As Thanksgiving approaches, we’d like to take a few minutes to give thanks to our IEA community! Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who devote their time and resources to support IEA’s programs and services. Whether it’s helping decorate our new learning space, facilitating...
by Nicole Endacott, Program Assistant Happy American Education Week! Every year, American Education Week celebrates individuals and organizations that ensure every child receives a quality education. Whether you are a parent, student, educator, or other supporter of learning, there are things you can do to honor...
by Alexis Hopper, Academy Program Coordinator The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers & cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, & who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us...
by Qiao Li, Coordinator The tendency to be a perfectionist is within all of us. As I start writing this blog, I find myself typing and deleting, starring at the screen trying to brainstorm the perfect sentence to write. Perfect sentence to write? That sounds oxymoronic! Perfectionism...
by Kelly Gray, Development Assistant While certain tasks or assignments may come easier for gifted students, it does not mean that they do not struggle or have setbacks. In many cases, due to the very high expectations gifted students set for themselves, they can face even...
by Malaina Kapoor, 2015 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar, originally written for the Christensen Institute Innovative schools are on the rise across the world and are transforming the way we think about K–12 education. These schools are no longer following the traditional model of education. They are...
by Abby Daniels, Director of Development & Communications On Friday, November 17th, the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) will honor three tremendous individuals who have worked to address the needs of gifted education in our community. Here’s a little bit more about them. Raising the Bar for...
Pipeline to Success was a pilot program developed by IEA in partnership with the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) and Avery Dennison Foundation. Designed specifically to serve highly able, underserved youth in PUSD, the program ran from 1999 to 2010. The program provided gifted middle and...
by Anvi Kevany, Administrative Assistant As an involved parent and professional working within the education system, I have attended numerous parent teacher conferences throughout the years. First, as a parent of three gifted children; second, as a professional support staff working with teachers and parents; third,...
by Michelle Bodwell, LMFT, ATR Fall is here. School has started again, and the wonderful freedom and chaos of summer has come to an end. As a parent, I do my best to embrace the fullness of each summer season. The loosening of the scheduling belt, the...
The Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) is excited to announce that 28 middle-schoolers from across the country have been named 2017 Caroline D. Bradley Scholars. The Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship is a four-year high school scholarship for gifted learners to attend an optimally matched high...
By Byron Lichtenstein - CDB Scholar, Yunasa Camper, Apprentice, IEA Board Member My relationship with IEA began in 2002 when I was a seventh grader. I grew up the product of 40-student classrooms and overworked teachers in a large California public school system. At age 7,...
Curated by Niña Abonal, Senior Program Coordinator From staff members traveling to conduct CDB Scholarship interviews, Yunasa camps teeming with energetic campers, Academy classes bustling with curious learners, and EXPLORE students externing at sites all over Los Angeles, summertime at IEA is nothing short of eventful. Not...
by Heather Honig, IEA Intern This summer, I came home from college hoping to gain experience working for a non-profit organization. While I still have some time before I have to choose a career path, I have always been passionate about giving back to my community....
By Cadence, 8, Academy Student This summer, I took two Academy classes, Brain Function and Algorithms in Nature and Technology, taught by instructor Ms. Nathalie Blume. Ms. Nathalie kindly connected me with Dr. Wendy Gilmore, Associate Professor of Neurology and Cell and Neurobiology in the Multiple...
We asked our community what websites they recommend for gifted kids. Here’s what they had to say! Byrdseed “Byrdseed is all about better understanding our gifted learners. Stick around and you’ll learn how to differentiate lessons, teach across the content areas, and appreciate gifted kids’ unique social...
Are you looking for a summer book recommendation? Check out what we at IEA are currently enjoying! Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon "The book takes off from the old adage about an apple not falling far from the tree. Each chapter focuses in tremendous detail...
by Kelly Gray, Administrative Assistant Each year the Institute for Educational Advancement (IEA) awards the Caroline D. Bradley Scholarship (CDB) to approximately 30 highly-gifted students. The scholarship provides funding to attend a high school best suited to meet their unique intellectual and personal needs as well...
by Jim Delisle, Educator, Author and Yunasa Fellow As parents, each of us has the unique opportunity to be embarrassed by something we said to our children. Whether spoken out of anger, tiredness or an awkward attempt to be funny, adults (present company included…) sometimes regret...
by Niña Abonal, EXPLORE Program Coordinator IEA’s EXPLORE program is in full swing! This year, the selection and placement process was especially competitive as students vied for a chance to work with distinguished mentors and sites willing to host only a selected number of students. In addition...
By Elizabeth D. Jones, President and Co-Founder of the Institute for Educational Advancement. The film Gifted staring Chris Evans and Jenny Slate, released for video next week, introduces audiences to a cute and very precocious young girl, Mary (McKenna Grace), whose advanced intellectual ability and quick verbal...
by Abby Daniels, Director of Development & Communications at IEA Looking for ways to keep your gifted child active and engaged this summer? We’ve got the answer for you: IEA Academy. We’ve put together our top 10 reasons for you to enroll your gifted and talented...
by Qiao Li, Coordinator “I’m bored out of my mind” says a piano student who practiced for hours every day under the diligent watch of his parent. How could someone work so much and be so bored? People who work and study for the sake of doing, or...
Written by Heather Boorman of The Fringy Bit I still don’t quite know how it happened. One minute, my 3 kiddos and I were sitting at the dinner table, laughing and enjoying a conversation that (miracle of miracles) didn’t involve arguing over who’s turn it was...
by Stephanie Tolan, M.A., Author and Senior Fellow The word unique is very often misused in our country. It means “one of a kind.” So something has to be either unique or not unique. It can’t be very, or especially, or extraordinarily. And I cannot be more...