Mensa and the National Association of Gifted Children Address the Need for Engagement Among Our Gifted Youth

Arlington, TEXAS, Nov. 12th, 2012 — American Mensa’s Gifted Youth Specialist, Lisa Van Gemert, will attend the National Association for Gifted Children Convention (NAGC), Thursday, Nov. 15 through Saturday, Nov. 18 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. 

Mrs. Van Gemert will speak on Saturday afternoon at 2:50 about what it takes to motivate a gifted student. She will also dissect “The Top 10 Things You Need to Know about the Gifted Brain” in an Exhibitor Workshop on Saturday at 8 a.m. Mrs. Van Gemert shares best practices in parenting and teaching with administrators and families across the nation.  “From a support standpoint, gifted youth are often overlooked, as are their parents”, said Van Gemert. “Only six states require teachers to have training in educating gifted students before they start teaching. By partnering with organizations like NAGC, our hope is to bridge that gap of knowledge, as well as provide tools for parents and teachers to keep these children engaged and challenged.” Mensa provides online lesson plans specifically developed with the gifted child in mind at www.mensaforkids.org.

The National Association for Gifted Children is an organization of parents, teachers, educators, other professionals, and community leaders who unite to address the unique needs of children and youth with demonstrated gifts and talents as well as those children who may be able to develop their talent potential with appropriate educational experiences. 

# # #

American Mensa is an organization open to anyone who scores in the top 2 percent on an accepted standardized intelligence test. Mensa has more than 50,000 members in the United States and more than 130,000 members globally. For more information about American Mensa, visit americanmensa.org or call (817) 607-0060.