Summer vacation is right around the corner! However, just as quickly as summer approaches, it also passes in the blink of an eye. This time of year, both parents and teachers face the same dilemma: Should high-ability kids stay busy with summer projects, courses, sports, camps, and travel...or should they be allowed to completely unplug with no…

Since 2012, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has supported educational enrichment in rural areas by awarding over $3.3 million in grants to six outstanding organizations operating in Iowa, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. In this report, the authors combine the experiences of these organizations with findings from the…

This newsletter theme issue deals with summer program offerings for academically talented youth. It notes the benefits of summer programs and outlines factors to consider in choosing the most appropriate one. Several types of programs are then described, including talent search programs, young students programs, math programs, science programs,…

Presented in a question-and-answer format, this digest offers guidelines in choosing an enriching summer program for gifted students. The following questions are addressed: What are the possibilities? What needs do summer programs meet? Who should make the selection? What does the selection process involve? What variables are important? and What…

This brochure discusses the importance of keeping students from regressing during the summer months, explaining that most children forget important skills and knowledge that they do not use over the summer, and teachers often spend 4-8 weeks at the beginning of the school year re-teaching material from the previous year. How students spend their…

This brochure discusses enriching summertime or vacation experiences that stimulate children to read and learn more. The brochure discusses free or low-cost resources available in the community, such as the library, park programs, zoos or nature centers, museums, historic districts, and community arts. The brochure also discusses reading and…

This "Packet of Information for Families" (PIF) was developed for parents whose children are identified as both gifted/ talented and on the autism spectrum, or twice-exceptional. Parents of twice-exceptional children often search for appropriate and challenging enrichment programs for their child, but the dearth of information available…

This manual is a resource book for organizers and leaders and parent groups who want to explore specific strategies to use in helping children combine summer fun with summer learning. The guide contains material necessary to conduct a 1- or 1.5-hour session on how parents can help children enjoy the summer months while they improve their social…

This guide to more than 1,000 summer programs for teenagers encompasses recreational and academic programs sponsored by colleges, universities, independent schools, foundations, museums, nonprofit organizations, and for-profit businesses. Every program listed accepts students age 13-18; some programs also accept participants older or younger.…