What is the Hormel Foundation Gifted & Talented Symposium?
The annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium provides an opportunity for educators, counselors, administrators and parents to gain greater understanding of the unique needs of gifted and high potential learners. Participants attend in-depth sessions focusing on foundational knowledge, creativity, curriculum strategies, and social/emotional needs of gifted and high potential learners provided by the field's finest regionally, nationally and internationally recognized presenters. All are welcome to register and attend the symposium.
When is the Symposium?
The Symposium will run Tuesday, June 11, 2024, through Thursday, June 13, 2024.
Where is the Symposium held?
The symposium is held at Austin High School in beautiful Austin, MN.
Keynote Speakers
June 11
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis
Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Populations: Access, Affirm & Advocate
June 12 (AM)
Dr. Mary Hemphill
One-Minute Meeting: One Minute. Every Child. Total Transformation.
June 12 (PM)
Eric Calvert, Ed.D.
Human Futures in the Age of AI
June 13 (AM)
Dr. PJ Sedillo
Your Loss Is My Gain – Lessons from a Quarce-Exceptional Individual
June 13 (PM)
Dr. Richard M. Cash
Unleashing Potential: Empowering Gifted Students Through Improvisation
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis
Empowering Underrepresented Gifted Populations: Access, Affirm & Advocate
Tuesday, June 11
8:30 - 9:30 AM
This keynote will share current strategies designed to increase access to gifted services to underserved communities. Among the student groups discussed will be students of color, those in poverty, immigrant populations and the twice & thrice exceptional learners in our schools. Throughout the message, the lived experiences of these students will be emphasized as well as recommendations for increasing 'student voice' as a method of addressing identification and retention of diverse populations in gifted & advanced learner programs. Enlisting the support of stronger advocates across communities will also be addressed.
Dr. Joy Lawson Davis has a distinguished record of scholarship in the field of Gifted and Advanced Learner programming for over 35 years. Her specific expertise is diversity, access and equity in programming for students from underrepresented populations and culturally diverse students with multiple exceptionalities. Dr. Davis is a highly sought out speaker, professional learning trainer, and consultant to school districts, federal grant programs, and organizations across the United States, the Middle East, South Africa and the Caribbean, sharing numerous presentations with her message of equity, access, and excellence. Dr. Davis is also a Core Faculty member at Bridges Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity in California and Affiliate Faculty at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education, Gifted Education Department in Maryland teaching graduate coursework in cultural diversity and gifted education, respectively. She also serves as the King & Queen County Equity Coordinator, advising the Superintendent on equity issues and providing professional development for the staff.
Dr. Mary Hemphill
One-Minute Meeting: One Minute. Every Child. Total Transformation.
Wednesday, June 12
8:30 - 9:30 AM
The One-Minute Meeting: Creating Student Stakeholders in Schools teaches school and teacher leaders how to leverage a unique instructional practice called the One-Minute Meeting to authentically glean information from students. This valuable feedback can then be used to inform instructional practice, learning environment, and student achievement. By elevating student leaders as the most valuable stakeholders, schools can begin to engage in critical and urgent processes that directly impact practice and pedagogy within their schools. Developed to inspire district, school, and teacher leaders to fully & intentionally engage with and empower their students, the One-Minute Meeting holistically places students where they belong - at the decision-making table!
Dr. Mary Hemphill, a distinguished leadership expert, educator, and motivational speaker, brings over two decades of experience in roles ranging from third-grade teacher to Chief Academic Officer in her home state of North Carolina. With a Ph.D. in Leadership Studies, she has influenced and coached nearly 50,000 educational and corporate leaders globally, focusing on transformative strategies and leader empowerment. As CEO of The Limitless Leader, Mary spearheads initiatives to unlock leadership potential through coaching, consulting, keynotes, and workshops. Her impactful career includes being named Regional Principal of the Year in 2017 and receiving the Model Schools Award in 2018. Recognized as a 2021 School Ambassador Fellowship panelist by the US Department of Education, she was also honored as one of EdTech Digest’s Top 100 Influencers for 2023-2024. Recently appointed as a Senior Fellow at The Center for Model Schools, Mary contributes her expertise nationally to leadership development and strategic planning for educational leaders. As the author of 'The One-Minute Meeting: Creating Student Stakeholders in Schools,' she advocates fiercely for creating student stakeholders in school, leveraging technology for educational innovation, and breaking through limiting beliefs for leaders at every level.
Eric Calvert, Ed.D.
Human Futures in the Age of AI
Wednesday, June 12
7:30 - 8:30 PM
Human Futures in the Age of AI: The arrival of generative AI tools over the last two years has generated waves of hype, wonder, fear, and weirdness. It is also beginning to disrupt many fields of “human endeavor” – including education. While generative AI tools can sometimes seem magical or alien, it’s useful to remind ourselves that the “artificial” in “artificial intelligence” means “made by, or made possible by, humans.” If AI is literally a “brainchild” of human cognition and creativity, what can we learn about our own minds (and how to enhance them) by studying AI? And, how might gaining a deeper understanding of the strengths, potential for bias, and limitations of both “natural” and “artificial” intelligence help prepare today’s students to leverage both to develop their talents, pursue their goals, experience wonder, and fully express their creative potential?
Eric Calvert, Ed.D. is Associate Director at the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University where he oversees accelerated online programs for P-12 students, leads two school-based initiatives focused on equitable talent development initiated through federal Javits grant funding, and leads the Center’s policy and evaluation consultancy. He was previously state director for gifted education and global learning at the Ohio Department of Education and director of youth programs at Purdue’s Gifted Education Resource and Research Institute. Eric has always been interested in technology and “actively lazy” about leveraging technology to support learning, performance, and creativity growing up in the PC revolution and through the emergence of the Internet, the World Wide Web, the arrival of mobile and “smart” devices, and now the generative AI revolution. In addition to his work in gifted education he has developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in online learning design and psychology and cognitive science for UX. His Center at Northwestern is currently piloting its first series of courses exploring AI for children and adolescents which collectively explore AI4K12.org’s “5 Big Ideas” (perception, representation, learning, natural interaction, and societal impact) through the lens of “cognitive partnership” encouraging students to think metacognitively about the relative strengths and inherent weaknesses of individual biological brains relative to artificial intelligence -- and how to make the most of each by leveraging the other.
Dr. PJ Sedillo
Your Loss Is My Gain – Lessons from a Quarce-Exceptional Individual
Thursday, June 13
8:30 - 9:30 AM
Dr. PJ Sedillo’s keynote centers around his life experience as an openly gay, gifted, 2E, Hispanic who just happens to be “Quarce Exceptional.” He recently had a life changing experience and currently is diagnosed with Prostate Cancer. He will impart his life lessons and research pertaining to gifted risks of overexcitabilities, over-thinking, and over-exhaustion all intertwined with the art of becoming resilient.
Dr. PJ “Paul James” Sedillo an Associate Professor for the Special/Gifted Education Department at New Mexico Highlands University where he teaches the Gifted Endorsement coursework. He is published in Gifted Child Today, Journal of Education & Social Policy, Prufrock Press, Parents of High Potential, and ABQ Press where his book Solidarity through Pride won best book in Arizona/New Mexico for 2018. He also has a new chapter is in Prufrock Press titled Identifying and Serving Diverse Gifted Learners: Meeting the Needs of Special Populations in Gifted Education which introduces Stages of Identity for GLBT-Gifted persons. His most recent book from Pieces of Learning Publications is entitled Embraced or Excluded? Fact & Fiction of Famous LGBTQ+ Persons. He served as President for the NM Association for the Gifted, Communication Member & Chair-Elect for the NAGC-GLBTQ Network, NAGC State Affiliate Leadership and Advocacy member, Co-Chair for the 2019 NAGC Conference in Albuquerque, and served as an At-Large Board Member for NAGC.
“In each loss there is a gain, as in every gain there is a loss, and with each ending comes a new beginning.”
- Buddhist proverb
Dr. Richard M. Cash
Unleashing Potential: Empowering Gifted Students Through Improvisation
Thursday, June 13
1:45 - 3:00 PM
Prepare for an unforgettable keynote experience like never before! Dr. Richard M. Cash, a seasoned educator of the gifted and trained actor, invites you to embark on a transformative journey into the realm of improvisation (improv). Discover how the power of unplanned actions can revolutionize the learning experience for gifted students, fostering engagement, motivation, and resilience like never before.
Dr. Richard M. Cash is an award-winning educator and author who has worked in the field of education for more than 30 years. His range of experience includes teaching, curriculum coordination, and program administration. Currently, he is an internationally recognized education consultant (www.nrich.consulting). His consulting work has taken him throughout the United States, as well as into Canada, The Czech Republic, Cyprus, England, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Jordan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, and Turkey.
Richard received his Doctorate in educational leadership, and a Master of Arts degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. Along with his Bachelor of Science degree in education from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire.For over 10 years, he co-directed a children’s theater company in Minnesota, and co-authored 4 award winning children’s plays. He was recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children’s (NAGC) Early Leader Award (2011), recognizing his leadership in programing for gifted children. Richard was also named the “Friend of the Gifted, 2016” by the Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented (MEGT). He is the former Director of Gifted Programs and Services for the Bloomington Public Schools.
Sessions
In addition to the Keynotes, the Symposium features 25 different three-day sessions and a selection of mini-topic sessions. Attendees will attend the same session, during the same time slot, on each day of the Symposium. With sessions from The Talent Development Model in K-12 Program and Curriculum Design to Practical Differentiation to Meet the Needs of All Students, there's sure to be a session that fits your needs.
Registration
General Sessions: June 11-13
The registration fee is $225 and includes daily keynote presentations and sessions, materials, breakfast and lunches. An optional evening banquet is available and included, but requires an RSVP during online registration. Pre-registration is required.
Registration is not considered complete until payment is received. An email confirmation will be sent to you upon successful completion of the online registration process. If you do not receive an email confirmation, you are NOT registered.
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available on a first come, first served basis. Please see the Scholarship Information Memo for more information.
Payment
A Credit Card is required for online registration.
If you have questions throughout your registration process or for general assistance with completing a registration form, contact Sandy Detwiler at sandy.detwiler@austin.k12.mn.us or call 507-460-1912. Registration fees are waived for Austin Public Schools employees and Austin residents.
Cancellations and refund requests must be received by May 31, 2024, by contacting Sandy Detwiler. Cancellations due to illness or emergency after May 31, 2024, will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to a $25 cancellation fee.
Lodging INformation
We have arranged Hotel Blocks with four different Austin hotels.
Holiday Inn (Becoming Double Tree By Hilton around 4/1)
To make a reservation, call the hotel directly at 507-433-1000 and let the staff know you would like a room in the GT Symposium block. (This block of rooms is reserved until 5/10.)
Days Inn
To make a reservation, call the hotel directly at 507-433-8600 and let the staff know you would like a room in the GT Symposium block. (This block of rooms is reserved until 5/10.)
AmericInn Austin
To make a reservation, you can either call the hotel directly at 507-437-7337 and let the staff know you would like a room in the GT Symposium block or follow the link: AmericInn room block for GT Symposium This link takes you directly to the block of rooms blocked for the symposium. (This block of rooms is reserved until 4/26.)
Cobblestone Hotel & Suites
To make a reservation, call the hotel directly at 507-433-9797 and let the staff know you would like a room in the GT Symposium block. (This block of rooms is reserved until 5/10.)
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The Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Symposium is an amazing event full of fun, learning, and networking. As one of the premiere Gifted and Talented Symposiums in the United States, we want everyone to get the opportunity to join us!
Contact
The Hormel Foundation Gifted & Talented Education Symposium is made possible by a generous grant from the Hormel Foundation in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education and Austin Public Schools.
