2010 New England Conference
16th Annual New England Conference
on Gifted and Talented Education
In partnership with SENG
October 21-23, 2010
Hartford Hilton Hotel ~ Hartford, CT
“Connections and New Directions”
Hosted by the
Connecticut Association for the Gifted
In partnership with SENG -
Supporting Emotional Needs of the Gifted
CALL FOR PROPOSALS Click Here
For more information...
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The SENG Conference Experience
Most conferences about giftedness focus primarily on educational issues. While a few presentations about the social and emotional development and needs of gifted people and the challenges facing the gifted population may be included, these presentations play a minor role.
SENG conferences reverse the priorities. We believe that recognizing, understanding, and accepting the unique social and emotional needs of this population are the first priorities for teachers, parents, and counselors. SENG supports strong gifted education programs, but we believe the emotional piece is the foundation for the development of healthy, happy, well-adjusted, appropriately educated, and contributing gifted members of society.
Who Should Attend
EDUCATORS
“I very much enjoyed the conference. It is the first of its type that I have attended. I found the presenters knowledgeable and helpful and very willing to answer questions and offer guidance.”
To teach gifted children effectively, teachers must be cognizant of the different ways these children learn and of their differing and unique social and emotional needs. Unfortunately, teacher education courses rarely address gifted education, or how social and emotional needs affect these students' ability and motivation to learn. The SENG conference presents an unparalleled opportunity for teachers to learn about these keys to understanding and serving gifted children.
PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS
Year after year, parents tell us that the SENG conference is by far the best conference about giftedness they have ever attended. The sessions expose parents to the array of unique attributes associated with giftedness, and teach techniques for dealing effectively with children and children's teachers. Parents have the opportunity to connect with other parents experiencing similar challenges. And, not infrequently, a parent confides that he or she has had an epiphany about his or her own life, reaching an understanding of his or her own giftedness.
MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
“The conference was a highly enriching and productive experience for me and my family. I learned (and likely, re-learned) parenting techniques which allow for greater communication and understanding between me and my daughters.”
Most counseling and psychology programs only touch on gifted issues, and professionals are often not trained to recognize the unique characteristics of gifted individuals. Specialized knowledge about how characteristics of giftedness may appear similar to behaviors that result from clinical conditions such as ADHD and OCD can increase the effectiveness of counseling with this population. Not only do SENG conferences provide a wealth of information in the regular conference program, we also offer concurrent Continuing Education Courses for mental health professionals.
“My children were skeptical at first about attending the conference. According to my son’s comments on the way to the conference, there are no other people like him anywhere on Earth, and it wouldn’t matter if the other kids thought the activities were cool, he would still find them boring. At the end of the conference he said ‘Those kids were actually a lot like me. Do they have anything sooner than next year?’”
GIFTED TEENS
Too old for the Children's Program, but not quite an adult? The SENG Teen Program is for gifted “tweens” aged 15 to 18 and promises a unique experience specially crafted to meet special needs and interests of teens. The emphasis is on social interaction and fun, on making contacts and establishing relationships with other gifted teens from across the country. SENG’s expert facilitators will be on hand to address topics of interest raised by this group.
GIFTED ADULTS
Giftedness does not fade after high school, though, often, support for gifted people does. Often parents come to SENG to learn about their gifted children and rediscover their own giftedness. Grown-ups needs strategies and support, too, in their family, creative, and professional lives.
GIFTED CHILDREN
The SENG Conference includes a children's program that runs concurrently with the adults' program. Designed for kids ages 7 through 14 whose parents are attending the conference, it provides an environment in which kids can have fun while learning new skills such as juggling, creating cartoons, or how to write and stage a play. Each year the program varies but always, and most importantly, the kids have the opportunity to connect with other gifted kids. Often, life-long friendships form, and many children return year after year.
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