2024 marks the first year SFRM has a gifted youth programming track at our regional gathering in San Rafael on November 22-24 which includes our youth-exclusive homeroom with fun activities, GY-friendly speakers like members from the World Cube Association talking about speedcubing, a math wizard sharing his tips on how to mentally multiply to 10,000 and beyond and more!
We’ve also scheduled some talks that might be of interest to parents and, don’t worry – there will be ample time to connect with others to share your experiences as well as listen to other speakers and join activities.
Here’s a sneak peek of this year’s talks for parents and guardians of gifted youth:
Crucial Conversations with Your Gifted Teen
Teens, especially bright ones, are eager to spread their wings and have more autonomy. Yet you as the parent know that you also have wisdom and values to share. This session will attempt to model good practice in a conversation between a parent and teen about academics, college preparation, friends, drugs, and sex. After each, the group can comment or question.
About the Speaker, Marty Nemko
Long-time Mensan, too serious, like giving talks at RG and hanging out at hospitality. I’m a career and personal coach and author of 34 books including How to Do Life and Senior Stories.
Light Their Fire: The Brilliance of 2E/IG Kids
Jen will share key background information with parents about what it means to be intellectually gifted or twice exceptional, how these kids develop and learn, explore some common but confounding quirks and patterns, present evidence on why more isn’t necessarily better, and discuss why it all matters – not just to us as parents but to society as a whole. Next, Rick will discuss his work with gifted/2E kids as a master STEM teacher and how he lights the fire by honoring their natural curiosity.
About the Speakers, Jen and Rick Tuten
Jen has been an educator for the past 20+ years, currently serving as a director of curriculum and instruction, identifying and honoring the needs of the gifted and twice exceptional students who are so often misunderstood. Rick has been a teacher for 16 years and continues to inspire kids through his work as a master STEM teacher at a Bay Area independent school.
Raising Gifted Children in the Bay Area
Having experienced the gifted program in Canada, we would like to share our journey of raising two gifted children in the Bay Area. We will discuss the enrichment activities we pursued, the challenges our children faced in school, and what we would do differently if given the chance. This talk will be valuable for parents of gifted students and educators interested in gaining a parent’s perspective.
About the Speakers, Kumaran Siva and Eileen Kim
Kumaran graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Electrical Engineering and earned a Master’s Degree from Harvard. He is a Corporate Vice President at AMD. Eileen graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Microbiology and completed her Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of Colorado. She is a clinical researcher at Stanford University.
Mathematics Education In California
This talk will explore the politics of the “math wars” in California and my experience as a public school student. Math education has a long history of debate and revision. Every eight years, California updates its recommendations for teaching math. The latest Math Framework, approved in 2023, has had ignited a fierce debate between equity and global competitiveness. This talk will delve into implications positive and negative the Math Framework to the gifted learner, and my own math journey.
About the Speaker, Elizabeth Siva
I am a junior at Palo Alto High School. I am an advanced math learner and have completed several college level math classes – several in person at Stanford University.
Register for Brilliance by the North Bay Today
Join us on November 22-24, 2024 for our annual Regional Gathering (RG) where we’ll be bringing you 3 days of programs, games, gifted youth activities, and hospitality. at the Embassy Suites by Hilton San Rafael Marin County. Learn more about the RG and register here. Hope to see you there!