OGTOC - Our Gifted Online Conferences: A Gathering Place for All Gifted

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/UTAH_GIFTED/ This group is for Utah families with gifted children, as well as educators and advocates. It is intended as a support group for adults who interact with gifted children, as well as a repository of local resources. It is hoped that this group will provide families, teachers, and advocates an opportunity to converse with other adults involved with gifted youth - not only on global/country gifted issues, but with issues specific to Utah. If you want to know what schools parents like best, the coolest places for summer classes, or what services are being offered for the gifted and their families, we hope that 'this is the place' to find out!

Free Online Resources Provided by the Davidson Institute

The Davidson Institute (www.DavidsonGifted.org) offers several free online resources.  With more than 3,000 registered members, the Gifted Issues Discussion Forum provides a free meeting place for parents and educators wanting to discuss a myriad of gifted topics at http://giftedissues.davidsongifted.org/BB/.

The Davidson Institute's free eNewsletter, the eNews-Update, provides up-to-date gifted-related news every other month. It is a great read for students, parents and educators in search of the latest gifted news, studies and developments, state-specific legislation updates, events and more. Read past issues posted on the eNews-Update Archive Page and subscribe today at www.DavidsonGifted.org/eNews-Update.

The Davidson Gifted Database provides a Google search component for easy keyword searches to help students, parents and educators pinpoint a wealth of gifted information at www.DavidsonGifted.org/DB. The Database also houses our state policy map, where you can see how gifted-friendly your state is.

We invite you to become a “Fan” of the Davidson Institute on Facebook (http://facebook.dj/davidsoninstitute/) and a “Follower” of DavidsonGifted on Twitter (http://twitter.com/DavidsonGifted).

Davidson Institute for Talent Development

Davidson Young Scholars

The national Davidson Young Scholars program (http://www.DavidsonGifted.org/YoungScholars) helps profoundly gifted students
discover others with similar interests and abilities, utilizing their skills and talents to maximize their educational potential and make a difference in the lives of others. Parents collaborate with a skilled team of Family Consultants who provide individualized services based on each family's unique needs, such as in the areas of educational advocacy, social and emotional development, and talent development. Read Young Scholar Success Stories (http://www.DavidsonGifted.org/YSSuccessStories) about how the Young Scholarsprogram has made a difference in these students' lives.  The Davidson YoungScholars program is FREE and the application deadline is the 14th of each month.

• Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship - Institute for Educational Advancement

• A. Harry Passow Classroom Teacher Scholarship

• Educators Invited to Apply for ING Unsung Heroes Program

  The ING Unsung Heroes program helps K-12 educators and their schools fund innovative classroom projects.
  Each year, the program selects 100 educators to receive grants of $2,000 each to help fund their innovative class projects. At least one award will be granted in each of the 50 United States, provided one or more qualified applications are received from each state. Three of these educators are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000.
  All K-12 education professionals are eligible. Specifically, these individuals must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States, and be full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff with effective projects that improve student learning.
  Visit the ING Web site to download the program application.
  Contact:
  Link to Complete RFP

• 2011 Davidson Fellows $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 Scholarships Applications Available Now

If you are a student who will be under 18 as of Oct. 1, 2011 and are working on a graduate-level project in any field of study, you may want to consider applying for the 2011 Davidson Fellows scholarship. The Davidson Institute for Talent Development is offering high-achieving young people across the country the opportunity to be named a 2011 Davidson Fellow, an honor accompanied by a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in Science, Technology, Mathematics, Music,
Literature, Philosophy or Outside the Box.

Applicants must submit an original piece of work recognized by experts in the field as significant and it must have the potential to make a positive contribution to society. The scholarship must be used at any accredited institute of learning. The deadline to apply is March 2, 2011. To find out more, please visit   http://www.DavidsonGifted.org/Fellows.

• The Davidson Academy of Nevada - Application Available for 2010-2011 School Year

  The Davidson Academy of Nevada, a free public day school for profoundly gifted pupils on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, is now accepting applications for the 2010-2011 school year.  Application materials can be downloaded at www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu.  Complete applications need to be submitted by the first of each month, with the final deadline being March 1, 2010.  Admissions are on a first-come, first-served basis.

  The Davidson Academy seeks to provide profoundly gifted young people an advanced educational opportunity matched to their abilities, strengths and interests.  Unlike many traditional school settings, the Academy’s classes are not grouped by age-based grades, but by ability level. To be eligible to attend The Davidson Academy, students must be at the middle or high school level across all subject areas and score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ or college entrance tests, such as the SAT or ACT.

  Not sure if The Davidson Academy is the right fit for you?  Join us for an Academy tour and information session on Thursday, Nov. 12 or Thursday, Dec. 10. Please RSVP at www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu/Explore. To learn more about The Davidson Academy, admission criteria or to download an application, please visit www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu.

• Outstanding Young Leaders Honored
  Nestle Very Best In Youth Program
  http://nestle-verybestinyouth.com/
  The Nestle Very Best In Youth Program, sponsored by Nestle USA, honors young people throughout the United States who have excelled in school and who are making their community and the world a better place. Twenty-five young people between 13 and 18 years of age, selected from nominations from volunteers, parents, and teachers, will be featured in a special publication and honored at a ceremony in Los Angeles, CA, in the summer of 2009. Nestle will also donate $1,000 in the name of each winner to the charity of his or her choice. Nominees should have strong backgrounds in citizenship, school, community involvement, and reading. The nomination deadline is November 20, 2008. Visit the website listed above to download the nomination guidelines and forms.

• Lexus Challenges Youth for the Environment
  http://www.scholastic.com/lexus/
  The 2009 Lexus Eco Challenge, administered by Scholastic, has begun. The Eco Challenge is a nationwide educational program and contest that invites teams of five to ten students and one teacher-advisor to define an environmental issue, and develop and implement a plan to address that issue. The Challenge is made up of three categories, each with its own application period. Registration and Action Plans for Challenge 1: Land, which specifically addresses landfills, waste management, and recycling; deforestation or desertification; and/or endangered species and the loss of biodiversity must be submitted online by Friday, October 24. Challenge 2: Water, which addresses shrinking wetlands and aquatic habitats, water conservation and freshwater shortages, and/or threats to the world's waterways and oceans, opens November 3 and closes December 12, 2008. Challenge 3: Air/Climate opens December 17, 2008, and runs through February 6, 2009. The Air/Climate challenge addresses global warming and climate change, ozone depletion, and/or fossil fuels and renewable energy. Teacher-advisors can learn more about each of these three challenges and register online at the website provided above.
  Link to Funder Profile
  
  

• TOSHIBA AMERICA FOUNDATION
  The Foundation contributes to the quality of science and mathematics education by investing in projects designed by classroom teachers to improve instruction for students in grades K-12. The Foundation funds two programs: K-6 and 7-12. For K-6 programs, projects should take place over at least three class sessions; not be based solely on the purchase of a pre-packaged kit; must occur during the school day; and must advance the teacher’s science and math teaching units in these grades. Funds may be requested for the purchase of project materials for student use only. Computer hardware, audio-visual equipment, and field trip expenses may not be included in the budget. For 7-12 projects, the Foundation strongly encourages projects planned and led by individual teachers or teams of teachers for their own classrooms. Previously funded projects have tapped into students’ natural curiosity, enabled them to frame their own scientific questions, and have incorporated the expertise of community partners. Requests for grants under $5,000 are made on a rolling basis and applications are accepted throughout the year. Grants larger than $5,000 are approved twice a year. Deadlines are February 1st or August 1st. When deadlines fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be due on the first business day of the month. Before submitting a completed proposal, teachers are welcome to call the Foundation to discuss their project ideas. Additional information is available on the Web site. | Grant Range: $1,000 To $10,000 | Contact Info: TOSHIBA AMERICA FOUNDATION, Ph: 212-596-0620, Send Email, Visit Website, For the K-6 grants, mail the application and required documentation to: 1251 Avenue of the Americas, 41st Floor, New York NY 10020.

• VERIZON FOUNDATION
  
  The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, has announced a three-year, $31 million commitment to its signature educational and literacy program, which provides free online educational resources to teachers, students, and community organizations.
  Thinkfinity.org, which encompasses the programs formerly known as Verizon MarcoPolo and the Verizon Literacy Network, is an online portal to fifty thousand K-12 lesson plans and other educational resources. The portal also provides professional development resources for teachers as well as literacy materials for all ages. Verizon's financial commitment will enable leading educational organizations to continue to produce and expand the program's interactive features.
  Content is provided through the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Reading Association, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Center for Family Literacy, the National Council on Economic Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy Worldwide, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.
  According to Charmona Whitfield, a K-6 instructional technology teacher, the Thinkfinity program saves teachers time, is easy to navigate, and provides quick access to lesson plans. "Producing interactive, engaging lessons plans is a necessity to reach our children in the classroom today," she said. "Because our kids have iPods, cell phones, and X-boxes, they need to truly interact with what they are learning. To simply stand in front of them and talk is not enough."
  “Verizon Foundation Announces $31 Million Investment in Thinkfinity.org.” Verizon Communications Press Release 3/27/07. Primary Subject: Education
  Location(s): Basking Ridge, New Jersey FC010267
  

'No Child' Law May Slight the Gifted, Experts Say - Washingtonpost.com ( November 25, 2007)