Gifted Resource Council
Gifted Resource Council
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Gifted Children Benefit From Team Experiences
by Dennis O'Brien

I recently observed 1,400 children engaged in friendly academic competitions in mathematics, language arts and practical problem-solving.

The children were participating in in the sixteenth annual Academic Challenge Cup, a remarkable four-day event sponsored by Gifted Resource Council (GRC).

The challenge was held at Washington University's Wohl Center. More than 90 area elementary schools participated.

Team-building and skill-building began months ago. Because stimulating competitions during previous years generated such intense interest in Academic Challenge Cup at their schools, many students prepared for months in advance by engaging in after-school math and language games under the guidance of volunteer coaches. Their excited faces and animated discussion convinced me that their enthusiasm for the experience was as high as their hopes had been.

The GRC games encouraged task organization, flexibility and analytical thinking. In addition to being intellectually stimulated, students improved their social skills because the format, which required them to work cooperatively, fostered participatory decision-making and teamwork.

Karen Kuc, enthusiastic after serving as a volunteer judge for two years praised the challenge as "a unique opportunity for children to be creative and to apply their knowledge in a team format!" Kuc said that the experience stimulates her children to explore similar activities with one another and with their friends at home.

Gifted Resource Council, a nonprofit educational agency, has provided challenging enrichment programs for bright and talented youngsters throughout the metropolitan area for 17 years. In addition to Academic Challenge Cup, GRC offers Saturday Learning Labs, summer academic camps and thought-provoking workshops for parents and teachers.

Many people consider children with unusual talents to be advantaged, and in some ways they are. But gifted children face unique developmental hurdles and need resources and supportive programs like those offered by Gifted Resource Council.

"In order to thrive, gifted children must be challenged academically in ways that are typically not possible in their regular classrooms, " said Sue Flesch, the council's executive director.

"They also need opportunities to interact with other talented children in order to develop a balanced, healthy self-esteem," she said.

Research has identified gifted children as an "at-risk" population who perform poorly in school when not appropriately challenged and supported. However, these students receive less support than any other at-risk population in the nation.

With many school districts struggling to balance their budgets with diminishing funds, enrichment programs for gifted and talented students are often being reduced. In fact, even though the need has been clearly demonstrated and the benefits to society would be enormous, it is estimated that only one cent of every $100 spent on education is earmarked for gifted children.

For almost two decades GRC has offered much need programs to meet this growing need.

As an at-risk group, children with outstanding abilities often accomplish much less than they are capable of. This diminishes the larger community, since these children possess the skills, knowledge and problem-solving abilities necessary to address societal challenges like environmental management, technological advancement, education, poverty and economic development.

As a society, we cannot afford to squander the awesome potential of our most talented children. As parents, we must do all we can to see that they receive the intellectual stimulation, psychosocial development and nurturing they need in order to thrive.

Flesch encourages parents who are interested in learning more about enrichment activities for their children to contact their local school counselor or phone her at 314-962-5920.
For more information regarding Gifted Resource Council, please call the GRC office at 314-962-5920.