Now that 2013 has come to a close, we wanted to look back on some highlights from the last year. Here are just some of the incredible things that happened at IEA in 2013:
1. We moved into our new home!
Thanks to a generous gift by a longstanding IEA supporter and friend, we are excited to be in our new home!
Pasadena, California 91101
2. Yunasa was awarded the inaugural NAGC Global Awareness Network Annemarie Roeper Award.
IEA is the first organization to receive the Annemarie Roeper Award presented at the 2013 National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) National Convention by the NAGC Global Awareness Network. The award, in its inaugural year, is presented to one individual and one program “whose efforts further develop global awareness for and by gifted children and those who are concerned with them. Annemarie Roeper, co-founder of the Global Awareness Network, held profound insights into the multifaceted inner world of gifted children and deeply understood the need to foster global awareness to reflect the unique perspectives of gifted children and to respond to their inherent concerns about the world they live in.” We were honored to receive this award and to be in the amazing company of the first individual recipient, Dr. Linda Silverman.
3. IEA community members gathered to discuss IEA’s strategic plan.
In September, 30 IEA staff members, board members, parents, and alumni gathered to discuss the direction of IEA. It was a fun and productive weekend, and we look forward to the next steps in this process as we plan for IEA’s continued growth. We greatly appreciate all of those who took time out of their busy schedules to help us with this crucial part of the strategic planning process. Keep an eye out for more information as we continue this process in the coming year.
4. Caroline D. Bradley Scholars and alumni celebrated a wide variety of successes.
Laura Ball, a CDB alumna from the class of 2006, received the prestigious Thiel Fellowship. Several CDB Scholars were named to the U.S. Math Olympic Team, and several will be on teams representing the U.S. in history, math, and science at an international level. 2013 Scholar Vinjai gave a TEDxKids Talk. 2011 CDB Scholar Anirudh was selected as the winner of the United States Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP). 2010 CDB Scholar Kiran was selected as a Montage Memory Maker for his creation of web-based nonprofit Waste No Food. Fifteen new young students were also named 2013 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars.
5. IEA honored two valued members of the IEA community, Dr. Henri Ford and Mr. Stan Kong, at the Moonlight & Stars Benefit Dinner.
In October, we hosted more than 90 guests at the home of IEA supporters Kate Duey and Bob Malchione for the Moonlight & Stars Benefit Dinner. The evening brought together program alumni, Mentors, parents, board members, and supporters for a lovely evening celebrating 15 years of IEA and honoring Dr. Henri Ford and Mr. Stan Kong for their service to IEA’s Apprenticeship Program and the Los Angeles community. The event raised more than $11,000 to support IEA’s programs for gifted youth. Thank you to all who attended and all who supported this event!
6. We launched Genius Day, a new initiative for our continuously developing Academy program.
These days of deep learning give students the opportunity to work with an expert in the field as they uncover the contributions of a person we consider a genius. The first Genius Day focused on Charles Darwin, while students in the second Genius Day studied William Shakespeare.
We also offered 15 new Academy classes over the course of 2013 and gained many wonderful new Academy instructors. New classes included: Academic & Personal Strengths Coaching, Chemistry Lab, Egyptian Mythology, the Female Hero in Myth & Literature, Looking for Shakespeare, Primary Advanced Language Arts, Primary Advanced Math, Rube Goldberg History & Creation, and many more!
7. The gifted community found new resources and support in IEA social media.
Thousands of visitors viewed the IEA blog over the past year, with many resources for parents of gifted kids proving helpful and popular. “12 Lessons About Gifted Kids from Matilda” was our most popular blog post, as it struck a chord with many who identify with the beloved children’s book character. On Facebook, IEA also reached a milestone of 1,000 fans.
8. IEA hosted seven free Gifted Child Parent Support Group Meetings.
IEA hosts monthly talks to explore ways to meet gifted children’s particular needs and learn more about this amazing group of young people. These meetings are intended primarily for parents of gifted children to provide support and community in the midst of the joys and challenges of raising a gifted child. In 2013, speakers included IEA Senior Fellow Dr. Patricia Gatto-Walden, parent Sharon Duncan, gifted expert Dr. Joanna Haase, IEA President Elizabeth Jones, past program participants, and college counsellor Kate Duey.
9. Students, parents, and supporters gathered for IEA’s Summer Spotlight.
In July, 115 students, parents, and supporters of gifted education gathered at USC for IEA’s Summer Spotlight 2013, an event designed to showcase gifted students and the programs we offer to meet their needs.
10. Yunasa West saw a second successful year in Colorado.
Twenty-four campers from across the country joined us for Yunasa West 2013. This was the second year of Yunasa West, a second location for our pioneering Yunasa summer camps, and it proved to be yet another memorable and magical year!
11. Three new staff members joined our team.
- Lauren Albrecht, Development Coordinator
- Louise Hindle, Academy Coordinator
- Min-Ling Li, Program Coordinator working with Apprenticeship
12. Forty-two high school students from across the country came to Los Angeles to work with eminent Mentors through our Apprenticeship Program.
These students worked in fields such as biomathematics, ethnomusicology, architecture, physics, pediatric medical research, industrial design, and more. Apprentices gained hands-on experience in their area of study. Sneha, a Media Relations and Social Media Apprentice at USC, wrote an article that was published on the USC News and USC Marshall School of Business websites.
13. And, most importantly of all, IEA programs supported more than 200 bright young minds!
As you can see, 2013 was a great year for IEA, and we could not have done any of this without your support.
Philanthropic support for IEA was extremely strong in 2013. We continue to receive tremendous support from families who have benefited from IEA’s programs as well as from friends of the work we do. Thank you to all who contributed this year and to the numerous volunteers who assisted in our programming, marketing, and fundraising efforts. Thanks to you, we are able to deliver our unique and highly customized programs to even more bright and eager learners across the country.
Thank you for being a part of our community. We look forward to an amazing 2014!
Interested in 2014 programs? Applications and information for all 2014 IEA programs are now available on our website.