#AZGIFTEDSTORIES
Share Your Story
Calling all current Arizona Gifted students, alumni, families and educators: Tell us why and how gifted education has impacted your life!
Each year as we meet with AZ Senators and Representatives, the message we are hearing is consistent – they want to hear your stories. They need to know the struggles you have faced with your gifted student. They should be empowered with the knowledge of what works in gifted education and why funding will make it that much better for our students.
We invite you to submit photos, videos or short stories about the impact these services and programs, or lack of, have had on you.
Read Submitted Stories:
Calling Young Scholars: A Publishing Opportunity for Gifted and Black Students
The Journal of Advanced Academics is inviting submissions for a special issue focused on youth voice, creativity, and inquiry, and this is an exciting opportunity for gifted and Black students to share their work on a national platform. This call for submissions centers student perspectives and encourages youth-led research, creative expression, and academic exploration across…
Madison School District Launches New Full-Day Gifted Kindergarten Program
Madison Elementary School District will launch its new full-day Gifted Kindergarten program, specifically designed to meet the unique educational and developmental needs of the district’s youngest gifted learners. The Madison Gifted Kindergarten program will be located on the campus of Madison Heights Elementary School, with the first class beginning in August 2026. Enrollment interest forms…
AAGT Year End Review: What We Accomplished Together
As we wrap up another year at AAGT, we want to pause, take a breath, and look back at everything this community helped make possible. None of this happens without our members, partners, educators, parents, and advocates across the state. Your commitment to gifted learners shows up in every classroom you support, every conversation you…
Celebrating Our Fall 2025 Classroom Grant Recipient: Mrs. Andrea Velazco of Dove Mountain CSTEM K–8
The Arizona Association for Gifted and Talented is pleased to recognize Mrs. Andrea Velazco, our Fall 2025 Classroom Grant Recipient. Her project reflects a practical and thoughtful approach to supporting gifted learners across grades 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Mrs. Velazco’s proposal focuses on strengthening literacy by providing students with quality books, book…
AI in personal finance: The promise and the limits
Sponsored Partner Post: Edward Jones Imagine this: Your budgeting app flags unusual spending and suggests a transfer. Later, a robo-advisor rebalances your portfolio. Welcome to the age of artificial intelligence — or AI — in personal finance. AI tools can track spending, forecast bills and offer advice via text. They can monitor credit scores, suggest…
Looking Ahead: Why Your Support Matters More Than Ever
As we close out 2025, it feels like the right moment to stop, breathe, and take stock of the work we’ve done together. This year brought new programs, stronger partnerships, more opportunities for educators and families, and a whole lot of heart from our gifted community across Arizona. But if we’re being honest, the work…
AAGT at NAGC 2025: Learning, Leading, and Celebrating
The AAGT team had a productive week at the NAGC Annual Conference. We connected with leaders from across the country, explored new research, and gathered ideas that will support gifted students, families, and educators in Arizona. National collaboration helps us stay aligned with best practices and gives us tools we can bring home to strengthen…
Riverside Insights Launches the CogAT® Next-Step Planning Tool
Earlier this year, we shared the exciting news that the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) extended its Grade 2 Universal Testing Contract through the 2025–2026 school year, continuing its commitment to fair, research-based, and equitable gifted identification across the state. This means every Arizona public school can once again participate in state-supported universal screening using…
New Virtual Course: Understanding and Supporting Perfectionism in Gifted Students
Presented by our partners in the Pima County School Superintendent’s Office If you work with gifted learners, you’ve seen it. The student who melts down over a tiny mistake. The one who rewrites the same paragraph twenty times. The kid who looks “fine” on the outside but is quietly drowning in impossible expectations. Perfectionism shows…
Smart Financial Moves to Make Before Year End
Sponsored Partner Post: Edward Jones As the year winds down, it’s time for a financial tune up. Here are some steps to consider: If you’re 73 or older, you’ll need to take required minimum distributions from traditional retirement accounts to avoid a 25% penalty on any amount you should have withdrawn but didn’t. And if…
AAGT’s First Play Date in the Park Brings Families Together
On November 8th, AAGT hosted our very first Play Date in the Park, and it was everything we hoped it would be—sunshine, laughter, curiosity, and connection. About 15 families joined us, representing public, private, and charter schools from across the Valley. Kids played games like chess, made new friends, and bonded over shared interests while…
Arizona Gifted Student Darianna Castillo selected as a recipient of the 2025 La Excelencia Latina Award, presented by NAGC
Darianna Castillo, a former Gadsden Elementary School District #32(GESD) student, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 La Excelencia Latina Award, presented by the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). Castillo joins a distinguished group of high school students from across the United States. She will be formally recognized during the 2025 NAGC…