Celebrate National Parenting Gifted Children Week July 19-25 With These Ideas

July 19-25 marks a celebration of the  challenges and rewards  of nurturing, supporting, and advocating for the needs of young people who are gifted and talented.  This special week recognizes some of the strongest advocates for high-ability students: their parents.

Sponsored by SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of Gifted Children) and the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), National Parenting Gifted Children Week is a great opportunity to call attention to the special academic needs of gifted children. How can you contribute to the effort? According to SENG and NAGC, you can:

Encourage your state gifted association and local parent groups to publicize their own local or national efforts.

• Mention this celebratory week in your next blog, newsletter, or social networking site.

• Contact your local newspaper and suggest using this week as a tie‐in for a story about gifted kids in your area.

• Ask the Governor or Mayor to issue a proclamation. Invite elected officials to kick‐off a National Parenting Gifted Children Week event by reading the proclamation. Use the public appearance of elected officials as an opportunity to speak about specific initiatives and to thank them for their past support.

• Write a letter to an editor explaining what this week is and why local children, parents, and schools should be aware of it.

• Attend the SENG Conference in Orlando, FL in July and the NAGC conference in St. Louis in November to connect with other parents, learn techniques for dealing effectively with gifted kids, and obtain information to educate others.

• Encourage your local library to set‐up an exhibit during NPGCW, where they can display free informational brochures, handouts, and bookmarks, as well as their books about giftedness.

• Get involved with other parents of gifted students by participating in or establishing a local chapter of KAGE (The Kentucky Association for Gifted Education).

A special hat-tip to Jeanne Bernish at the High Ability blog for sharing this information!