Rationale for the Program
The Mission of Inquiring Minds is to provide the highest quality educational, social, and emotional opportunities for intellectually gifted children who have unique needs.
Everything we do is designed to fit this population. Although there are many and varied definitions of giftedness, we agree with the definition developed by The Columbus Group:
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally.The Columbus Group, 1991
This group consisted of a small group of parents, educators and psychologists whose work and experience had been with highly to profoundly gifted children. They met in Columbus, Ohio to re-define giftedness in terms of the inner experience of the individual and to challenge the view that giftedness was what someone outwardly produced or an ability and willingness to work hard in order to achieve.
The multi-disciplinary, innovative, and dynamic classes we offer give our students support for their passions, exposure to new information and ideas, experience with diverse cultures, and the tools to compete in our highly competitive global environment. In contrast, because many schools and districts are financially stretched to meet the needs of all their students, the budgets for gifted education are often reduced or non-existent. Consequently, gifted students may not receive the educational experience they need to reach their full potential in all environments. Furthermore, many of our enrollees participate in classes during the school year in which they are in the minority. In such instances, they may become proficient at hiding their abilities to avoid standing out or being teased. Being in a class with all like-leveled peers can be a powerful experience – one that confirms that there are others like them, who share their interests, sense of humor, and emotional intensity. The goal of Inquiring Minds is to serve the whole child, intellectually, emotionally, and socially, to keep their love of learning alive, to build their self-confidence, and through the support of teachers and peers validate their sense of identity.