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Community Corner

Neag School Hosts Sold-Out Confratute for 700 Educators

For 37 years, Storrs, Connecticut has attracted more than 20,000 educators worldwide for a highly acclaimed, enrichment-based program sponsored by the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development at UConn.  Sold out and attended by 700 educators from across the US and 15 countries around the world, this year’s Confratute was a blending of educators interested in gifted education, differentiation of instruction and curriculum, and creativity and innovation in education.

The weeklong program was geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. Some of the sessions included: Storytelling, Mime and Moment; Silk Screen Printing; Math for Those Who Think They Can’t Do Math; CSI: Forensic Science in the Classroom; Using Technology to Create Authentic Products That Increase Student Motivation and numerous other topics.

Confratute, founded in July of 1978 by Neag School of Education professor and director of the Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, Joseph Renzulli, and Sally Reis, Vice Provost for Academic Administration and principal investigator for the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented, is the longest-running summer institute of its kind in gifted education. Through exposure to differentiation, talent development and enriching learning experiences, the community of adult learners is able to share similar interests, as well as foster professional growth.

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“A new look at education is in the wind and for the first time in many years, we are seeing an expanded vision toward translating the kinds of learning we advocate at Confratute into practical strategies for making schools more engaging and enjoyable places,” said Dr. Renzulli.

The informal learning environment provided over 50 hands-on class strands fueling interaction between passionate participants, keynoters and faculty members alike.

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“Confratute is a community of learners willing to put aside the roles and responsibilities of their everyday jobs to become totally immersed with others in an atmosphere that is purposefully designed to promote acceptance, trust, scholarship, hard work, hard fun, and the belief that everyone has something to contribute to educational improvement,” said Dr. Renzulli.

The Neag Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development has focused on both meeting the needs of gifted and talented youth and providing enrichment experiences for all students. The program has received national and international attention for over 40 years. The research emphasized studies related to creativity, high student engagement, strength-based assessment, and personalized programming through the use of technology. Several studies conducted by the research team are considered seminal research that guide the design and development of programs and services to meet the needs of high potential young people from all backgrounds and schools with varying demographics. The research has shown that the approach advocated by Renzulli and his colleagues is the most effective way to reduce the achievement gap that exists in our nation.

 

For more information on the program, visit  www.gifted.uconn.edu/confratute/.

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