By Kathryn Kyd, Kindergarten Lead Teacher, Boulder and CAGT Board Member
The Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT) will hold its annual state conference on October 20 and 21. The conference features local and international experts in the field of gifted education who will share their knowledge and expertise in all things gifted.
On Monday night, October 20, the CAGT conference offers a unique opportunity for parents of gifted children by offering a CAGT Parent Institute which takes advantage of the wonderful gifted expertise gathered in Denver for the CAGT conference. This is a great opportunity to hear from leading speakers in giftedness. It is also a great opportunity to meet and network with other parents of gifted children, share experiences, ideas and your own expertise. It will be held 6:30-9:00 p.m. in the Evergreen Ballroom of the Denver Tech Marriott, 4900 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, CO.
The Parent Institute will feature an expert panel with Dr. Rosina Gallagher and Lisa Van Gemert who are also conference keynote speakers. Dr. Gallagher is an educational consultant and lead author of Diversity and Equity in Illinois: Responding to Differences within the Gifted Population. She brings her expertise as a psychologist and past President of SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted). Lisa Van Gemert is Mensa’s Education Liaison and works with teachers on best practices in gifted education. Also on the panel will be Dr. George Betts with his special focus on the social/emotional area for gifted. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado, President-elect of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), and author of several books. Dr. Beverly Trail, who will also be on the panel, is a professor at Regis University, past Chair of the NAGC Special Population Network and author of Twice-Exceptional Gifted Children. After the panel discussion, there will be time for questions to the panel. Parent Institute registration is available on the CAGT website. The fee is $20 per person or for two adults from the same household. Light refreshments will be served.