What Benefits Do National Gifted Organizations Bring to the Table?

There are many different national gifted organizations, but not all have the same purpose. Some are primarily dedicated to education; others exist to meet social-emotional; and several are hybrid models addressing the needs of educators, parents, and students. The best known is the NAGC in the US. PPUK is its counterpart in the UK. The Council for Exceptional Children has a TAG division. The AAGC is another organization located at Duke University. GHF Learners assists gifted homeschoolers. SENG is an organization dedicated to the social-emotional needs of gifted individuals. The Acceleration Institute is located at the Univ. of IA’s Belin-Blank Center. Davidson Institute houses a Young Scholars program. See links in our weekly blog post.

Joining a national organization can provide many benefits to both educators and parents. Many serve as advocates at the national level seeking funding for research and programs such as the Javits’s fund. Being a member at this level can help individuals gain a national perspective and access to niche groups such as 2E, PG, LGBTQ, and homeschoolers. There are many exceptional networking opportunities as well. Membership at the national level provides discounts on educational materials, conferences, and webinars. Most also have regular communications regarding the latest news in gifted education.

Many national organizations have state and regional affiliates which work together sharing resources. State organizations generally work with nationals when conferences are held in their state. National and state organizations often offer dual memberships or discounts on each other’s memberships. The NAGC has an annual conference specifically for leaders in state organizations culminating in advocacy efforts with members of Congress.

National conferences are rich sources of high-quality professional development through sessions and keynotes with leaders in the field as well as access to the latest research in gifted education. All national conferences have areas where books, curriculum, and other materials can be viewed and purchased. Vendors are often present for demonstrations and to answer questions. Networking sessions during the day and in the evening provide ample opportunities for both educators and parents to meet and discuss topics of interest.

National organizations can offer teachers research-based curriculum and teaching strategies through their websites, webinars, and conferences. The NAGC has a dedicated publication, Teaching for High Potential, specifically for educators. Through national organizations, teachers can connect with individuals providing PD for their school districts and speaker bureaus for district-wide events. The NAGC also provides K12 National Standards for GT teachers. Via membership, several national organizations offer professional journals for educators and academics.

National organizations dedicate resources for parents such as parent liaisons, parent specific periodicals and information about mental health resources and professionals. SENG offers SENG Model Parent Groups to guide parents on raising gifted children. GHF also provides online sessions for parents interested in homeschooling. The CEC has dedicated resources for parents of twice-exceptional students.

A transcript of this chat can be found at Wakelet.

Global #gtchat Powered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented is a weekly chat on Twitter. Join us Thursdays at 8E/7C/6M/5P in the U.S. and Fridays at Noon NZST/10 AM AEST/1AM UK to discuss current topics in the gifted community and meet experts in the field. Transcripts of our weekly chats can be found at Wakelet. Our Meta Page provides information on the chat and news and information regarding the gifted community.

About the author: Lisa Conrad is the Moderator of Global #gtchat Powered by TAGT and Social Media Manager of the Global #gtchat Community. She is a longtime advocate for gifted children and also blogs at Gifted Parenting Support. Lisa can be contacted at: gtchatmod@gmail.com

Resources:

NAGC: National Association for Gifted Children

SENG: Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted

IEA: Institute for Educational Advancement

Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development

Davidson Institute

GHF Learners

NAGC Member Engagement and Resource Guide

SENG – Why Become a Member

GHF Membership

NAGC State Affiliate Resources

NAGC Expert Speakers Bureau