Summer Fair goes Virtual!

Sadly, we are unable to have the Summer Opportunities Fair as a “Big Event” at Franklin Park this year. We have encountered two difficulties, either one of which alone could have killed the event. First, we have had a hard time recruiting all the volunteers to pull off such a major undertaking. Then we found that in the present economic environment past sponsors were reluctant to provide funding.

But, fear not! For out of adversity comes opportunity! The Summer Opportunities Fair has been transmuted into the

P.A.C.E. Virtual Summer Opportunities Fair.

If you need help with summer, you are in luck. Just visit: summer.ColumbusPACE.org.

Hopefully this resource will provide an ongoing listing of summer opportunities, with “Exhibitors” having the opportunity to continually update their information. Please be sure to check on it as it develops. (You will be able to follow developments via RSS or email subscription, in addition to visiting the site!)

Summer Opportunites Fair 2010 may go to a virtual fair and / or published booklet only.

Dear Friends and Exhibitors:

It looks as if we are not going to hold a live summer opportunities fair this year, due to difficulty obtaining all the volunteers necessary to pull off this massive undertaking.

Still, we are likely to run an online database and publish a booklet. At the minimum, this may be merely a booklet downloadable and printable by site visitors. The expanded option would allow us to print and distribute a booklet through Columbus City Schools (and perhaps even libraries). The expanded option would depend upon funding via corporate sponsorship and/or a nominal charge/contributions/contributions to/from participants.

We will try to inform past and potential exhibitors of our plans via email. Still I recommend that potential exhibitors remember to check the web site for updates.

Regards,

Scott

If you’d like to help get the word out about Step Into Summer Opportunities Fair 2009, here is the official flyer (400 KB). It can be printed on a single page — or two to a page if your system allows. You may need to right-click or shift click to download.

At the February 2009 P.A.C.E. Meeting we discussed some resources for how one might make the most of Parent Teacher Conferences for families with students of any age and level.

Here are links to some items:

The O.A.G.C. Parent Handbook, pp. 18-19 has for “Suggestions for Parent/Teacher Conferences” adapted from Dr. Joan Franklin Smutny’s Stand Up for Your Gifted Child. The Handbook may be found on the OAGC Parent Division Homepage. (look for “OAGC Parent Handbook” PDF.)

There is also a page on Tips for Successful Interaction with School Personnel (PDF) from the O.A.G.C., courtesy of Ohio Parent Mentors. This is on the Parent Day Handouts page.

For a lengthier article by Dr. Joan Franklin Smutny (from N.A.C.G. website), see Communicating Effectively with your Gifted Child’s School (PDF). This is also linked (with other resources) from the Parent Day Handouts page.

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page has a resource if you are puzzled by some of the specialized jargon and acronymns: Acronyms, Terms, and other things we need to know.

Another article, How Parents Can Be Advocates for Their Children, is among many that may be found on the Reading Rockets web site. Though targeted to families of children with learning disabilities, it contains helpful information for families with children who are special in another ways – including gifted or twice exceptional.

From OCAN and www.KnowHow2GoOhio.org (see earlier post), there will be a special event Feruary 8, 2009: College Goal Sunday.

It’s all about getting financial assistance, and negotiating the paperwork to do so – including the dreaded Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Registrations are due February 6, so check it out now if you are interested.

WHAT: College Goal Sunday will be held at 40 locations across Ohio to assist students and families with filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).


There are billions of dollars available; however, filling out the FAFSA is the only way students get grant money from the federal and state government to pay for higher education. College Goal Sunday was designed to ease the intimidation often felt by students and families about the FAFSA process.


During these sessions volunteers provide free financial aid expertise to families overwhelmed with the rising cost of higher education. Guidance counselors and financial aid administrators are available to guide parents through the form, fill in tax and income information and navigate tricky situations. Last year more than 3,100 Ohioans took advantage of College Goal Sunday.


In support of College Goal Sunday’s efforts to help give every Ohio high school graduate an equal opportunity to go to college, Governor Ted Strickland has declared February 2009 Financial Aid Awareness Month again this year.


College Goal Sunday is sponsored by the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA) through investments from the Lumina Foundation for Education, the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN), and Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corp.

Francie Nolan recently shared about finding a treasure trove of information regarding how to gain access to (and pay for!) college education!

There is an organization called the Ohio College Access Network (OCAN), whose mission is “helping Ohio residents pursue postsecondary education.” See their site for links to College Access/Scholarship Programs, and more.

OCAN also sponsors an interactive web site targeted primarily to students (and families) from Middle School through High School, www.KnowHow2GoOhio.org. (There is a national affiliate, www.knowhow2go.org.)

The 2009 C.C.S. school choice (lottery) information and dates are now posted on the C.C.S. website. Look directly at the School Choice Office. Dates and deadlines may be found there.

Just the Facts:

Information about 2009 Ohio Summer Honor Institutes a and Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted is posted on the Ohio Department of Education website, under Programs for Gifted Children.

These are terrific opportunities for students who are currently in 9th and 10th grade (Institutes), or 11th (Essex), to spend time on college campuses this summer attending programs designed specifically for those identified as gifted and talented. There is a wide variety of subject matter and locations around the state. I urge you to check them out! Some popular courses do fill quickly.

Applications for the 2009 Summer Honors Institutes will be available on January 9, 2009 and are due on April 10, 2009. (Lists of courses available should be available, probably accessible from the link above.)

It can be difficult to find things on the ODE web site. Here is another link to a FAQ about the Martin W. Essex School for the Gifted and the Summer Honors Institutes.

Applications for Need-based Scholarships are available for students in grades 3-11 from Support for Talented Students, Inc. at SchoolMatch. Scholarships may be used for enrichment activities not normally provided in the schools. Activities may be during the summer or during the following school year. Applications are available at
http://www.schoolmatch.com/STS/STS.htm or from a Gifted and Talented Specialist at a Columbus City School. Deadline is March 14, 2008. The Gifted and Talented Specialists will collect the applications and complete the School Sponsor portion. For more information contact Beth Gasior at 365-6626.

The question came up at our recent meeting: how can I get a photo ID, required for admission to many of the above-grade-level testing programs?

These are programs such as the Midwest Academic Talent Search or Ohio Talent Search, where above-grade-level tests (including ACT/SAT) are used to more accurately measure the ability and achievement levels of gifted children. Gifted children’s abilities are not effectively measured by the standard tests, where they tend to max out the scale. More effective measurement can aid planning and instruction to nurture our children.

If you need a State of Ohio ID, you can get one from any Deputy Registrar. You’ll need some original proof of birth (e.g. birth certificate or immigration (BCIS) document), and a secondary ID with proof of Social Security number. For renewal the ID itself suffices, as long as it has not been expired more than 6 months. The cost is $8.50. More information is available on the site of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV). (Look under “Driver Licensing.”)