The Center for Gifted Studies

Not all gifted kids look the same.

People often have preconceived notions of what these children should look like and how they should act in school: They’re the whiz kids who tackle calculus in sixth grade or ace every test without trying; their destinies lie in medicine, computer engineering, finance, technology, or the — gold standard for genius achievement — rocket science.

But looking at all gifted kids as “rocket scientists in training” is painting with far too broad a brush. There are actually five commonly-recognized areas of giftednes: general intellectual ability, specific academic aptitude, creativity, visual/performing arts, and leadership. School districts in Kentucky, and many other states, are required to identify and provide services for students with each those five gifts. The 25 classes offered during the Summer Camp for Academically Talented Middle School Students (SCATS) are designed to meet the individual needs of students identified as gifted in any of those five areas.