Florida Association for the Gifted Offers Advocacy for Gifted Learners, Resources for Gifted Educators, and Support for Families

If you are the parent of a gifted child, then you are probably wondering what you can do to guide them while offering the support they need in school and beyond. It can be difficult to know what is best for your child, and that is where the Florida Association for the Gifted comes in.

The Florida Association for the Gifted is a non-profit that was founded to offer support to gifted children as well as their families. This organization recognizes the statewide issues that greatly affect gifted students, as it strives to bring awareness. Its staff works together with local and state agencies to meet goals and facilitate important changes in gifted education. This Association can be a real asset in helping your child reach their full potential.

What Is Their Mission?

The main goal of FLAG is to connect parents to educators who are familiar with gifted children and have the proper resources to provide the type of program that they need. The mind of a gifted child is unique and often needs education in different areas, as it can be hard for them to thrive in a typical environment. FLAG recognizes this and encourages communication among educators and parents to better facilitate their needs while also bringing awareness.

What Do They Do for Schools?

Not all schools are well equipped for the needs of gifted children, especially in Florida. FLAG is dedicated to serving both schools and communities by enforcing policies that result in the best practices for gifted education. After all, parents and teachers need to work together to prepare our children for the challenges they may face when they become adults.

What Resources Do They Provide?

On their website, you will notice that several links will lead you to valuable resources. These include organizations that offer support to gifted children and their families, resources that are specific to the state of Florida, a free webinar series, and a list of content providers. Let’s talk a little bit about each one, so you can get a clear picture of what kind of help each of these resources offers.

Organizations

New ones are constantly being added to their website, so you can check back often and find even more options. The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) strives to enhance the growth and development of gifted children through both education and advocacy. Hoagie’s Gifted Education page is another great resource that prides itself on providing over 1100 pages of information made for not just gifted children and parents, but mental health professionals as well. These are just two great organizations, but there are so many more.

Florida Resources

There are also options to help educate the public, such as the Florida Gifted Network (FGN), which has been around since 1987. Of course, there is also the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE). They are a great help with tracking a student’s performance across various aspects of education.

Webinars

You are going to find several educators and doctors who are phenomenal resources when looking to further help and support gifted children. There are past FLAG presidents such as Paula Roper and Tiombe Kendrick-Dunn, along with others who are available to provide guidance and answers to any questions you may have.

Content Providers

This section will provide you with a list of providers with after-school and full-time home school options to accommodate all types of families and learning styles.

Scholarships

To further support the ongoing education of gifted children, there are several scholarships that you can apply for as an educator as well as a learner. You will find a link to the scholarship page of FLAG’s website here, and then you can decide which to apply for.

Events

Do you want to be more involved? Luckily, there are events that you can attend to further your education on how to help gifted students learn and be successful. This ranges from regional seminars to meet with local gifted educators, to an annual convention where you can connect with other parents of gifted children, researchers, and advocates. These events can be a really great opportunity to obtain more knowledge on gifted learners.

Social Media

If you like to stay connected and want to be updated on events coming up or be provided with other websites and resources to further your education, then look no further. The Florida Association for the Gifted has a Facebook page that you can follow, so you can always stay up to date with everything happening within the organization. Here is a great example of some of the content that you will find on their page.

How Can You Help?

If you are on the outside looking in but also want to make an impact in some way, you can. If you click here, you can sign up for a membership to make donations. These donations support scholarships, awards, and even advocacy. This is a great tool that you can use to support Florida’s gifted students.

The Takeaway

Gifted students need help academically and socially to reach their full potentials and really thrive. It is wonderful to see an organization like FLAG that focuses on Florida and children, providing them and their families with the tools that they need to succeed. 

FLAG prides itself as an organization that wants to bring awareness to the issues that have come up in the education of gifted students. We owe it to these children to work together as a community to provide them with the resources that they require, as well as what their families and educators need to help guide them on the right path.

If you believe you have a gifted child at home or in your classroom, it is important to act as soon as possible. Getting them the support they need when they are younger is going to set them up for success as they grow into mature adults. 

1 thought on “Florida Association for the Gifted Offers Advocacy for Gifted Learners, Resources for Gifted Educators, and Support for Families”

  1. Hello!
    We have been told by multiple teachers and doctors we should have our daughter tested at 1 st grade. We found this website. Please advise.
    We look forward to hear from you.
    Many Thanks!

    Reply

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