Nurturing Cultural Identity with Diverse Gifted Learners

Identity formation is a significant developmental milestone impacted by both giftedness and factors that comprise one’s self-conception. Cultural identity refers to how children define themselves as they discover where they fit in the world based on gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, family structure, religion, and more. The positive formation of a child’s understanding of self as well as their differences with others must be nurtured in the classroom, home, and community. Families, caregivers, and educators share primary responsibility for ensuring that young children learn about their culture in positive and supportive ways. This seminar focuses on strategies and best practices for supporting a healthy cultural identity in diverse gifted learners.