Engle had another reason to volunteer. He knows first hand the importance of children being able to participate in enrichment activities with other gifted peers. A scholarship arranged by caring teacher made it possible for Engle to participate in such a program while a high school student, and it proved to be one of the best memories of his childhood. The experience demonstrated to me that there were other kids that cared about matters as deeply as I did. This new experience gave me hope.
Many people consider children with unusual talents to be advantaged, and in some ways they are.
But gifted children face unique developmental hurdles and need resources and supportive programs like those offered by Gifted Resource Council. As an at-risk group, children with outstanding abilities often accomplish much less than they are capable of. This diminishes the larger community, since these children possess the skills, knowledge and problem-solving abilities necessary to address societal challenges like environmental management, medical and technological advancement, education, poverty and economic development. As a society, we cannot afford to squander the awesome potential of our most talented children. As parents, we must do all we can to see that they receive the intellectual stimulation, psychosocial development and nurturing they need in order to thrive.