WKU News

The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (WCGTC) will host its 23^rd Biennial World Conference, “A World of Possibilities: Gifts, Talents, and Potential,” July 24 – 28, 2019, in Nashville, TN.

Participants include 750 academics, researchers, teachers, and parents representing 45 countries. Attendees will come together to take advantage of this professional learning and networking opportunity. The conference features keynote speakers from five different countries as well as symposia and sessions on topics such as social and emotional issues, strategies for advanced learners, as well as advocacy issues. Other topics include programming options for gifted learners, STEAM education, and teacher preparation.

Recent World Conferences have been held in Denmark and Australia, and the 2021 conference will be held in Dubai. The conference is organized by the WCGTC and The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University.

The headquarters for the WCGTC has been located at Western Kentucky University since 2011. Executive Administrator Tyler Clark and President Dr. Julia Link Roberts, Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies and Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies and The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science, have overseen the planning for the conference.

“The World Conference is a unique opportunity for individuals around the world to share various perspectives. We are pleased to have such a large number of attendees representing 45 countries. The cross-cultural conversations between attendees allow participants to synthesize strategies and further develop their own approaches to gifted education at home,” said Clark.

The opening ceremony will feature a musical performance led by Dr. Wayne Pope, director of the opera theatre program at Western Kentucky University. Many of the musicians preforming are graduates of WKU.

In addition to the symposia and educational sessions that will take place, six keynote presentations with speakers from five countries will feature cutting edge research in gifted studies. Presenters include: Camilla Benbow, “Finding and Nurturing Exceptional Intellectual Talent Over 45 Years: The Long-Term Impacts;” Dr. Sheyla Blumen Cohen, “Culture and High Performance: Inclusive or Exclusive Practices;” Dr. Lannie Kanevsky, “Personalizing Learning: Power, Preparation, and Possibilities;” Dr. Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, Dr. Rena Subotnik, and Dr. Frank Worrell, “The Psychology of High Performance;” Dr. Melinda Webber, “Unleashing Indigenous Potential: The Purpose, Power, and Promise of Gifted Education;” and Dr. Albert Ziegler, “Learning Resources and Talent Development.”

To learn more about the conference, the presenters, and the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, visit worldgifted2019.com or world-gifted.org.

Contact: Tyler Clark, thomas.clark@wku.edu or (270) 745-3101.