Gifted middle school students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades engaged with a community activism curriculum designed and implemented by the author, their gifted education facilitator, as part of their gifted programming. This authentic learning experience asked students to follow a creative problem-solving process that fostered thoughtful…

How can parents help their children develop the sensitivity and compassion of people like Henry David Thoreau, Mahatma Gandhi, Rachel Carson, and Martin Luther King, Jr.? Participation for gifted students in service-learning programs, both in and out of school, may be one helpful method. In the last two decades, there has been a resurgence of…

Young gifted children can become passionately interested in social justice. It makes sense that children who are astutely aware their own differences could and would become interested in the well-being of others. It seems that preschool programs have been slow to recognize the value of service-learning to their students, but Freeman and King…

Learning in today's classrooms can be disconnected from students' real world experiences. Providing students the opportunity to address real-world problems may provide avenues for students to engage in their communities while developing academic skills and knowledge. Additionally, for students whose interests are piqued by the nature of their…

This paper proposes the development of an enhanced sense of social responsibility in the use of talents and the creation of programmes and services that focus on the promotion of these traits among a wider student population. Selection of students for these offerings should not mirror the rigid identification of academically or intellectually…

At the culmination of an 11-year qualitative, cross-sectional study of life events, 48 high-ability high school graduates fitting common stereotypes associated with giftedness completed an open-ended questionnaire, part of which focused on positive life experiences and sources of support. Findings included that intense investment in academics,…

This study aimed to identify factors that influence acts of altruism among gifted female adolescents in Singapore within the context of their overseas learning experiences. Ten teacher-nominated gifted adolescents from ages 15 to 17 who had exceeded the mandated hours (12 hours per year) of voluntary community service in their school were the…

At the 2006 National Association of Gifted Children Conference, a panel presentation addressed the importance of providing gifted children with opportunities to take positive social action through service-learning; this article is a result of that discussion. The Future Problem Solving Program (among others) has a community problem-solving…

Spiritual intelligence--using a multisensory approach to access one's inner knowledge to solve global problems--can be an integrating theme to engage gifted students in building global awareness in the classroom. This article introduces individuals providing training in higher consciousness and presents examples of strategies to further develop…

Implementing service-learning programs in schools for our gifted may help nurture the development of more highly moral people. Service-learning, a method by which students learn and develop through curriculum integration and active participation in thoughtfully organized service experiences that address needs in their community, has three levels:…

This article discusses extra-curricular social studies in an Open Air History Museum. Open Air History Museum, Conner Prairie Interpretive Park in Fishers, Indiana, is a cultural institution that encourages and supports talented students as they participate in an extra-curricular program. Ten-to sixteen-year-old youths "apply for jobs"…

Describes how gifted middle school students have turned the tragedy of a college student's death into a positive opportunity to advocate for victim's rights and to help provide funding for educational programs on personal safety and violence prevention. The activities of the class and the benefits to students are described. (CR)

Discussion of service learning for gifted adolescents offers a service learning typology based on degrees of student involvement and reviews the research findings on service learning. Focus group interviews with three gifted adolescent participants highlighted the importance of service learning to them and identified the following themes:…

Service learning benefits students of all academic abilities, particularly the gifted. Teachers should use the principles of good service, make service a requirement, encourage service experiences based on real needs, design interdisciplinary service courses, consider opportunities for social change, provide mentorships, reduce liability, and help…

This article discusses the importance of affective education in fostering emotional development and leadership skills, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences, and the affective needs of gifted and talented students. The teacher's role in integrating an affective component in the curriculum is described and strategies are provided, including…