The Davidson Institute’s services are based upon the following shared beliefs:

• All young people should be lovingly nurtured in a safe, supportive environment where each person is accepted and appreciated as a unique individual. 
• All young people should have access to an education so they can learn and achieve at a level appropriate to their abilities. 
• All young people should have an opportunity to develop their talents in positive ways to create value for themselves and others.

Profoundly intelligent young people should not be denied what we desire for all young people. Their special needs should be recognized and accommodated. Their uniqueness should be understood and nurtured. Rather than be locked into an age-based curriculum, profoundly gifted young people should have the opportunity to be challenged to excel and achieve.

Why We Do What We Do

We do it for the children. We're pleased with the positive effect we've had on the lives of the profoundly gifted young people we serve. They need an educational program that appropriately challenges their abilities.  They need a safe, friendly place where they aren't ostracized or discriminated against because of their intelligence. They need emotional support because even though they think at an advanced level, they are still young people. And, they need to know that people understand them, care about them and accept them for who they are. 

We do it for their parents. Parenting any exceptional child or adolescent who is at an extreme from the norm involves special challenges. This is as true for the parents of profoundly gifted children and adolescents as it is for the parents of mentally handicapped children and adolescents. We have learned that parents of profoundly gifted young people need to have access to other parents raising similar exceptional children, contact with gifted education experts and the comfort of knowing they have someone to contact for help.

We do it for the community. Society is shaped by the contributions of its most intelligent and talented members. What would our civilization be without Beethoven's symphonies or Leonardo's paintings? Shakespeare's plays, or Einstein's theory of relativity? Galileo's work in astronomy or Jonas Salk's polio vaccine? It is important that our society nurture and support the individuals who have the extraordinary intelligence and talents to improve the quality of life for all of us. In the words of educator Julian Stanley, "If we want these young people to be prepared when society needs them, we need to be there for them when they need us. That is the mark of a humane, responsible, effective society."

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Davidson Institute for Talent Development
9665 Gateway Drive, Suite B
Reno, Nevada 89521
775-852-3483
Fax: 775-852-2184
www.DavidsonGifted.org