Do you know about Boulder Valley Gifted and Talented (BVGT)? It’s the local affiliate of the nonprofit organization Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented (CAGT); both support families with gifted children and the educators who work with them. Four years ago, when Rosa Medina, the wonderful GT advisor at Escuela Bilinguë Pioneer, asked for someone to serve as Pioneer’s parent liaison to BVGT, I volunteered. Two years ago, I joined the BVGT Board as the community outreach chair in hopes of getting more families from East County–and more from Spanish-speaking homes–aware of and, ideally, involved with BVGT.
As we did last summer, BVGT is offering ten free “playdates” for students of all ages (and their grown-ups), with opportunities to play games, build with Legos, explore outdoors, take guided tours, and more! BVGT playdates will take place on certain Monday evenings, Wednesday afternoons, and Saturday mornings throughout the summer at libraries, parks, and other places around the district. Our goal: to create opportunities for parents and guardians of gifted kiddos to connect with each other to ask questions, swap stories, and share resources, while at the same time giving their children something fun to do together.
Moreover, as an introvert, I recognize that talking with people I don’t know well is often easier when there’s something else to focus on, so each playdate offers activities that encourage kiddos to interact, such as nature scavenger hunts, board games, and arts and crafts. Watching my children, Griffin (15yo) and Gwyneth (11yo), building with MagnaTiles, playing Uno and Settlers of Catan, and throwing rocks into Waneka Lake with younger children at last summer’s playdates was delightful–I hadn’t realized that informal mentoring opportunities like this would be an added bonus of our mixed-age playdates!
(That being said, Griffin would certainly enjoy hanging out with other kids his age and playing more complex games with them–teens and tweens are definitely welcome at these playdates.)
We’ll also bring snacks and drinks to the playdates, along with a selection of relevant books from the BVGT Lending Library. Plus, BVGT Board members will be on hand to discuss what we have learned about raising and educating gifted children.
Before I share the list of the upcoming events, I want to emphasize that everyone is welcome, whether or not your children have been officially identified as “gifted and talented” and regardless of where they attend school (BVSD, another district, a private school, home…). Also, you do not need to be a member of BVGT to attend. (But if you’d like to join BVGT, we’d love to have your support!)
Please do share this message with other families and teachers in the area–since GT status is kept private, schools can’t give me names or contact information, so I’m sending this to everyone I can think of. (I met many of your children while serving as a substitute teacher at Platt Middle School and found your email addresses through the online directory.) Of course, you can also email me to be removed from future BVGT-related mailings.
The best way to track our events is with the BVGT Meetup group (which is quick and free to join). You can also check the BVGT Facebook page and the BVGT website. It’s helpful if you can RSVP in advance through Meetup or Facebook or by emailing me–but RSVPs are not required, because it’s summertime! You can decide at the last minute whether or not you’re attending!
And the 2023 summer playdates begin next week–Monday night! Here are the dates to add to your calendars; details are on the Meetup page.
| 6/5/2023 | Monday | 6:30 | Waneka Lake | Lafayette |
| 6/14/2023 | Wednesday | 2:00 | Walden Ponds | Boulder |
| 6/24/2023 | Saturday | 10:00 | Agricultural Heritage Center | Longmont |
| 6/26/2023 | Monday | 6:30 | Louisville Public Library | Louisville |
| 7/5/2023 | Wednesday | 2:00 | Broomfield Public Library | Broomfield |
| 7/15/2023 | Saturday | 10:00 | TBD | |
| 7/17/2023 | Monday | 6:30 | TBD | |
| 7/26/2023 | Wednesday | 2:00 | North Boulder Park | Boulder |
| 8/5/2023 | Saturday | 10:00 | Superior Community Center | Superior |
By the way, if you have suggestions for future playdates–or perhaps would even like to help organize and run one?–please let me know!
Wishing you well,
Sarah Dodson-Knight
mom of Griffin and Gwyneth Knight
BVGT Community Liaison
substitute teacher & private tutor