Now accepting nominations for 2008 Sumer Institute for the Gifted Scholarships
The buzz of energy on a college campus is exciting enough for anyone, but it was especially so for the 25 gifted and talented 4-8th graders who received a Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) scholarship from Renaissance Learning this past summer.
For these students, it not only provided an experience to learn alongside other gifted and talented youth, it may have changed their lives—from the way they look at a certain subject to what their career aspirations are.
That’s exactly what happened to Kaylis, a seventh-grader from El Paso, Texas, after his three-week SIG stay at UC-Berkeley. And according to Kaylis’s mom, Ineke, the experience came at a very crucial time.
“He used to say, ‘I don’t need to go to college. I can be a blackjack dealer and make lots of money without going to college,’” Ineke said.
Knowing the value of a college education, Ineke was disheartened. In the top 5% of his class, Kaylis is extremely bright, having scored Commended on both the reading and math portions of the state test for a number of years. According to his former sixth-grade teacher at Glen Cove Elementary, Kaylis is a gifted young writer, with an insatiable desire to read and as a result, an extensive vocabulary.
“Now all he talks about is SIG, SIG, SIG. He is still on Cloud 9. He is so excited about his future, and that is what makes me so happy,” she said “Thankfully this opportunity was granted to him, because it’s so easy at this age to lose these kids to drugs and alcohol.”
Ineke feels that the SIG experience was the push Kaylis needed to spark his college aspirations, his heart now set on attending Berkeley after graduation. She has noticed a change in him, especially his interest in math.
Nomination Information
“Kaylis excelled in his math class at Berkeley. One of the math teachers at SIG really connected with Kaylis and showed him math in a whole new light,” Ineke said. “This year, Kaylis is taking pre-Advanced Placement math classes. He says it makes so much sense now that he’s in the seventh grade and learning some of the things he was taught at Berkeley. I’ve never seen him so excited about math.”
Renaissance Learning is now accepting nominations for 25 full scholarships to those academically gifted and talented 4th-8th grade students who demonstrate financial need for the 2008 SIG program. As a sponsor, Renaissance Learning will pay for tuition, course materials, lab fees and room and board coast for each of the selected students at institutions such as UCLA, UC-Berkeley, Princeton, Vassar, and more.
Recipients will be selected on the basis of standardized test scores, overall academic achievement, teacher recommendation, and eligibility for the free or reduced lunch program. Students selected will attend the SIG residential program at the nearest participating college campus. Nominations must be received at Renaissance Learning by March 14, 2008. For more information on how to apply, visit http://www.renlearn.com/sig/
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