Resources for the Gifted

American Mensa is the largest national branch of Mensa International, a high-IQ society open to individuals who score in the top 2 percent of the general population on a standardized intelligence test. Established in 1960, the organization currently has over 50,000 members in the United States.  To join, prospective members must score at or above the 98th percentile on an approved, supervised IQ test administered by a Mensa Proctor or through evidence of an eligible score on prior testing using one of the more than 200 standardized tests accepted by Mensa. 

Mensa provides a social and intellectual “round-table” environment where age, politics, and background are secondary to shared curiosity.  Mensa programs include regularly scheduled local and regional meetings as well as Annual Gatherings, which are four-day events featuring speakers, games, and social activities; more than 150 national Special Interest Groups covering topics from astrophysics and microbiology to chocolate and board games; and Mind Games, where members judge new tabletop games and award the “Mensa Select®” seal. 

The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) is a nonprofit academic center dedicated to identifying and developing the skills of academically advanced students in grades 2 through 12.  Founded in 1979 by psychologist Julian Stanley, CTY is a world leader in gifted education research and programming. 

CTY offers three primary learning formats designed to challenge students beyond the traditional school curriculum:  1. summer programs held at university campuses across the U.S.; 2. online programs in subjects such as computer science, world languages, and astrophysics; and 3. family academic programs where students and their families learn together in locations including the Galapagos and local museums. 

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving the educational success of children and youth with disabilities and those who are gifted and talented.  Founded in 1922, CEC serves as a primary source of information about special education, standards, and advocacy. 

• CEC’s mission is to cultivate, support, and empower professionals in the field of education who work with individuals with exceptionalities through advocacy, professional development, and the advancement of research. It publishes leading peer-reviewed journals, including Exceptional Children and TEACHING Exceptional Children, that provide evidence-based strategies for the classroom. 

CEC is composed of local units in all 50 U.S. states and Canada, plus 18 Special Interest Divisions focused on specific areas such as autism, early childhood, and gifted education.

The Davidson Institute is a national non-profit organization founded in 1999 to support “profoundly gifted” students who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ and achievement tests.  It provides specialized educational and social-emotional resources for high-ability youth aged 18 and under. 

The Institute manages several distinct initiatives and programs for highly advanced learners: 

• Davidson Young Scholars: A free-to-apply program for youth ages 5–18 that offers a supportive community, expert-led webinars, and individualized family consulting.
• Davidson Academy: A unique public school for profoundly gifted students that groups them by ability rather than age. It operates as a physical day school in Reno and a fully accredited online campus for students across the U.S. and Canada.
• Davidson Fellows Scholarships: Recognize and support young people under 18 for significant projects in STEM, literature, music, and philosophy with scholarships ranging from $10,000 to $50,000.
• Davidson Explore: A year-long online program that offers an advanced middle school curriculum for gifted students ages 9–13. 

• Davidson Summer Programs: Four five-day residential sessions for Young Scholars (ages 8–13).
• Davidson Summit: A conference-style family event that is scheduled in late June.

The Davidson Gifted Database is one of the world’s largest digital libraries of resources on giftedness, featuring articles on state policies, twice-exceptionality (2e), and academic advocacy. 

Hoagies’ Gifted Education Page is a comprehensive non-profit online resource for parents, educators, and gifted individuals that is dedicated to the education and psychology of gifted children and adults.

The site provides an extensive collection of articles, research, and tools categorized to address the unique needs of the gifted community.  Topics include:

• the basics of giftedness, identification, and the different “levels” of giftedness (from moderately to profoundly gifted)
• testing and assessment
• twice exceptional students (gifted while also having a learning disability or neurodevelopmental condition)
• educational strategies
• social and emotional support (addressing perfectionism, intensities, “overexcitabilities,” and the specific challenges faced by gifted adults)

Khan Academy is an American non-profit educational organization founded in 2008 by Sal Khan.  Its mission is to provide a “free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.”

A core offering of the Academy is a free online learning platform that follows a “mastery” model, where students progress at their own pace and must demonstrate understanding of a concept before moving to the next.  Learners access over 10,000 instructional videos paired with interactive practice exercises, quizzes, and unit tests.  Registered users get a custom dashboard that tracks their progress, recommends lessons, and rewards them with “energy points” and badges. 

The Khan Academy website also includes:

• Khan Academy Kids (a specialized, free app designed for early learners aged 2–8, focusing on literacy, math, and social-emotional skills)
• a subject library on mathematics, science, economics, humanities, computer programming, and life skills
• AI Tutor – Khanmigo (a recently integrated AI-powered assistant that acts as a personal tutor for students and as a lesson-planning tool for teachers)
• free test preparation and practice for standardized tests, including the SAT, LSAT, MCAT, and Praxis

The National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) is the primary U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the needs of high-potential and gifted learners through advocacy, research, and professional development. 

The NAGC focuses on ensuring equitable access to advanced learning opportunities for students from all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, through various federal advocacy endeavors including events such as NAGC Hill Day, where members meet with legislators to advocate for gifted education policies and funding.  NAGC also host an annual in-person convention in addition to a virtual teachers summit that provides educators with practical classroom tools for differentiation and social-emotional learning, and an opportunity and access symposium focused on inclusive identification practices and building school infrastructure for underserved gifted students.

The New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC) is a nonprofit organization that is officially affiliated with the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC).  It advocates for the needs of academically gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) students in New Jersey by supporting parents, educators, and administrators. 

The organization’s annual conference provides professional development and community networking.  Other NJAGC advocacy core initiatives promote equitable access to gifted and talented education programs and influence the passage of supportive legislation.  NJAGC’s monthly virtual sessions serve as an administrators’ network for school leaders to discuss state policy, identify best practices, and discuss district challenges.  Regularly scheduled virtual parent support meetings also connect families and share resource for raising 2e and gifted children, and annual art and writing contests encourage and recognize student and educator excellence. 

The Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) is a non-profit advocacy organization founded in 1951 to support gifted learners, their parents, and educators throughout the state.  It operates as an affiliate of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) and is a key stakeholder in the implementation of Chapter 16, the state’s specific regulations for gifted special education. 

Serving as an advocacy organization for gifted education, PAGE monitors state and federal legislative processes and works to ensure that diverse groups of learners have equal access to identification and that their academic and social-emotional needs are met through specialized programs.  PAGE maintains a network of over 70 local affiliate chapters within school districts to provide local support and networking.  It offers a free toll-free helpline for parents and teachers with questions about gifted rights and identification, hosts an annual statewide conference in the spring and an “Affiliate Weekend” in the fall, and provides monthly webinars with “Parent-to-Parent” and “Teacher-to-Teacher” sessions.