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• Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Learners, Book Study 2024-2025

  • Start
    October 08, 2024
  •  
  • End
    February 11, 2025
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Learners: Book Study 2024-25 
  
  Facilitator: Joy Lawson Davis, Ed.D.

  
  
  A collaboration of the Minnesota and Nebraska State Departments of Education, Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented (MCGT), Minnesota Educators of the Gifted & Talented (MEGT),
  and Nebraska Association for the Gifted

  
  

  Registration is required.

  
  

  5 Sessions: Tuesdays, 12:00-2:00pm CT, via Zoom*. 
  

  October 8, 2024
  November 12, 2024

  December 10, 2024

  January 14, 2025

  February 11, 2025

  *Zoom link will be emailed prior to each session.

  
  

  In gifted education, an important issue that has yet to be sufficiently addressed is the systemic underrepresentation of gifted students who have been left out of school-based advanced learner programs. Research has shown that when students whose race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or other realities differ from their teachers they are frequently overlooked in the identification process. For this reason, the book, Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Students, has been selected for a five part book study facilitated by Editor Dr. Joy Lawson Davis. The book study is intended to help educators move closer to ensuring equity, access and excellence in gifted education. Each chapter we will study includes key takeaways intended to help educators engage students in conversation and to develop their self-advocacy skills.
  

  
  

  
  

  Dr. Joy Lawson Davis has a distinguished record of scholarship in the field of Gifted and Advanced Learner programming for over 35 years. Her specific expertise is diversity, access and equity in programming for students from underrepresented populations and culturally diverse students with multiple exceptionalities. Dr. Davis is a highly sought out speaker, professional learning trainer, and consultant to school districts, federal grant programs, and organizations across the United States, the Middle East, South Africa and the Caribbean, sharing numerous presentations with her message of equity, access, and excellence. Dr. Davis is also a Core Faculty member at Bridges Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity in California and Affiliate Faculty at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education, Gifted Education Department in Maryland teaching graduate coursework in cultural diversity and gifted education, respectively. She also serves as the King & Queen County Equity Coordinator, advising the Superintendent on equity issues and providing professional development for the staff.

  
  

  
  Book Study Cost:
  $100.00 for the 5-session virtual book study series. 
  $10 invoicing fee applies to all invoices, invoice 30 days after first workshop.

  
  

  Additional Cost:
  Registrants will need to purchase a copy of Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Students by Joy Lawson Davis, Ed.D and Deb Douglas, M.S.

  

  
  

  This book is available from online booksellers in either paperback or digital formats. You could also check for it at your favorite local bookstore. Or you may be able to borrow it from your local library.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Who: This training is intended for gifted education coordinators, specialists, and those with responsibility for planning school services for gifted students. 

  
  

  Zoom: Zoom link to join the workshop will be sent prior to each session. Zoom sessions will be recorded and made available to those who are registered to attend.
  

  
  

  CEUs: 10 hours of CEUs from either the Minnesota Department of Education or the Nebraska Department of Education will be emailed to attendees following the final session.

  
  

  
  

  Request for special accommodations must be submitted in writing and received a minimum of 14 business days prior to each session. Please note, we are unable to provide copies of the presentation prior to the presentation.

  
  

  Online Registration opens on August 29, 2024

  Cancellation Deadline: Thursday, October 3, 2024 (5pm)

  
  

  
  

  Contact - Registration Questions: 
  Jennifer Farner, MCGT, info@mcgt.net
  
  

  Contact - Program Questions: 
  Wendy Behrens, 651.582.8786, wendy.behrens@state.mn.us 
  Sheyanne Smith, 531.207.4096, sheyanne.smith@nebraska.gov

  
  

  If you are paying by check or purchase order, please make your check payable to MCGT (Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented) and mail to:

  Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented

  PO Box 143

  Hopkins, MN 55343

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Emotional Intensity and Gifted: MCGT Professional Series

  • Start
    November 15, 2024
  •  
  • End
    December 13, 2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    2 sessions
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Emotional Intensity and Gifted

  Presenter: Christine Fonseca

  MCGT Professional Series

  
  

  November 15 and December 13, 2024
  11:00am - 1:00pm Central Time via Zoom

  
  

  Co-Sponsored by the Minnesota Dept of Education and Cottonwood Center

  
  

  This 2-part series provides an in-depth exploration of giftedness and emotional intensity. The series is designed for professionals (psychologists, therapists, counselors, and learning coaches) working with gifted individuals as well as GT Coordinators, school counselors, school psychologists, social workers, and teachers of gifted.
  
  

  Fee:  

  $100 For 2 Sessions

  $70 for MCGT Professional Members and MCGT Sponsors

  Not a MCGT Professional member? Join online now!

  $35 for Undergraduate or Graduate Students

  
  

  Part I:
  Redefining Normal: Harnessing the Power of Emotional Intensity in Gifted Children

  November 15, 2024;  11:00 am - 1:00 pm CT via Zoom
  (Vimeo recording available to registrants)
  
  

  Gifted individuals live naturally intense lives. Often misunderstood both by themselves and by the world, many high-ability children and adults try to hide their intensities—usually with little success. Rather than trying to change or deny a gifted child’s intensities, embrace them. Turn their extreme emotions into the “superpower” you have all been yearning for, the passion needed to embody everything it means to be gifted.

  
  

  Using reflection exercises and small group discussion, participants will explore the current research related to giftedness, emotional intensity, and the intersection between intensity and mental health concerns. By the end of the session, participants will learn several evidence-based strategies to appropriately identify mental health needs related to giftedness and intensities.
  
  

  Objectives: 

  1. Understand what emotional intensity is and how it impacts gifted children

  2. Explore the recent controversy around Dabrowski’s OEs and gifted identification

  3. Examine the intersection of emotional intensity, giftedness, and twice-exceptionality

  4. Determine the needs and treatment objectives of gifted students experiencing intense levels of emotions

  
  

  Part II: 

  When Emotional Intensity Overwhelms the Body: Using Somatic Practices to Improve Outcomes for Gifted Children and Emotional Intensity

  December 13, 2024;  11:00 am - 1:00 pm CT via Zoom
  (Vimeo recording available to registrants)

  
  

  Gifted individuals often struggle with their behavior and emotional regulation related to emotional intensity. This becomes even more intense when the gifted child is twice-exceptional. In this workshop, participants will learn to utilize practices and strategies from somatic experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and polyvagal theory to address difficulties often resulting from emotional intensity and comorbid conditions (including ADHD, Autism, and mental health disorders).

  
  

  Using small group discussion, scenarios, and demonstrations, participants will explore strategies utilized in IFS, polyvagal theory and somatic experiencing to assist gifted children with awareness, regulation and rewiring emotionally intense experiences, reframing from disembodied to embodied acceptance of everything it means to be emotionally intense. By the end of the session, participants will learn several evidence-based strategies ready to use in your work with gifted people.

  
  

  Objectives:

  1. Understand how to utilize specific somatic strategies with gifted and twice-exceptional children

  2. Practice several specific somatic strategies

  3. Examine ways to incorporate somatic experiences into current practice

  
  

  All sessions will be via Zoom and recorded for access outside of the scheduled presentation time. 

  
  

  Four hours of CEUs have been approved through the MN Board of Psychology (log# 202510.120) and will be available for educators from Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). CEU documentation will be sent directly to participants. 

  
  

  Presenter:  Christine Fonseca is a licensed educational psychologist, critically acclaimed author, and a nationally recognized speaker on topics related to educational psychology, mental health, and giftedness. Using her experience consulting and coaching, Christine brings her expertise to Psychology Today, authoring the parenting blog Parenting for A New Generation. She has written articles for Parents.com, Johnson & Johnson, and Justine Magazine. Her most popular titles include Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students and I’m Not Just Gifted.

  
  

  Questions? Email info@mcgt.net

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• What is Parenting Gifted/2E Children REALLY Like?

  • When
    December 11, 2024
  •  
    6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Register

  
  

  MCGT 2024 Speaker Event:
  

  
  

  What is Parenting Gifted/2E Children REALLY Like?

  
  

  Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 6:30-8:00pm CST

  via Zoom

  
  

  
  

  Presenter:  Gail Post, Ph.D.

  
  

  Most parents never imagined the complexities they must navigate while raising their gifted or 2e child. Their child's intensity, heightened sensitivity, asynchronous development, and a wide array of strengths and struggles demand additional time and energy, along with the task of advocating for their education. Parents of the gifted often feel alone and misunderstood – a parallel process to how their child feels with peers. 
  
  

  Join licensed psychologist Dr. Gail Post for a workshop that will explore the gifted parenting experience: how raising a gifted or 2e child requires a different skill set, how to thrive in a world that doesn't quite understand, and how to find confidence and clarity about parenting decisions. Bring along your own questions, ideas, and wisdom to share!

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Gail Post, Ph.D. is a Clinical Psychologist, parenting coach/consultant, workshop leader, writer, parent of two gifted young adults, and Clinical Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In practice for over 35 years, she specializes in intellectual and musical giftedness and twice-exceptionalities. She also served as co-chair of a gifted parent advocacy group when her children were in school. Her writing includes hundreds of articles, several book chapters, a long-standing blog, Gifted Challenges. and her book, The Gifted Parenting Journey. 

  
  

  
  

  When: Wednesday, December 11, 2024, 6:30-8:00pm, Online via Zoom
  

  Zoom link will be emailed to registrants the day before the event.

  
  

  Who: All those interested in supporting gifted students – parents, educators, other caregivers and professionals welcome!

  
  

  Cost:
  

  
  

  $10 for MCGT members
  Video Recording is available to registered MCGT members for four months after the event. 
  

  $25 for non-members

  Access to recording after the event is not available to non-members.
  Join MCGT now to get the member rate.  MCGT Membership Benefits
  

  
  

  
  

  Financial assistance is available from the Betty Johnson Scholarship Fund: Families with gifted and talented children should not be restricted in their participation in MCGT activities because of limited funds. Therefore, the MCGT Board will accept requests for financial assistance which would enable families to attend events sponsored by MCGT, such as the annual conference or speaker events. MCGT also accepts requests for financial assistance for MCGT membership fees. 

  Submit a request from the Betty Johnson Scholarship Fund

  
  

  Questions? Email info@mcgt.net

  
  

  The Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (MCGT) is a state-wide non-profit support and advocacy organization of parents, educators, and other professionals who live or work with gifted children and are interested in their education and well-being.

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• Exploring Our Own Needs as Gifted and Multi-exceptional Adults

  • Start
    January 07, 2025
  •  
  • End
    February 11, 2025
  • Schedule
    6 sessions
  • Location
    via Zoom

  Register

  
  

  Gifted Roads ~ Support & Resources for Gifted and Multi-Exceptional People

  
  

  
  

   

  Exploring Our Own Needs as Gifted and Multi-exceptional Adults

  
  

  6 Sessions
  Tuesdays, Jan 7 - Feb 11, 2025
  5:00 - 6:30pm CDT (UTC -5)

  
  

  Adulting is hard, even when you've been at it for a while. Gifted and 2e adults often don't have a welcoming space where we can share the ups and downs of being a smart, quirky person in a world that doesn't always understand our intensity or get our jokes. Framed by weekly topics, this discussion series is all about celebrating yourself and the other gifted adults in your life.

   

  Date:  Tuesdays, January 7th through February 11th, 2025
  
  

  Time:  5:00 to 6:30 pm Central Daylight Time (UTC -5)
  
  

  Discussion Guides:  Carol Malueg and Joan Larson
  
  

  Cost:  $180 per household (parenting and caregiving partners welcome)
  Contact support@giftedroads.com for scholarship availability or if you’d like to provide a scholarship for another attendee.
  
  

  Location:  Virtual, using Zoom — a Zoom link will be sent to all participants before the first meeting
  
  

  Questions?  Email carol@malueg.com

  
  
  

  Carol Malueg, M.A., GCT, 2e,  is a learning coach and consultant, specializing in gifted and twice-exceptional education and support. Carol serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented (MCGT) and the Gifted Homeschoolers Forum (GHF).  She was honored with the MCGT Friend of the Gifted Award in 2020.  Carol has trained hundreds of Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG) Model Parent Group Facilitators worldwide and was awarded the SENG Presidential Award for Distinguished Service in 2021. She has worked on three Javits Grant research projects focused on improving identification of and services for gifted at-risk students.  Her company, Gifted Roads, addresses the gifted and multi-exceptional experience across the lifespan.https://giftedroads.com

  
  
  

  Joan Larson is a gifted education specialist with Minnetonka Public Schools in Minnesota.  She was an elementary classroom teacher for ten years, and has been a gifted education specialist for thirty years.   Joan earned her Master’s Degree in Gifted, Creative, and Talented education from the University of St. Thomas.  She has worked full-time work with gifted and talented students and their families in a variety of capacities, including program and curriculum development, coaching fellow teachers, and helping families navigate school with their gifted children.  She has trained hundreds of SENG Model Parent Group Facilitators and led SMPGs with participants from all over the world.

  
  

  What parents have said about Caregiver Conversations: 
  “This was not the typical powerpoint presentation with following Q&A. The entire process was guided conversations about what participants are facing with each of the points covered in the sessions' agenda and more. We got to know each other in this authentic environment and became more friends than participants. Thank you!” ~ Nichole S.
  

   

  “This was fabulous; informative, open-minded, supportive and fun.” ~ Nichole S.

   

  “So great to not feel alone!” ~ Jill S.

   

  “I had never before thought about myself as being gifted. This realization has helped me understand my child better.” ~ S.B.

   

  “The leads and participants in the class were so welcoming and open. I truly appreciate what everyone brought to the conversations.” ~ S.B.

   

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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