How do you serve musically gifted students who live in rural and high-poverty areas?
Join Gifted Education coordinators Jeanne Ann Lee from Harlan County Schools and Dr. Elizabeth Edwards of Middlesboro Independent Schools for an upcoming workshop offered by the National Association of Gifted Children.
Titled “Identifying and Serving Musically Gifted Students in Rural and High-Poverty Areas” the workshop will offer practical strategies for equitable identification in music education.
It will be held on Tuesday, September 15, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. (EDT) and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. (CDT).
Lee said the webinar will help participants discover practical strategies for using equitable identification tools that may reduce bias, examine real-world examples of identification evidence, and learn cost-effective ways to utilize community and school resources to enhance arts education for students in these locations. It will provide information to advocate for talented students.
The link to register is: https://www.nagc.org/events/identifying-and-serving-musically-gifted-students-in-rural-and-high-poverty-areas/register.
“Talent isn’t limited by where a student lives, and a family’s financial situation should never stand in the way of a student being recognized or having the chance to grow,” said Harlan County Schools Superintendent Brett W. Johnson. “In a rural community like ours, it’s important that we look beyond traditional measures of achievement and recognize the unique talents and abilities our students bring to the classroom. We need to continue to give them opportunities to explore those talents and see where they can take them. Music and the arts can build confidence, open new doors and help students discover what they are capable of. We’re proud of the work Jeanne Ann Lee is doing to make sure musically talented students have access to those opportunities and to share ideas that can help other rural communities provide similar opportunities for their students.”
Lee is director of districtwide programs, music teacher and gifted coordinator. She is passionate about equity for disadvantaged and underserved students and is pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership at Northern Kentucky University. She is a graduate of Harvard’s Project Zero and sits on Kentucky’s Advisory Council for Gifted Education.
Edwards is the gifted education coordinator and choir director for Middlesboro Schools and an adjunct professor at the University of the Cumberlands. Her passions include fostering equitable opportunities and access to arts education for high-ability learners. She serves on the NAGC Diversity and Equity Committee and as the Kentucky Association of Gifted Education (KAGE) board 5th district representative.