TAGT Student Scholarship Applications Open - Due 2/23/2019

With the help of our generous donors, TAGT offers four student scholarships. By providing the right opportunities we may just spark the minds that will discover innovative answers to the most challenging questions of their generation. These scholarships have the potential to change a student’s life forever. 

The 2019 TAGT scholarship application period will open January 2019.  For any questions, please contact Justin Ables at 512.499.8248 or jables@txgifted.org.

General Scholarship Information

Scholarship FAQ

Summer Enrichment Scholarships

Awarded to identified gifted students grades K- 12, who are currently participating in a gifted program and who want to enrich their learning experience during the summer months. The maximum summer scholarship award is $400. Students may use these scholarships to attend programs with an academic, fine arts, or performing arts focus. 

Education in Action's Lone Star Leadership Academy Camp Scholarship

Travel to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin/San Antonio, or Houston/Galveston area to join delegations of other distinguished students from across Texas for a week of fun, learning, leadership development, and visits to significant Texas destinations. Participants must be in 4th-8th grade, nominated by an educator based on demonstrated leadership ability, maintain an 85 or higher average, and be involved in school/community activities. The top scoring student applying for a Summer Enrichment Scholarship attending the Lone Star Leadership Academy will receive a full scholarship to the program. 

Laura Allard Future Vision Scholarship

A $2,500 scholarship awarded to a graduating G/T high school senior who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, possesses a strong sense of purpose, clearly defined goals, and has a long-term plan for achieving these goals.

Adelle McClendon Young Leader Scholarship

A $2500 scholarship awarded to a graduating G/T high school senior who has demonstrated outstanding leadership.

Since 1982, TAGT has awarded over one million dollars in assistance for gifted and talented learners. These contributions have provided scholarships to almost 4,000 students. The TAGT Scholarship Fund is sustained by donors, like you, who believe that today’s gifted youth are tomorrow’s leaders.

Rodeo! The Exhibition at the Bullock Museum Through January 27, 2019

Experience the excitement of rodeos from around the state with Texas Rodeo, a dynamic and comprehensive Bullock Museum exhibition.

Gain an insider's perspective on what makes rodeo an integral part of Texas history and imagine you're in the heart of the arena with classic artifacts spanning decades, immersive multimedia experiences, tactile activities, and first-person interviews highlighting the personal relationship Texans have with rodeo traditions.

See how five of the largest Texas rodeos and stock shows bring crowds and competitors from all parts of the world together, and explore the origins of rodeos and lasting legacy of youth education, community involvement, and historic preservation. 

For more information, visit the Bullock Museum website. 

New Year, New Learning!

Interested in learning something new or going deeper into a content area? Consider the following resources as your learning platform:

Khan Academy http://www.khanacademy.org/ Online learning that allows self-paced learning in multiple subjects with lessons, practice, and acceleration.

MIT Open CourseWare http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm MIT Open CourseWare (OCW) is a web-based publication of virtually all MIT course content. OCW is open and available to the world and is a permanent MIT activity.

Academic Earth http://academicearth.org/ A comprehensive collection of free online courses from the world's top universities. Take learning outside the classroom with thought-provoking videos.

Coursera https://www.coursera.org/ Take free online classes from 80+ top universities and organizations. Coursera is a social entrepreneurship company partnering with Stanford University, Yale University, Princeton University and others around the world to offer free courses online for anyone everywhere.

iTunes University https://www.apple.com/apps/itunes-u/ The world’s largest online catalog of education content from leading institutions. More than 500,000 free lectures, videos, books, and other resources on thousands of subjects.

ALCUMUS http://www.artofproblemsolving.com/Alcumus/Introduction.php Alcumus offers students a customized learning experience, adjusting to student performance to deliver appropriate problems and lessons. Alcumus is specifically designed to provide high-performing students with a challenging curriculum appropriate to their abilities.

C-SPAN's StudentCam Contest - Deadline January 20, 2019

What is C-Span's Student Cam?

StudentCam is C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. 

This year students in grades 6-12 are asked to create a short (5-6 minute) video documentary on a topic related to the new 2019 competition theme, "What does it mean to be American? Choose a constitutional right, national characteristic, or historic event and explain how it defines the American experience."

With cash prizes totaling $100,000, C-SPAN awards prizes to 150 student documentaries, and over 50 teacher advisors. 

For more information about this contest, please click HERE!

Mental Fitness for Life

Mental fitness is just as important as physical fitness, and shouldn’t be ignored. Mental fitness is important to maintaining good brain health and as well as body health, especially as you age. There are many types of mental dexterity exercises, and the best part is you don’t need to go to the gym to do them. They include active ones, such as learning a new song or playing a game, or restful ones, such as relaxation and visualization exercises.

Mental fitness means keeping your brain and emotional health in good shape. It refers to a series of exercises that help you slow down, think clearly, decompress or perhaps boost a foggy memory. Thanks to decades of research, you can learn how to get your mind active and improve upon your mental fitness through practice. There are various strategies that can be used to protect and improve memory. Here are some suggested ways to obtain mental fitness:

• Hold discussions with friends and family about a wide range of topics. This gives your brain an opportunity to explore, examine, and inquire.
• Challenge your intellect and memory. Stretch yourself mentally by learning a new language, doing the cryptic crossword, or by playing chess. This is important for brain health and good for your social life as well.
• Read often and read widely. Keeping an active interest in the world around you will help to exercise your brain and improve your mental fitness.
• Take up a new hobby. Learning something new gives the ‘grey matter’ in the brain a workout and builds neural pathways in the brain.
• Take up a manual activity or craft. Hobbies such as woodworking and sewing or skipping rope require you to move both sides of the body at the same time, in precise movements. This can help to improve your spatial awareness and increase your reaction time.
• Exercise your brain with others. Watch, question and answer game shows and enjoy the competitive spirit. Involve the entire family in regular games to test their general knowledge.

Many think that multitasking enables them to get more things done at once, but it actually creates more problems than it solves. Studies show that focusing on one task at a time improves your concentration and helps you to be more productive.

New experiences can also set you on the path to mental fitness. You can fit new approaches into your daily life in a variety of ways such as trying new foods as you explore new cultures, invent new ways to accomplish routine tasks, travel new places virtually or physically, or try a new route to the grocery store or your work.

Games that test reasoning and other portions of your brain are fun ways to keep your mind sharp. Try crossword puzzles, board games, Sudoku, or online daily mental quizzes to increase your brain strength. 

Schedule a mental fitness break into your calendar right next to your workout schedule. Including mental dexterity exercises into your daily routine can help you reap the benefits of a sharper mind and a healthier body for years to come. Your mind and your health are worth it!

Sources:

http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/mental-fitness#overview1

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/tentips/10%20tips%20to%20improve%20your%20mental%20fitness

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/6-simple-steps-to-keep-your-mind-sharp-at-any-age

Learn Phrases in a New Language with World Nomads!

Have you ever been stuck in a country wanting to be polite, but not even knowing the word for 'please'? Or been frustrated when you couldn't ask for the most basic directions to where you're going?

The WorldNomads.com German Language Guide gives you enough phrases to keep you travelling safely and get more from your holiday.

There are many other languages available! Click HERE for more information!

Overcoming Test Anxiety

OVERCOMING TEST ANXIETY 

Most students experience some level of anxiety during an exam; however, when anxiety affects exam performance it has become a problem.

Test preparation to reduce anxiety:

• Approach the exam with confidence: Use whatever strategies you can to personalize success: visualization, logic, talking to yourself, practice, team work, journaling, etc. View the exam as an opportunity to show how much you've studied and to receive a reward for the studying you've done.

• Be prepared! Learn your material thoroughly and organize what materials you will need for the test. Use a checklist.

• Choose a comfortable location for taking the test with good lighting and minimal distractions. • Allow yourself plenty of time, especially to do things you need to do before the test and still get there a little early.

• Avoid thinking you need to cram just before.

• Strive for a relaxed state of concentration.

• Avoid speaking with any fellow students who have not prepared, who express negativity, who will distract your preparation.

• A program of exercise is said to sharpen the mind.

• Get a good night's sleep the night before the exam.

• Don't go to the exam with an empty stomach. Fresh fruits and vegetables are often recommended to reduce stress. Stressful foods can include processed foods, artificial sweeteners, carbonated soft drinks, chocolate, eggs, fried foods, junk foods, pork, red meat, sugar, white flour products, chips and similar snack foods, foods containing preservatives or heavy spices.

• Take a small snack, or some other nourishment to help take your mind off of your anxiety. Avoid high sugar content (candy) which may aggravate your condition. During the test:

• Read the directions carefully.

• Budget your test taking time.

• Change positions to help you relax.

• If you go blank, skip the question and go on.

• If you're taking an essay test and you go blank on the whole test, pick a question and start writing. It may trigger the answer in your mind.

• Don't panic when students start handing in their papers. There's no reward for being the first done.
Excerpted from Overcoming test anxiety. Study Guides and Strategies.

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