College of Education and Behavioral Sciences News

Members of the Executive Committee (EC) for the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children met on the campus of WKU July 15-17. This committee draws its members from all parts of the world, with those in attendance coming from such diverse locations as Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Turkey, Hong Kong and the United States.

The World Council of Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) facilitates the worldwide communication of information, ideas, and experiences in the field of gifted education. The EC met to discuss matters such as member involvement, membership structures, and Gifted and Talented International, the official journal of WCGTC.

While in the U.S., the EC took the opportunity to plan for the 23rd Biennial World Conference that will take place July 24-28, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. EC members visited conference venues at Vanderbilt University in preparation for the event, which will draw in hundreds of participants from around the world to disseminate research and best practices on the nature of giftedness, talents, creativity, and the education of gifted and talented children and their teachers. The theme for the conference is A World of Possibilities: Gifts, Talents, and Potential. Attendees will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn from experts from around the world.

Tyler Clark, Executive Administrator for WCGTC, said, “The meeting was an important time for the Executive Committee to discuss ideas for continuing the mission of the WCGTC as well as make preparations for the upcoming World Conference. A special thank you goes to Pete and Dixie Mahurin for the gift that makes it possible to host the WCGTC Headquarters at WKU.”

Members in attendance included President Julia Link Roberts (United States), Executive Administrator Tyler Clark (United States), Vice President Leonie Kronborg (Australia), Secretary Tracy Riley (New Zealand), Treasurer Denise Fleith (Brazil), Member Ümit Davasligil (Turkey), and Member Sue Prior (Hong Kong). In addition, Member Margaret Sutherland (Scotland) joined the group via Skype.

The international headquarters of the WCGTC has been located at WKU since 2011. Previously, the headquarters were at the University of Winnipeg.

Contact: Jesse Knifley, jesse.knifley@wku.edu or (270) 745-3014