I know I've "heard" a couple mentions of SIG (Summer Institute for the Gifted). There is a new campus this summer (U of Texas-Austin) and that might fit for us (I love that area). I'm interested in what the experience has been.

If you want inside info on SIG's day program, use the private message function.

As always, it depends on the kid.
DS11 went the summer after 3rd grade, as one of the younger ones of his agegroup, and was out of his mind with happiness.
He went the summer after 4th grade, and thought it was 'fine' but was quite dissapointed.
That was the end of that.

What changed?
Staff
being on different ends of the age group
his experience with any kind of enrichment activity - Almost Zero before the first summer, to real life friendships with other PG kids, plus lots and lots of saturday enrichment and get-togethers.

I will say that although the second summer was a dissapointment to him, I was delighted with two very important things -
1) He used a laptop for all the courses for the first time and really started to understand what a difference it made for him.
2) I signed him up for a writing class, over dire protests, and his written product finally gelled. There was a good teacher and it became his favorite class.

Those two things set the stage for his gradeskip, and his acceptance to his new school. He was SO asynchronous at the begining of that summer, and almost 'not asynchrounous' by the end.

Smiles,
Grinity

Thanks Trinity.

I would think that the staff would be somewhat carefully selected at a new program if we were to decide on Austin location. It depends on whether they qualify for the talent search summer institutes, whether the dates interfere with our other plans, and whether DH feels DS 9 is too young for a 3wk program. I don't think we'd make the trip just for DS 11; we'd have to have 2 there to justify >20 hrs in the car.

So you are considering the overnight version?

I wouldn't rely on the new location correlating with staff selection care. It must be tought hireing for summer programs.

Grinity

Yes, it's very expenSive--and that may eliminate it as a possibility. Practically everything is an overnight option from where I live (minimum 3 hrs from every other civilization) unless I can convince the camps to come here. I think USA Chess might come here this summer, Camp Invention and British Soccer are already here, art classes, and sports clinics that high school teams offer to raise money. That's about it.

If your kids don't already know and like Camp Inverntion, I would excersize caution, much much more than SIG.

Grinity

Do you mean Camp Invention costs a lot more than SIG???

no, I mean that Camp Invention was a very bad educational readiness level fit for my son between 2nd and 3rd grade. Very, Very Bad.

Grimity

I'm sorry to hear that. Why was it such a bad fit? Was he bored?