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The Davidson Institute for
Talent Development is a nonprofit operating foundation located in Reno,
Nev. founded by former educational software entrepreneurs, Bob and Jan
Davidson, in 1999. The mission of the Davidson Institute is to
recognize, nurture and support profoundly intelligent young people and
to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a
positive difference.
WHO WE ARE
AND HOW WE STARTED
In 1982, Bob and Jan founded
Davidson & Associates Inc., which became a successful educational
software company best known for the MathBlaster™ and
ReadingBlaster™ series. Bob and Jan sold Davidson & Associates in
1997 and decided to launch a significant philanthropic effort to
continue their commitment to make a positive difference in education and
to help all children be successful learners.
WHO WE
SERVE
The Davidson Institute serves
profoundly gifted young people 18 and under. Profoundly gifted
students are those who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ
and achievement tests. These students often share the following
characteristics:
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An extreme need for constant mental stimulation.
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An ability to learn and process complex information
rapidly.
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A need to explore
subjects in surprising depth.
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An insatiable
curiosity; endless questions and inquiries.
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A need for
precision in thinking and expression-often answering questions with
“that depends...”
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An ability to focus
intently on a subject of interest for long periods of time.
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An inability to
concentrate on a task that is not intellectually challenging,
including repetitious ideas or material presented in small pieces.
WHAT WE DO
The Davidson Institute offers
much-needed support to profoundly gifted young people through the
following programs and services:
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The Davidson Young Scholars is a free, individualized,
family-oriented program that supports the educational and developmental
needs of profoundly intelligent young people between the ages of 5 and
18. This program assists parents and students with academic support and
educational advocacy, child and adolescent development, peer connections
and talent development.
- Davidson
Fellows
scholarships recognize young people 18 and under for completing a
significant piece of work that has the potential to make a positive
contribution to society in one of the following areas: science,
technology, mathematics, music, literature, philosophy, or any other
graduate-level work considered outside the box. Davidson Fellow
Laureates are awarded $50,000 scholarships, and Davidson Fellows are
awarded either a $25,000 or $10,000 scholarship. Since 2001, the
Institute has awarded more than $4.5 million in scholarships to 206 students.
The THINK Summer Institute is a three-week
residential summer program on the campus of the University of Nevada,
Reno for 13- to 16-year-old students. These students are enrolled in
university-level courses and
earn up to six transferable college credits.
The Educators Guild is comprised of teachers, counselors and school administrators who are interested in networking to locate resources and discuss strategies for serving gifted students. Members of the Educators Guild have access to electronic mailing lists and the Davidson Institute’s team of consultants who are available to assist via phone and email free-of-charge.
Davidson Gifted Database is the gateway to gifted resources on the Internet. Use the easy Google search feature to find topics of interests in hundreds of articles and thousands of resources. Plus, each state’s gifted policies are listed with an easy-to-use click-through map and an events calendar of conferences throughout the nation – all available free to anyone with access to the Internet.
The Davidson Academy
opened 2006 on the University of Nevada, Reno campus as the first public school of its kind for profoundly gifted middle and high school students. Qualified students can subject accelerate through required middle and high school curriculum at their own pace with access to university courses when appropriate.
(www.DavidsonAcademy.UNR.edu)
In 2004, Simon & Schuster published Genius
Denied: How to Stop Wasting our Brightest Young Minds
co-authored by Jan and Bob Davidson, with Laura Vanderkam. This
award-winning book has generated conversations throughout the nation
about the importance of educating our nation’s brightest students and is
hailed as a “manifesto for change.”
WHY WE DO
WHAT WE DO
The Davidson Institute’s
services are based on the following shared beliefs:
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All young people should be lovingly nurtured in a
safe, supportive environment where each person is accepted and
appreciated as a unique individual.
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All young people should have access to an
education where 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
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.
For more information about the
Davidson Institute and its programs, scholarship and services visit www.DavidsonGifted.org.
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