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An inclusive community advocating for learners with gifted education needs, their families, and educators
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Dear GiftedNYS Community,
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We hope this edition of our newsletter finds you well as school comes to an end and we welcome in the Summer season. Our June newsletter highlights leadership and service as opportunity for gifted learners to use their strengths to make an impact on their community. Leadership, service projects and volunteering are all avenues for students to deepen their understanding of agency, strengthen student voice, and learn how to think beyond themselves to contribute to the world around them.
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Gifted NYS member and communications committee volunteer, Dr. Sonu Aziz discusses the power of leadership, agency and gifted learners through the lens of programing at the Long Island School of the Gifted in our Perspectives Corner. We also share resources for youth volunteer opportunities across New York State, as well as upcoming youth opportunities.
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Advocacy Corner
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Summer months provide much needed flexibility for our gifted and 2E learners to dive more deeply into their own passions and interests. It is also a perfect time to volunteer. Experience as a youth volunteer can foster leadership skills, self- confidence, and a deeper connection to community.
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There are many avenues for students to find volunteer opportunities and take action for causes they are passionate about in their local communities and beyond. Local libraries, animal shelters and food banks are great places to start. If a learner is interested in a particular topic, seek out opportunities to volunteer with an interest aligned group or cause. Below, we share several places to search for youth volunteer opportunities across New York State.
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Search for volunteer opportunities in Westchester/Putnam Counties.
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Search for volunteer opportunities in Western New York.
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Search for volunteer opportunities in New York City.
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Search for volunteer opportunities in the Capitol Region.
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Search for volunteer opportunities on Long Island.
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Search for volunteer opportunities in Northern New York.
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There are many youth volunteer opportunities available through the Red Cross.
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Congratulations to all Graduates!
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Perspectives Corner
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Empowering Student Agency, Service, and Leadership
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Dr. Sonu Aziz, Head of Academic Affairs, Long Island School for the Gifted, Syosset, NY
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At Long Island School for the Gifted (LISG), student agency is not viewed as an enrichment opportunity. It is embedded within the culture of the school. Here, students learn best when they are trusted to move beyond simply consuming knowledge. Consistent with LISG’s mission to nurture independence, curiosity, and purpose, students are encouraged to shape, lead, and contribute meaningfully to their community. By creating opportunities for students to shape, lead, and contribute to their community, students are empowered to become change agents and transform their passion and motivation into meaningful action.
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This commitment to agency takes many forms. Over the years, students at LISG have identified needs within their community and transformed their ideas into meaningful action. Some have designed and maintained school gardens, developing planting schedules, organizing materials, and caring for the space throughout the year. Others have led schoolwide community service initiatives such as collecting school supplies for charter schools, organizing coat drives for local shelters, coordinating orchestra concerts for assisted living centers, and creating sensory mats for the school’s youngest learners in Pre-K and Kindergarten. Students have also proposed and facilitated clubs based on observed interests and talents, from creating affinity spaces for Harry Potter enthusiasts to teaching origami during morning gatherings and organizing chess matches during lunch. Many serve as mentors, providing homework support to younger students, assisting peers who need additional guidance, and modeling leadership through service.
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These efforts have engaged students across every grade level and challenged them to think beyond themselves. By identifying needs within the broader community and developing ways to address them, students have strengthened the connection between school and community while learning that their ideas, efforts, and actions can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. In doing so, they begin to recognize that they are not simply participants in their community, but individuals capable of helping to shape it.
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What emerges from opportunities such as these is the kind of learning John Dewey (1916) envisioned when he described education as a fundamentally social process. Dewey argued that meaningful learning occurs through shared experiences, collaboration, and active participation rather than passive reception of information. When students work together to solve problems, teach one another, and contribute to their communities, they are not simply acquiring knowledge; they are constructing it through authentic experiences that connect learning to purpose.
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At the same time, these opportunities cultivate what Albert Bandura (1997) described as self-efficacy, or an individual's belief in their ability to influence outcomes through their actions. As students move an idea from conception to completion, whether launching a club, organizing a service initiative, mentoring a younger student, or leading a community project, they begin to see tangible evidence that their efforts matter. Over time, these experiences strengthen not only individual confidence but also collective efficacy: the shared belief that together a group can create meaningful change.
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For gifted learners, these opportunities are particularly important. Many students possess remarkable ideas, creative solutions, and a strong desire to make a difference. However, innovation requires more than creativity alone. It requires the practical side of planning, organization, perseverance, and the ability to execute a vision. Through authentic leadership experiences, students develop critical executive functioning skills as they set goals, manage timelines, organize resources, prioritize tasks, collaborate with others, anticipate challenges, and reflect on outcomes. These skills are strengthened not through isolated lessons, but through meaningful opportunities to apply them in real-world contexts. By thinking about innovation and implementation as an iterative process, students learn the value of grit and resilience as they navigate an idea from conception to completion while developing the confidence, leadership skills, and executive functioning abilities necessary to create meaningful change.
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Perhaps most importantly, student agency fosters a sense of belonging. When students see their ideas valued and their contributions making a visible impact, they begin to view themselves as capable members of a larger community. This is where we often see something special happen.
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As students recognize that their voices matter, they begin to take ownership of their ideas and develop a deeper sense of purpose and belonging. That sense of belonging often fuels a desire to contribute, serve, and help others. Students begin to see themselves not only as members of a school community, but as individuals capable of making a meaningful impact beyond its walls.
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In many ways, this reflects the intersection of Dewey’s (1916) belief that learning is shaped through shared experience and Bandura’s (1997) assertion that individuals are more likely to act when they believe their efforts can influence outcomes. When students experience both belonging and agency, they begin to see themselves as contributors rather than spectators in their learning and in their communities. They learn that leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about listening thoughtfully, working collaboratively, and taking responsibility for turning ideas into action.
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These experiences are transformative for gifted learners. They strengthen self-efficacy, contribute to collective efficacy, and provide authentic opportunities to develop the executive functioning skills necessary to bring ideas to life. More importantly, they help students understand that their talents are not solely for personal achievement, but can be used to serve others and create meaningful change. At LISG, this is where student agency becomes something larger than leadership development. It becomes a pathway to purpose, belonging, and civic responsibility, preparing students not only for academic success, but for thoughtful participation in the world around them.
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Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W. H. Freeman.
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Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. Macmillan.
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The Pulse
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The Student Leadership Challenge Workbook & Leadership Journal
For the June installment of The Pulse, we feature a resource for students to identify and develop leadership skills, and put those skills into action. The Student Leadership Challenge: Five Practices for Becoming an Exemplary Leader, is a book based on four decades of research on what people do when they are at their personal best as leaders. Geared specifically toward young and emerging leaders, this book and companion resources facilitate learning about leadership and action.
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What do we love about it?
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We particularly love the Workbook and Leadership Journal companion resource for gifted teens and young adults.
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This workbook and journal guides students through learning about the Five Practices for Becoming an Exemplary Leader, and identify their own leadership abilities and potential, with the ultimate goal of putting strengths into action. The fourth edition has been updated with new stories and topics critical to today’s youth including climate change, mental health, virtual learning and social justice. We highly recommend this resource!
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Youth Opportunities
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Young agriculture, food system and technology entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to a panel of judges to compete for cash prizes.
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A variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) camps from UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.
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A list of suggestions from the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa for twice-exceptional students and their parents/guardians to proactively plan for the transition to college, preferably starting by middle school/junior high.
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Four different educational experiences that help students better understand problems, ask better questions, come up with solutions, learn from failure, and celebrate their achievements.
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Two student leaders from each state and the District of Columbia are selected to participate in a week-long government leadership program in Washington, DC, all expenses paid.
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The 2026-27 application opens in August.
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For high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation's top four-year colleges and universities.
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Application window is Aug.19 - Nov.11, 2026.
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Engages and challenges students in STEM through various levels of team-based, collaborative, and competitive tournaments throughout New York State. Registration opens September 1.
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More than 1,200 free science projects for K-12 in 32 different areas of science
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from astronomy to zoology.Check out the STEM Summer Boredom Busters.
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We are always seeking dedicated volunteers to help advance GiftedNYS's mission. Even 2-3 hours a month will have a meaningful and positive impact on our community.
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If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you'd like to receive future GiftedNYS newsletters, advocacy updates, and information about interesting events, subscribe to our mailing list by visiting https://giftednys.org/about-us/newsletter/. It's quick and free to subscribe!
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About GiftedNYS
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Gifted New York State, Inc. (GiftedNYS), is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization of parents, educators, and professionals who have come together to support the needs of New York’s gifted and twice-exceptional (2E) student population and their families. To learn more about our work, visit us online at www.giftednys.org.
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At GiftedNYS, the information we share is guided solely by our mission to support gifted and twice-exceptional learners—not by outside interests. If we mention resources, tools, or strategies, it's because we believe they may be helpful for families and educators. We do not receive compensation for these mentions and we do not endorse specific companies or products.
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