In 2000 former educational software entrepreneurs, the Davidsons, founded the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a nonprofit operating foundation, out of a concern that our nation’s most gifted and talented young people are largely neglected and underserved. The mission of the Davidson Institute is to recognize, nurture and support profoundly intelligent young people and to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference.
In order to fulfill this mission, the Davidson Institute offers the following to support profoundly intelligent young people, their families and the educators that serve them:
Davidson Young Scholars - A FREE program offering support services for profoundly gifted students between the ages of 5 and 18 in the areas of educational advocacy, talent and interest development, child and adolescent development, and peer connections.
Davidson Fellows - $50,000, $25,000 and $10,000 scholarships are awarded annually to recognize outstanding students 18 and under who have completed significant work in science, mathematics, technology, literature, music, philosophy or outside the box. Each year, Davidson Fellows are honored for their achievement at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C.
THINK Summer Institute - A three-week residential summer academic experience at the University of Nevada, Reno where 13- to 16-year-olds can earn up to six college credits that may be transferable.
Davidson Academy - With two options, the Davidson Academy offers an online campus for profoundly gifted students living anywhere in the U.S. and a day school located on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. The Davidson Academy's Reno school opened in August 2006 as the first public school of its kind offering profoundly gifted middle and high school students an individualized education that allows them to soar academically with classes grouped by ability, not age. In 2017, the Academy launched a tuition-based, online option based upon the Reno school's curriculum and decade-plus knowledge base of teaching profoundly gifted students.
Educators Guild - A free, national program that provides an online community for elementary, secondary and post-secondary educators, as well as other professionals committed to meeting the unique needs of highly gifted students, can connect.
Davidson Gifted Database - Your gateway to gifted resources - a special section of the Davidson Institute’s website that includes a searchable database with hundreds of articles and thousands of resources for and about gifted and talented students. Also available is a state policy database of gifted education policies.
Here are two of our most popular database articles that parents find helpful:
Genius Denied: How to Stop Wasting Our Brightest Young Minds - Written by the Davidsons with Laura Vanderkam, this book has been hailed as a "manifesto for change" in gifted education.
Guidebooks - Free, downloadable PDF files specially designed to assist parents of gifted students with Advocating, Early College Entrance, Homeschooling, Mentoring and more.
Started in 1999, the Davidson Institute for Talent Development is a 501(c)3 private operating foundation. Our mission is to recognize, nurture and support profoundly intelligent young people ages 18 and under, and to provide opportunities for them to develop their talents to make a positive difference. Profoundly gifted students are those who score in the 99.9th percentile on IQ and achievement tests. Read more about this population in this article.