July 15, 2003

Conference Focuses on Gifted and Talented Education

Gifted and talented education is the focus of a conference Sunday through Friday, Aug. 1, at Boise State University that is expected to draw about 300 participants from across the United States. Edufest 2003 includes lectures, workshops and demonstrations on a variety of topics related to critical and creative thinking. The 7th annual conference is presented by Boise State’s College of Education in association with the Council on Exceptional Children and ITAG/SAGE, the Idaho association for the gifted. Conference participants can choose from more than three dozen workshops including “The Magic of Mathematics,” “Inventing with a Twist,” “Challenging Able Learners in the Regular Classroom” and “How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.” Keynote speakers include Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi [cq], one of the world’s leading authorities on the psychology of creativity. Drawing upon 40 years of research, he will discuss the personal characteristics of creative individuals and how schools and teachers can support, influence and develop creativity. Carolyn Callahan, the associate director of the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, will discuss how gifted education should respond to shifts in general education that emphasize high stakes testing and curriculum standards.  Other keynote speakers include Karen Westberg of the University of St. Thomas, Alane Starko of Eastern Michigan University and Donald Treffinger, an internationally known researcher, writer and teacher in the area of creativity. The conference is open to the public for a $375 registration fee. For more information, go to www.edufest.org. In addition to the conference, a Parent’s Day is offered on Saturday, July 26,  and an Administrator’s Day is set for Monday, July 28.                  The Parent’s Day speaker is Nancy Robinson, professor emerita of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington. She will discuss “How to Help Your Child Thrive Socially, Emotionally and Academically.” Cost is $55 including lunch.  The Administrator’s Day speaker, Carolyn Callahan, will discuss “What School Administrators Need to Know About Gifted Students and Assessment.” Cost is $100 including lunch. More information  can be found at www.edufest.org. - 30- Contact Larry Rogien Education 208 426-3045 Media contact Janelle Brown communications and marketing 208 426-1790   Return to News home

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