WATG NEWS
Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination fosters creativity in a student-led, team-based competitive challenge program focused on STEAM education. The program engages students in problem solving, project management, team dynamics, and the collaborative process. You can find out more about Destination Imagination by visiting destinationimagination.org.
Wisconsin Destination Imagination, in its 25th year, is pleased to announce our NEW Virtual DI Team Program. The program challenges this year are designed to be solved virtually. We are currently recruiting students in 3rd-12th grade from across the state to participate!
Students can join a team by filling out an application online: https://tinyurl.com/widi-virtualteam
We're also actively recruiting Virtual Team Managers, to supervise a team online for one or two hours per week. Anyone who is interested can fill out this Virtual Team Manager form: https://tinyurl.com/widi-virtualTM
~The Destination Imagination Organization
Wisconsin Destination Imagination, in its 25th year, is pleased to announce our NEW Virtual DI Team Program. The program challenges this year are designed to be solved virtually. We are currently recruiting students in 3rd-12th grade from across the state to participate!
Students can join a team by filling out an application online: https://tinyurl.com/widi-virtualteam
We're also actively recruiting Virtual Team Managers, to supervise a team online for one or two hours per week. Anyone who is interested can fill out this Virtual Team Manager form: https://tinyurl.com/widi-virtualTM
~The Destination Imagination Organization
A New Feature - WATG Podcasts
Many of you have shared that you often listen to podcasts on your commute, while exercising, or in your spare time. Podcasts are a great way to catch up on news and events, or explore new ideas. They fit well into our busy lives, and are often enjoyed while multitasking. They can be entertaining, inspiring, thought-provoking, and even occasionally life-changing. They definitely are a 21st century way of learning!
For these reasons, WATG has chosen to embark on a journey to prepare and present podcasts on topics of interest to the gifted education community.
Our inaugural podcast for parents and educators, “What To Do When Your Child Utters That Dreaded “B” Word (Boring),” features Jackie Drummer, Past President of WATG and current advisor to the Board. With over fifty years of experience working with gifted children, parents, and educators, this podcast is sure to entertain and enlighten.
You can find this podcast by going to our website at www.watg.org, clicking on “resources,” and choosing the podcast.
Happy listening!
For these reasons, WATG has chosen to embark on a journey to prepare and present podcasts on topics of interest to the gifted education community.
Our inaugural podcast for parents and educators, “What To Do When Your Child Utters That Dreaded “B” Word (Boring),” features Jackie Drummer, Past President of WATG and current advisor to the Board. With over fifty years of experience working with gifted children, parents, and educators, this podcast is sure to entertain and enlighten.
You can find this podcast by going to our website at www.watg.org, clicking on “resources,” and choosing the podcast.
Happy listening!
Davidson Fellows Scholarship – www.DavidsonGifted.org/Fellows
2021 Davidson Fellows $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 Scholarships
The Davidson Institute offers high-achieving young people across the country the opportunity to be named a 2021 Davidson Fellow, an honor accompanied by a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Music, Literature, Philosophy or Outside the Box. Applicants must submit an original piece of work that is recognized as significant by experts in the field and that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. The scholarship may be used at any accredited college or university. The 2021 application is open and the deadline to apply is March 10, 2021.
2021 Davidson Fellows $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 Scholarships
The Davidson Institute offers high-achieving young people across the country the opportunity to be named a 2021 Davidson Fellow, an honor accompanied by a $50,000, $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship in recognition of a significant piece of work in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Music, Literature, Philosophy or Outside the Box. Applicants must submit an original piece of work that is recognized as significant by experts in the field and that has the potential to make a positive contribution to society. The scholarship may be used at any accredited college or university. The 2021 application is open and the deadline to apply is March 10, 2021.
Welcome to WATG's Newest Board Member
Brad Brogley is the newest WATG board member and he joins us from the southwest corner of Wisconsin. This graduate of the Platteville High School and UW-Platteville has had several stops over his 29 year career in education and is currently the Middle School Assistant Principal, District Assessment Coordinator and Advanced Learners Coordinator for the Platteville School District. Outside of the school day, Brad enjoys spending time with his family including his wife, Jessica, who teaches for the UWP School of Education, and children Jenna and Matthew. When informed of his appointment to the WATG board, Brad shared that he was excited to grow and learn from the WATG board and to be a voice for smaller rural districts in southwest Wisconsin and across the state.
CONFERENCE REPLAY REMINDER
If you registered for the WATG 2020 Conference: Hands On, Minds On: Now More Than Ever, we would like to remind you that you have up to 60 days following the conference to replay your favorite talks. Perhaps you missed one due to scheduling, or your work. Perhaps you want to discuss one with a friend. Depending on which level of the conference you signed up and paid for, you have the opportunity to replay some talks. Here is the link: https://watg2020.virtualconference.com/#/event. Use your sign-in and password to choose your replays. Take advantage of your pre-paid feature as it won’t last long!
Read the WATG Year End Report.
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars Program application will open on January 11, 2021. The Young Scholars Program is a selective five-year, pre-college scholarship for high performing 7th grade students with financial need. It provides academic advising, along with financial support for school, summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.
Eligible applicants should:
Be entering 8th grade in the fall of 2021.
Have earned all As and Bs since the beginning of 6th grade.
Reside in the U.S. and plan to attend high school in the U.S.
Demonstrate financial need with a maximum adjusted gross income of $95,000.
To register for email updates about the program and application, please click here.
Eligible applicants should:
Be entering 8th grade in the fall of 2021.
Have earned all As and Bs since the beginning of 6th grade.
Reside in the U.S. and plan to attend high school in the U.S.
Demonstrate financial need with a maximum adjusted gross income of $95,000.
To register for email updates about the program and application, please click here.
Department will host meetings on Education Forward and Gifted/Talented Education
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will host an additional virtual meeting this fall about the Education Forward guidance and how it relates to the work of educating gifted and/or talented students.
The date for this meeting is Thursday, December 10, 3:30-4:30 pm.
This meeting will be a continuation of the conversations that took place this past summer. The aim is to provide support to school district staff and others as they examine the Education Forward guidance, including the specific information related to gifted and talented education.
In the October meeting already held and the upcoming December meeting, time will be allotted for both information sharing by DPI and for discussions and meaning-making with other meeting participants. Note: the topics covered will change from meeting to meeting, so plan to attend each one if your schedule allows.
December 10, 2020, Meeting Link:
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
+1 608-620-9781 United States, Madison (Toll)
Conference ID: 227 724 550#
Given that COVID remains and schools are now back in session, these types of discussions are more necessary than ever. We hope you will be able to participate.
Mark Schwingle, PhD
Education Consultant - Gifted/Talented Education
DPI Teaching and Learning Team
mark.schwingle@dpi.wi.gov
The date for this meeting is Thursday, December 10, 3:30-4:30 pm.
This meeting will be a continuation of the conversations that took place this past summer. The aim is to provide support to school district staff and others as they examine the Education Forward guidance, including the specific information related to gifted and talented education.
In the October meeting already held and the upcoming December meeting, time will be allotted for both information sharing by DPI and for discussions and meaning-making with other meeting participants. Note: the topics covered will change from meeting to meeting, so plan to attend each one if your schedule allows.
December 10, 2020, Meeting Link:
Join Microsoft Teams Meeting
+1 608-620-9781 United States, Madison (Toll)
Conference ID: 227 724 550#
Given that COVID remains and schools are now back in session, these types of discussions are more necessary than ever. We hope you will be able to participate.
Mark Schwingle, PhD
Education Consultant - Gifted/Talented Education
DPI Teaching and Learning Team
mark.schwingle@dpi.wi.gov
Proclamation from Governor Tony Evers for Gifted Education Month
| 100120_proclamation_gifted_education_month.pdf |
| 10.1.20_proclamation-gifted_education_month.pdf |
BREAKING NEWS!
WATG Acceleration Committee Publishes Extensive Report on Advanced and Accelerated Learning in Wisconsin. Includes Action Steps for policymakers, school districts, educators, administrators and families! See full report on our website HERE!
This link will be emailed to every district administrator in Wisconsin when it goes live the week of August 3rd.
WATG Acceleration Committee Publishes Extensive Report on Advanced and Accelerated Learning in Wisconsin. Includes Action Steps for policymakers, school districts, educators, administrators and families! See full report on our website HERE!
This link will be emailed to every district administrator in Wisconsin when it goes live the week of August 3rd.
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” ~Maya Angelou
As our nation faces the grave consequences of long standing and systemic racism, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted remains committed to equity and justice for all. As an organization, we are cognizant of the inequities in identification and educational programming for gifted students of color. As always, we are devoted to examining and rectifying these disparities. We pledge to do our part to dismantle structural and institutional racism. We invite partnerships with other institutions, groups, and individuals to share conversations about the impacts of race, and will work to listen, learn, and support each other in this critical process of changing our world.
Board of Directors, Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted
As our nation faces the grave consequences of long standing and systemic racism, the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted remains committed to equity and justice for all. As an organization, we are cognizant of the inequities in identification and educational programming for gifted students of color. As always, we are devoted to examining and rectifying these disparities. We pledge to do our part to dismantle structural and institutional racism. We invite partnerships with other institutions, groups, and individuals to share conversations about the impacts of race, and will work to listen, learn, and support each other in this critical process of changing our world.
Board of Directors, Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted
Scholarship and Nicholas Green Outstanding Student Award Winners - Martha A. Lopez, Scholarship Chair
On behalf of the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted, we want to formally congratulate the following 2020 Summer Scholarship awardees! Their scholarships will help these awardees attend a variety of summer enrichment programs.
On behalf of the Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted, we want to formally congratulate the following 2020 Summer Scholarship awardees! Their scholarships will help these awardees attend a variety of summer enrichment programs.
- Megan M. will attend the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters Ballet Forum
- Andrew S. will attend Lakeland University Band Camp
- Dylan M. will attend SOAR Camp
- Owen K. and Lilian K. will attend a Russian Language Camp
- Sarah Lyn G. will attend Belin Blank Center Summer Writing Residency Program
Click here for more information on the project and how to submit your entry!
Gifted and Talented License Updates
UW-Whitewater has made some revisions to its programs leading to the Gifted and Talented Supplementary add-on Teaching (1013) and Instructional Program Coordinator (5013) Licenses. We did this to try and make the program less expensive as well as easier to complete for people all over the state as well as in Minnesota! Click on the link below where we describe those changes as well as information about course rotation, cost, and what you need to do to register. What’s especially important is that we cannot run the program with fewer than 15 students in each class. This means if you are interested in this program / either license, please see the last section of the document for information on registering.
Read more information here.
Read more information here.
Help Wanted
HELP WANTED: WATG BOARD MEMBERS SOUGHT- The Wisconsin Association for Talented and Gifted is actively searching for board members to represent the following: South-western and Northern-eastern Wisconsin regions especially, rural regions, healthcare, business, parents and gifted children of all ages. We are a working board of directors who would welcome applications from folks with a passion for gifted children and would roll up their sleeves for them! If interested, please follow this link. Board of Directors If If you have questions please feel free to email WATG president Cathy Schmit at president@watg.org
