At the 2018 Convention, I collected names of individuals that would support the creation of a Rural Gifted Special Interest Group, and in March of 2019, the NAGC board approved the new SIG with the following statement of purpose:
The NAGC Rural Gifted SIG will serve to promote professional discussion and collaboration regarding gifted students in rural settings. The SIG is created to encourage a focus on this underserved group of students, and the intersectionality of race, language, culture and poverty that may potentially place additional barriers to the identification and services to this group of gifted students. Through collaborative experiences that engage rural gifted learners, parents, educators, and researchers, members of the Rural Gifted SIG will promote accountability in educational programming and foster equity and access to gifted programs to rural gifted students.
Thank you for your interest in rural gifted students.
The first meeting of the Rural Gifted SIG will be at the NAGC Convention in Albuquerque. I hope you will be able to attend on Saturday afternoon, 2:30-3:30pm in CC San Juan 22. We will be kicking off our first meeting by discussing topics such as:
Deliberate ideas around the creation of the Rural Research Round Up- an annotated wiki of research in rural gifted education.
Brainstorm topics of interest for THP, PHP or future NAGC sessions.
Discuss how the Rural Gifted SIG can work with networks and other SIGs to increase awareness of rural gifted students.
Learn about upcoming opportunities, such as the special issue of Theory and Practice in Rural Education, focusing on rural gifted learners.
If you are unable to attend, please feel free to send an email to me to find out how you can be involved.
Also, please “officially’ join the SIG!
Go to nagc.org
Click on LOGIN, in a purple box, in the top right corner and enter your user name and password to log in.
Click on MY NAGC, in blue on the top (central, slight right).
Choose a blue box on the page labeled “VIEW/EDIT MY INFORMATION”. This will open up a new tab. This opens up “My Account” page, defaulting to the “Profile Information” tab. Choose the second tab, “Edit/View Information” (under your name and customer id).
Scroll all the way down, and you will see the SIGs listed- you can select as many as you are interested! (Note: Network membership is typically limited to 3, unless you are a lifetime member, you are unlimited in SIG membership. Network selection is also a different process).
Make sure you click “I’m not a robot” to verify with reCAPTCHA and then click Save.
This is also a great time to make sure your membership information is up to date, along with your address and contact preferences.
Angela Novak, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Rural Gifted SIG
