Journey of Parenting Bright, Complex Kids."

The keynote speaker will be Jen Merrill, author of If This is a Gift, Can I Send it Back?: Surviving in the Land of the Gifted and Twice Exceptional and the Laughing at Chaos blog.

From ADDitude: "Less Handholding, More Independence. Worried about your child making the transition from high school to college? Keep him from drifting into academic free-fall with these tips for planning ahead, choosing courses, and encouraging self-advocacy." Read more here.