Other than providing our bodies with necessary oxygen, why is breathing important? Taking deep breaths has shown to slow the heartbeat, stabilize blood pressure and lower stress. In this breathing exercise and guided meditation, Yunasa Program Coordinator Qiao Li provides useful tips to apply mindfulness...
As part of IEA’s goal to offer challenging academic enrichment in innovative new ways, here is the first installment in a series of Virtual Learning Labs! This video will explain this new offering and dive into the basics of Mendelian Genetics, including dominant and recessive...
by Jennifer de la Haye When I summarize IEA’s work to people outside our network: “…we are an educational nonprofit that works with gifted kids,” I am often met with skepticism and confusion. The most common response I have received is, “I believe all kids are...
“You’re never too young to change the world.” There was a time when children were taught to be “seen and not heard,” and yet today, many of the world’s most powerful leaders and harbingers for change are under the age of 20. Here are five inspiring...
By Zadra Rose Ibañez, Director of Operations My cousin’s birthday is February 28. I often think that, had she been born one day later, she would be a quarter of her age. Of course, she wouldn’t really only be ¼ of her years, but would only...
By Nicole Endacott, IEA Program Coordinator After working with gifted kids for over the past three years at IEA, Program Coordinator Nicole Endacott shares the 5 lessons she has learned from our inspiring students. There are infinite types of “smart.” The kids who are gifted aren’t always...
By Qiao Li, Program Coordinator Yunasa camps are designed to work with gifted and highly gifted children to nurture balance and stimulate growth in the whole self. At Yunasa, we work with experts in gifted education to provide a week-long camp that is filled with self-exploration, connection...
By Megan Figueroa, Program Manager "One of the most valuable experiences a gifted student can have is exposure to a mentor who is willing to share personal values, a particular interest, time, talent and skills. When the experience is properly structured and the mentor is...
By Rachel Hanks, Communications Assistant In today’s media and news, I feel like I hear more stories about the benefits of sharing emotions and discussing mental health than I ever did growing up. This is a wonderful thing and through popular media including television and movie...
By Megan Figueroa, Program Manager At the start of a new year, we often spend time reflecting on our past and envisioning our futures. As 2020 marks the start of a new decade, I find myself reflecting on the path I have taken in the last...
By Alexis Hopper, IEA Program Coordinator Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. --Ralph Waldo Emerson IEA Academy invites you to join us this spring as we make each day our best in 2020. Come learn, grow and make...
By Ashley Prior, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Thank you so much to all of our blog's readers. This year we had a record number of visitors and comments on our blog! Here were the Institute for Educational Advancement’s top blog posts in 2019: Everything You Want to...
By Zadra Rose Ibañez, IEA Director of Operations As we near the end of the year, I have been thinking about New Year Resolutions. I was recently reading an old journal of mine and saw a list of tasks I wanted to accomplish before year end. Because...
By Bonnie Raskin, Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Director In the course of my fifteen years at the Institute for Educational Advancement at the helm of the Caroline D. Bradley (CDB) Scholarship program, I’m often asked, “What exactly do you do? What’s a typical workday?” So I’m...
By Katie Sanborn, Office Manager The holidays are upon us and with that comes school closures. Gifted children tend to have a strong desire and need for intellectual stimulation, and that need doesn’t go away when schools are closed. Below are three ways parents can help...
By Amber McClarin, Enrollment Coordinator At this year’s National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Conference in Albuquerque, NM, I participated in the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival. Teachers, parents and other conference attendees like myself, learned about educational tools, new advanced learning techniques and how to collaborate...
By Mavis Bortey-fio, Development Manager I have had quite the journey in my six months at IEA. After the first few weeks, I was crying at work while listening to Yunasa Leadership 2 campers. Over a temperamental flame, these young leaders spoke about difference Yunasa made...
Dear Friends and Family of IEA, With the thanksgiving holiday approaching, we begin to reflect on all that we are grateful for. As I think about the past year, I remember many wonderful moments and people associated with the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA). Whether it was...
By Mallory Aldrich, IEA Admissions Coordinator As we are approaching the opening of the 2020 Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship Application, we thought this would be a great opportunity to share with you the prompts for the essay portion of the application and some tips for writing...
November 8th is National STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) Day! This day was created to encourage individuals of all ages to delve deeper into these exciting areas of learning. Parents, have your children pick an item off this list or make up their...
By Kaitlyn Chen, IEA Summer Programs Intern We asked IEA's Summer Programs Intern Kaitlyn Chen to write a reflection on her journey with IEA. Check out her post below on how IEA influenced important decisions about her future career opportunities! My name is Kaitlyn, and I’m currently...
By Anvi Kevany, IEA Adminstrative Assistant It’s that time of the year for Parent-Teacher Conferences. Usually many schools will schedule the conferences during the fall. Here are some tips including additional resources on how to have a productive and successful Parent Teacher conference. Preparation: Before you attend the...
By Alexis Hopper, IEA Program Coordinator This past weekend, Bridges 2e Center for Research and Professional Development hosted the 2019 Vision & Leadership 2e Symposium. I had the honor and privilege of attending its Super Sunday program, which offered a diverse range of presentations by leading...
By Niña Abanol, IEA Program Manager Every October, people national wide celebrate National Book Month. Studies have shown that reading not only improves your vocabulary and spelling, but it’s also good for your mental health. This October, take some time to pick up a new...
By Mavis Bortey-fio, IEA Development Manager If you are reading this, that probably means this is not the first time hearing about our exciting fall fundraiser, I[d]EA Day. If, however, you and your family are still on the fence about attending, we present to you a...