'21 - '22 Archived Opportunities for the Gifted and Talented
Please feel free to explore some of the past events and opportunities offered to our KAMS GATE Community. Additionally, please make sure to check the current opportunities page for upcoming events of interest!
Your KAMS Arts, Media, and Entertainment teachers are pleased to invite you to participate in The GRID Summit 2022! Student performances, speakers, and poets will come to you live from The School of Arts and Enterprise on March 2. The FREE event will continue on March 3 and 4 with workshops, pop-up storytellers, and presentations. The GRID is also hosting its first ever EXPO where students can explore resources throughout the state and a virtual Student Showcase in partnership with Create CA to celebrate creative voices from across California.
Since The Grid Summit is an all day/multi-day event, we want to provide you the opportunity to participate in the workshops that are most interesting to you. We have reserved space in the KAMS/PGHS library on March 3 and 4 for students to log into the GRID using Chromebooks and headphones during the workshops that you choose to attend.
If you are interested, would like to find out more information, or are ready to register, please take a moment to review the three steps that must be taken:
1) Review the list of workshops. List and description of workshops can be found here or directly below , in the "Workshop" section.
2) When you are ready, you may register for your workshops here.
Students need to use a personal or adult’s email. Your ID Number@egusd.net account will NOT work as an email address. Be sure to put Katherine L. Albiani Middle School for your school.
3) Be sure to complete this form so that we can be sure we have enough seats reserved in the library at the correct times.
If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. Grigsby, Ms. McNeel, or Ms. McTizic during class or via Synergy.
We look forward to exploring the GRID Summit with you!
Below is a brief overview of some of the keynote speakers and topics that will be covered over the three days of the Grid Summit. For more details and information about each of he sessions offered, please click on the image or title, "Available Workshops," above.
The School of Arts and Enterprise Student Performances
Hussian College of Art Student Performances
Alvin Lee, GENUp Founder, Keynote Presentation
Paul Willis, Hip Hop Artist and Educator, Musical Performance
Kings County Juvenile Detention Center Student Film
1500 Sound Academy Panel with founders James Fauntleroy and Larrance “Rance” Dopson
Student Poets: Get Lit Student Players
Industry Spotlight: Lauren Gaspard, 1500 Sound Academy
EXPO Fair
Student Poets: Get Lit Student Players
Industry Spotlight: Hector Marquez
EXPO Fair
Student Showcase
When you are ready, you may register for your workshops here: https://creativitymatters.com/grid-summits (See the attached PDF for step-by-step instructions.)
Students need to use a personal or adult’s email.
Your ID Number@egusd.net account will NOT work as an email address.
Be sure to put Katherine L. Albiani Middle School for your school.
If you intend to attend any of the workshops, and have registered for it, please make sure to complete this form as well: https://forms.gle/XGkSYLpzUWdXayKM8
This form is so that we can be sure we have enough seats reserved in the library at the correct times.
Use your imagination to create a Google Doodle based on what self-care means to you.
We all have a lot going on - and now more than ever, it's important for us to take care of our bodies and minds. What are you favorite things to do that make you feel better when you're feeling down? How do you take a break? What activities make you feel calm or give you energy? What or who brings joy to your heart? Google's theme this year invites you to share how you nurture your mind, body, and /or spirit as you face the opportunities and challenges every new day brings.
How to Enter:
Students can work with any materials they want, but all Doodles must be entered using the entry form. Parents and teachers can mail us the completed entry form or submit it online as a .png or .jpg. The contest is open for entries until March 7, 2022. Here is some information to help you get started:
1. Download or print the entry form.
2. Doodle:
a. Artists create their Doodles using any materials they want. From crayons to clay to found objects.
3. Write:
a. Artist's statement - tell of what you've drawn and how you care for yourself.
b. Fill out the rest of the required information , and have a parent or guardian sign the entry form.
4. Submit:
a. Enter the contest online (recommended) or by mail (see step 3 on the entry form for details).
b. Entry form Doodle: If the Doodle is created directly on the entry form, you can either upload them to our site as a .jpg or .png (visit the enter tab) or mail them in (address listed on the enter tab).
c. Other Doodles: If the Doodle wasn't created directly on the entry form, take a high-res digital photo or scan of the Doodle in good lighting and combine it with the entry form.
Judging Criteria:
Doodles will be judged on the following parameters:
1. Artistic Merit:
a. Based on the artistic skill.
2. Creativity:
a. Representation of the contest theme, use of the letters in the Google logo, and the unique approach to the Doodle.
3. Theme Communication:
a. How well the contest theme is expressed in both the artwork and the written statement.
Doodles will b grouped and judged by the following 5 grade groups:
Grades K-3
Grades 4-5
Grades 6-7
Grades 8-9
Grades 10-12
Finalists will be judged on a state-by-state basis as described below:
1. State & Territory Winners:
a. 10 or more winners for each grade group, 54 in total.
2. National Finalists:
a. 1 finalist for each grade group, 5 in total.
3. National Winner:
a. Featured on Google.com
Competition Levels
Fifty-Four State and Territory Winners
The Guest Judges and Google Doodlers will select the best Doodle from each of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands as the State and Territory winners. These 54 State and Territory Winners will be displayed in an online gallery on the Doodle for Google website.
Five National Finalists
For a period of 5 days, the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will vote for their favorite Doodle from the 54 State and Territory Winners. These votes will help determine the National Finalists.
One National Winner
A panel of Google employees will choose one of the five National Finalists and announce the National Winner in June.
*Learn more about what the 2023 winners and finalists will receive on the prizes page.
From art and editorials to personal narratives, profiles and podcasts, the New York Times Student Contest Series is one not to miss!
Tens of thousands of students from around the world participated in our contests during the 2020-21 school year, creating podcasts, writing editorials, making videos, reviewing arts and culture, composing narratives, investigating scientific phenomena, documenting their pandemic experiences, discussing politics and more.
Teachers tell us they value our contests because they invite students to take the skills they learn in school and use them to create for an authentic audience. Students tell us they like the variety of ways they can express themselves — and, of course, the confidence boost when they are recognized for their efforts. For us, these contests deepen our daily mission: to help teenagers engage with what’s happening in the world, and show them that their voices and ideas matter.
All of our usual annual contests are back this year, including an updated edition of last fall’s Coming of Age challenge. And we’ve added something new for next spring: A contest that invites you (students) to research, interview and photograph an interesting person, and then introduce that person in a journalistic profile.
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What makes you mad?
What would you like to see change?
What do you wish more people understood?
Over the last eight years, tens of thousands of teenagers from around the world have answered these questions in the form of short opinion essays submitted to our annual spring Editorial Contest.
They’ve made compelling arguments on issues big and small, from anti-Asian hate, climate change, underpaid teachers, school shootings and Black Lives Matter, to snow days, video game culture, teen slang, and why pineapple pizza deserves more respect.
The best of them — our annual winners — not only ground their claims in strong evidence, but also engage us with voice and style.
Now we’re inviting you to do the same. Make an argument in 450 words or fewer about something that matters to you, and persuade us that we should care, too.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: March 2, 2022 to April 13, 2022
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Do you listen to podcasts to find out what’s happening throughout the world? Or do you tune in to learn about sports, music or films — or simply to be entertained? Do you prefer shows with one host or multiple hosts? Are you interested in series that tell a story over many episodes, or shows that explore a new issue or interview a different guest each week?
Imagine you — or you and several of your friends — are behind the microphone. What would you talk about? What format would you use? What would be your unique podcast voice and angle?
In our Fifth Annual Podcast Contest, we invite teenagers to submit original podcasts of five minutes or less. Your creation can be about anything that interests you, in any form that you like. Our favorites will be featured on The Learning Network.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: April 6, 2022 to May 18, 2022
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The Learning Network invites you to bring that same spirit of inquiry and discovery to finding a STEM-related question, concept or issue you’re interested in, and, in 500 words or fewer, explaining it to a general audience in a way that not only helps us understand, but also engages us and makes us see why it’s important.
So what questions do you have about how the world works? What science, technology, engineering, math or health questions might be inspired by your own life or experiences? What innovations, processes or problems in any of these areas puzzle or intrigue you? What concepts in STEM — whether from biology, physics, psychology, computer science, algebra or calculus — have you learned about, in or out of school, that might be useful or fun to explain to others?
The best of this kind of writing includes three elements we’ll be asking you to include, too:
It begins with an engaging hook to get readers’ attention and make us care about the subject.
It quotes experts and/or includes research on the topic to give context and credibility.
It explains why the topic matters. Why do you care? Why should we care? Whom or what does it affect, why and how? How is it relevant to broader questions in the field, to the world today and to our own lives.
For inspiration, take a look at the work of last year's winners, and visit the related writing unit.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: Feb. 2, 2021 to March 9, 2022
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Do you like sharing your opinion with others? Do you have strong critiques and reactions to books, movies, restaurants, or fashions? Are you a foodie or gamer? A music buff or theater aficionado?
If so, this contest is for you! Students are invited to play critic and submit an original review about any kind of creative expression covered in The New York Times, for their Seventh Annual Student Review Contest.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: November 10, 2021 to December 15, 2021 (CLOSED)
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This contest asks students to produce a 15-second video about the meaning of one of New York Times Words of the Day.
For inspiration, take a look at the work of past winners, and check out our smaller monthly challenges that also help students build their vocabulary skills.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: December 1, 2021 to January 12. 2022 (CLOSED)
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Interview and photograph an interesting person in your community then tell about that person in a question and answer format.
Who are the interesting characters in your neighborhood? At your school? At your job, your church, or any other place where you spend a lot of time? Whom would you most want to interview? Why?
As you think about those questions, consider people of all ages — those you know well and those you’d like to know. Maybe they have fascinating jobs or interesting life stories or cool talents or hobbies. Maybe they play key roles in your community. Maybe they have lived through difficult events, or have overcome barriers. Or, maybe you don’t know much about them — you’re just curious to find out. This contest offers you the chance to do that.
If interested, be sure to review the following:
Contest Dates: January 5, 2022 to February 16, 2022
GATE After-School Enrichment (March 2022)
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For the month of March all after-school enrichment opportunities for GATE students will be centered on the Culinary Kids Unit. If you are interested, or for more information, please please feel free to sign up for any available date.
If you have signed up for a section that you can longer attend, please make sure to fill out the cancellation form (linked above), so that other students have an opportunity to attend.
GATE After-School Enrichment (February 2022)
(closed)
For the month of February all after-school enrichment opportunities for GATE students will be centered on the Escape Room Engineers Unit. If you are interested, please feel free to sign up for any available date.
If you have signed up for a section that you can longer attend, please make sure to fill out the cancellation form (linked above), so that other students have an opportunity to attend.
This challenge was inspired during the pandemic. During this period when art lovers couldn't simply visit a museum or gallery, a phenomenon arose as a creative outlet. Participants isolating at home amid the pandemic were encouraged to recreate a prominent work of art using everyday objects. These entries are lessons in art history made flesh, sometimes inspiring participants into learning more about a particular artist, period, or work of art. For families, it' a way of turning challenging times into inspiration, and even an outlet for self-expression.
The KAMS Great Masterpiece Challenge aims to achieve that goal as well! In this challenge, students are to repurpose everyday items they already have to recreate a famous painting/piece of art. Linked in the title, title image, and here, are successfully completed examples.
Select a painting that peaks your interest to recreate. For an easily accessible location, with a multitude of options, search through the paintings in the Smithsonian's Collections Search Center (*It is advised to have a parent/guardian help look through museum collections).
Choose! Select a piece of artwork to focus on that inspires you.
Observe! Carefully review the piece of art and brainstorm, verbally or on paper, what you may have to replicate the image.
Create! Replicate the work using materials that can be found around your house.
Capture! Take a photo of your work. On a Google Doc or Google Slide insert the original artwork being replicated. Next to it, insert/paste a photo of your replication.
Credit! Be sure to include the title and artist of the original art on the Google Doc/Slide.
All contest entries must be submitted to Mrs. Grigsby (mgrigsby@egusd.net) by December 17th.
All entries will be scored with a rubric, focusing on presentation and creativity, by our administration at KAMS. The winning entry will receive an Amazon gift card and may be displayed on campus, within the yearbook, and on KAMS TV, along with other notable mentions. The winner will be announced by January 31st.
Please click on the link above to find out more about the nation's longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens - The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards!
Teens in grades 7 - 12 (ages 13 and up) can apply in the 28 categories of art and writing.
To apply, students must create a FREE account on the Scholastic Art & Writing Website. When creating the account, please make sure to denote/select Albiani Middle School. Doing so will allow Mrs. Grigsby to cluster all students under the Albiani umbrella for the competition.
Please note the deadline for submission is different for Art entries, Writing entries, and those entries that are being submitted for free, through our GATE Program. These dates are listed on the calendar above, as well as here:
KAMS Writing Submission Deadline: November 29th (submission fee paid by KAMS GATE program)
KAMS Art Submission Deadline: December 6th (submission fee paid by KAMS GATE program)
Scholastic Writing Submission Deadline: December 6th (submission fee paid by individual)
Scholastic Art Submission Deadline: December 10th (submission fee paid by individual)
Please click on the link above to find out more about the various categories, under the Art classification, that student work can be created and submitted under.
Each art category contains its own set of guidelines, directions, and examples of previously submitted artwork.
The art category also provides information regarding how each entry will be scored. Entries are selected for awards without knowledge of the student's gender, age, ethnicity, or hometown by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts.
Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards' core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Originality: Work that breaks from convention, blurs the boundaries between genres, and challenges notions of how a particular concept or emotion can be expressed.
Technical Skills: Work that uses technique to advance an original perspective or a personal vision or voice, and shows skills being utilized to create something unique, powerful, and innovative.
Emergence of a Personal Voice or Vision: Work with an authentic and unique point of view and style.
Please click on the link above to find out more about the various categories under the Writing classification, that student work can be created and submitted under.
While each writing category contains its own set directions/prompts and examples of previously submitted entries, the basic instructions for all submission are the same:
Submissions must be primarily in English.
Use a clear, standard font that is not excessively large or small.
Poems in collections should be titled individually.
No identifying information, including the student’s name, should appear anywhere on the manuscript.
Please use fictional names for real people in non-fiction works.
No illustrations, photographs, graphics, or hyperlinks are permitted.
Sources must be cited. Footnotes/works cited are not considered part of the word count.
Collaborative works are not allowed in any writing categories.
The writing category also provides information regarding how each entry will be scored. Entries are selected for awards. Jurors look for works that exemplify the Awards' core values: originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision.
Here is an opportunity for you to take your writing chops and give voice to one of the three current event prompts, for a chance to earn both recognition and a cash prize. The contest flyer, with the directions, prompts, and details for the essay contest is linked here, on the image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and on the title of this post. If interested in participating, please make sure to read the directions and contest rules very carefully!
In honor of the birthday and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, the MLK Celebration Committee is pleased to announce the 9th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest.
Winning essays may be published on the MLK Committee website and recognized as part of the 2022 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Event on February 5th.
Top Three winners will receive cash prizes! 1st place $250.00, 2nd place $150.00, and 3rd place $100.00
The submission deadline is Monday, December 22, 2021.
The essay contest is open to all middle and high school students throughout Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, El Dorado, and Sutter Counties.
Again, please review the attached flyer for additional details and the contest rules!!
Only one entry per student.
The essay must be on on 8 1/2' x 11" white background, double spaced, and typed using a 12 pt. font.
The essay must consist of no more than 500 words.
All entries MUST include a cover page with student's first and last name, grade level, full school name, school district, home address, and contact phone number.
The John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth brings together the brightest minds of the next generation for an unparalleled academic challenge.
Take charge of your learning online, immerse yourself in summer academics, or explore subjects with the whole family.
Learning pathways for grades 2-12.
Online courses available worldwide.
Summer Programs sites across the U.S. and in Hong Kong
Summer Institute for the Gifted provides summer academic enrichment programs for gifted, academically talented, creative, and high potential students in grades K-12.
SIG is a place where gifted students can be themselves; it is a place of exploration, laughter, potential, creativity, innovation, and fun on a variety of prestigious campuses, that you can choose from!
The 2022 APPLICATION IS NOW OPEN- Apply Now!!
Northwestern provides unique programs to develop unique talents! These programs are designed to meet their needs, providing the right challenge and support to develop their talents fully. Explore what CTD has to offer:
Research-driven programming that supplements regular schooling
Hundreds of courses in nearly every subject
Dedicated, expert educators who fuel a love of learning
Advanced classes that provide enrichment and acceleration
Program models that fit a variety of schedules and educational goals
Resources and support services for families and educators
Supplemental Reading
Novel Titles (viewed in image carousel):
A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by Webb, Gore, Amend, and DeVries
The Gifted Teen Survival Guide: Smart, Sharp, and Ready for (Almost) Anything (Revised & Updated 4th Edition) by Judy Galbraith, M.A. and Jim Delisle
Five Levels of Gifted: School Issues and Educational Options by Deborah Ruf, PhD
Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults by Susan Daniels (ed.) and Michael M. Piechowski (ed.)