Why Should You Attend?

WATG's Annual Conference offers an excellent opportunity to expand your network and access valuable information to support the needs of gifted and talented youth. This event benefits classroom teachers, administrators, G/T coordinators, resource teachers, college professors, parents, and college students alike.

Attendees join the conference to:



• Enhance their knowledge, skills, and understanding through sessions led by high-quality local and national presenters
• Connect with and learn from parents and educators across the state
• Gather innovative ideas to better engage gifted and talented learners
• Explore the latest educational resources from exhibitors
  

Benefits

Attending the WATG Annual Conference not only helps you achieve your personal professional development goals but also equips you to bring valuable expertise and knowledge back to your school, district, family, and community. Here are some key benefits of participating in the conference:

• Stay Informed on Trends in Gifted and Talented Education – With two keynote speakers and over 30 breakout sessions, you will stay updated on the latest developments in gifted education. You will build your toolkit of effective strategies for differentiation, personalization, and acceleration, refine your programs and practices, and discover ways to equitably identify and support diverse learners.
• Expand Your Professional Network – You will have the opportunity to connect with experienced speakers, session leaders, and peers during the conference. Through meaningful networking opportunities, you can learn from others and build lasting relationships within the field.
• Keep Students Motivated and Excited About Learning – By gaining insights and strategies from speakers across the state, you will be better equipped to help students succeed and thrive in their learning environments.
• Get Inspired with Fresh Ideas – Keynote speakers and state leaders in gifted education will reignite your passion for supporting advanced learners with innovative strategies and perspectives.
• Discover New Ideas and Resources – As you engage with exhibitors, you will learn about the latest products and educational tools that can enhance your teaching or parenting practices.
• Bring Knowledge Back to Your Community – You can apply what you learn from the sessions to support gifted students in your classroom, school, or home. By sharing ideas, strategies, and resources with other parents, caregivers, and educators, you will help amplify the impact of the conference.
  

Dr. Matt Zakreski

Matthew "Dr. Matt" Zakreski, PsyD is a high energy, creative clinical psychologist and professional speaker who utilizes an eclectic approach to meet the specific needs of his neurodivergent clients. He is proud to serve the Gifted community as a consultant, a professor, an author, and a researcher. He has spoken over a thousand times all over the world about supporting neurodivergent kids. Dr. Zakreski is a member of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC), and Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE). Dr. Zakreski graduated from Widener University's Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology (IGCP) in 2016. He is the co-founder of The Neurodiversity Collective, LLC, co-host of the podcast "Nerding out on Neurodiversity," and the author of the Neurodiversity Playbook: How Neurodivergent People Can Crack the Code of Living in a Neurotypical World.

Dr. Dante Dixson

Dante D. Dixson, Ph.D., LP is currently an Associate Professor of School and Educational Psychology at Michigan State University. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Gifted Child Quarterly and the Journal for the Education of the Gifted, School Psychology Review. In addition, Dr. Dixson is a board member for the Roeper Institute and the Michigan Association of Gifted Children. Dr. Dixson's areas of expertise include the role of hope in the educational and psychological functioning of children and adolescents, psychosocial precursors of achievement, and the underrepresentation of minority and disadvantaged youth in gifted education.

Sara Bolster

Lauri Budzynski

Michelle Burch

Dr. Pamela Clinkenbeard

Jennifer Crosgrove

Dal Drummer

Jackie Drummer

Amanda Eake

Melissa Earnest

Keelin Eggleston

Rita Ehlert

Kaitlin Henze

Mary Ann Hudziak

Jessica Huser

Amanda Ironside

Junko Jacobs

Teresa Kamps

Janet Key

Daniel Krill

Kimberly Lansdowne

Kris Lockhart

Martha Lopez

Nicole Mashock

Jane McMahon

Laura Mukerji

Lalitha Murali

Jennifer Neuman

Elijah Nicholas

Jenny Nilsen

Niki O'Connor

Darby Puglielli

Nikki Radcliffe

Shawn Robinson

Kathy J Russeth

Cathy Schmit

Mark Schwingle

Christy Washkowiak

Terese Weiler

Jeff Zimpel

Kathryn Zimpel

This two-day event attracts a diverse audience, including K-12 educators, administrators, GT coordinators, parents, and others passionate about gifted education. We are seeking proposals that resonate with a wide range of attendees and provide actionable resources or lesson ideas across the five areas of giftedness:

• General intellect
• Subject-specific talents
• Visual/performing arts
• Creativity
• Leadership
  

Topics of interest from past conferences include:

• Artificial intelligence (AI)
• Self-advocacy strategies
• Supporting twice-exceptional learners
• Gifted program models in other schools
• Empower parents of gifted students
• Advocacy for gifted education
• Social-emotional learning for neurodivergent students
• Classroom differentiation techniques
• Leadership and creativity development
• Talent development models
• Strategies for reading and writing
  

Presenter Benefits: Main presenters for each breakout session will receive complimentary conference registration and meals for the day of their presentation. If you choose to attend the additional day, you'll only pay the one-day registration rate.

If your proposal is accepted, you will be notified via email. Registration details will follow soon after.

We can't wait to hear your ideas and collaborate on an inspiring event!

Imagine, Innovate, Inspire

Keynote speakers:  April Wells and Emily Kircher Morris

Design by: Bella Dunlap

Golden Opportunities: Engaging Minds, Empowering Success

Keynote speakers: Lisa Van Gemert and Shelagh Gallagher

Design by: Mary Lindner

Launching Gifted Learners: All Systems Go

Keynote speakers: Dr. Matt Zaskreski and Colin Seale

Design by: Evelyn Barker

Leading the World into the Future

Keynote speakers: Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings and Dr. Jonathan Plucker

Hands On, Minds On - Now More Than Ever!

Keynote speakers: Dr. Brian Housand and Dr. Marcia Gentry

Click here to access archived session materials for the 2020 conference

Designed by Gracieanna Liegl, Waupaca

Invest In The Power Of Possibilities

Keynote speakers: Dr. Richard Cash and Dr. Foley-Nicpon

Click here to access archived session materials for the 2017 conference

Potential And Possibilities

Keynote speakers: Dr. Dina Brulles and Dr. Frank Worrell

Click here to access archived session materials for the 2016 conference

Designed by Brian Fox

Unlocking Gifted Potential

Keynote speakers: Lisa Van Gemert and Dr. Mary Ruth Coleman

Click here to access archived session materials for the 2015 conference

Getting To The Core: Gifted Matters

Keynote speakers: Dr. Jonathan Plucker and Diane Heacox

40 And Fabulous: A Celebration Of Effort And Innovation

Keynote speaker: Dr. Marcia Gentry