Approximately 100 gifted students, kindergarten through sixth grade, recently attended Mississippi University for Women”s Summer Discovery program held at Franklin Academy.
Summer Discovery is an educational program that provides gifted students with opportunities to discover their own areas of interest and potential. It also sharpens their critical thinking and creative skills.
Heather Rowland, who teaches theater at Cook Elementary Fine Arts Magnet School in Columbus, served as an instructor. Participants learned about arts integration in her class.
“I wanted them to think about how they could learn best and teach different strategies about how they could learn,” she said. “They chose things that they could teach. They also had to come up with steps of how they would explain their topic to someone else.”
Twelve-year-old William Yingst of Columbus participated in the acting class.
He said, “We have been learning a lot about improv. We wrote the play ourselves and had to collaborate. We made all of the props. It has been a great experience.”
Kenzie Ellis, 10, of Columbus also participated in the acting class. “We learned about moulage and had to come up with a story about our injury.”
Rowland said, “It”s exciting for these gifted students to be around each other. They are able to be with other students who enjoy the same things.”
Founded in 1992 by Dr. Suzanne Bean, retired professor of education at MUW, Summer Discovery allows students of MUW”s master of education in gifted studies program to service the community while gaining the experience of working with gifted students.
Gifted students who have completed sixth are eligible for the program. For admission to the program, applicants in grades kindergarten through sixth must participate in their school”s gifted program or have a teacher recommendation to attend.
For more information about next year”s program, contact Sheri Robertson at [email protected] or call 662-241-6772.
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