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 start, and every bit of energy you pour into helping kids thrive.

This year, AAGT focused on expanding access, building community, and helping gifted students and the adults who support them find the resources they need.

We kicked off the year with our 51st Annual Conference, “Bright Minds, Bold Ideas: Where Curiosity and Creativity Meet,” welcoming hundreds of educators, families, and community partners from across Arizona. With more than 50 breakout sessions and powerful national keynote speakers, the conference was a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the shared belief that gifted kids deserve thoughtful, challenging, and joyful learning environments. Thanks to member support and sponsorships, we awarded educator scholarships to help teachers from Title I and rural communities attend.

Throughout the year, our statewide professional learning stayed strong. Our monthly webinars and community conversations brought educators and families together for meaningful discussions about gifted identification, social emotional development, creativity in the classroom, and strengthening parent–teacher collaboration. These sessions continue to grow, and we’re grateful you keep showing up with questions, ideas, and a willingness to learn from one another.

We also deepened our support for rural Arizona through the Gifted Rural Network. Educators connected across miles to share resources, join book studies, and build relationships that simply didn’t exist before. Hearing from members that they finally feel part of a statewide gifted community is exactly why this network matters.

Advocacy remained a steady thread this year as well. AAGT is developing tools to help schools evaluate their gifted programming and identify areas for improvement (coming soon!). We also raised visibility during Gifted Education Week by highlighting the importance of identification, services, and equitable opportunities for all gifted students – no matter where they live or how they show their abilities.

And of course, one of our favorite parts of the year: giving back. AAGT awarded teacher classroom grants and student enrichment scholarships that brought new books, advanced learning materials, and hands-on project opportunities to gifted classrooms. Your membership makes that possible.

Before we turn the page into 2026, we want to thank you.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you for investing in gifted education.

Thank you for pushing for better, even when systems feel slow to change.

Thank you for showing up—for your students, for your colleagues, and for this community.

We’re excited for what’s ahead, and we’re grateful to have you with us as we continue to advocate for, uplift, and celebrate Arizona’s gifted learners.

Here is to another year where gifted students are seen, heard, and served.