Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER2I)

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Centered at Purdue University, the Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I) is an innovative center dedicated to the discovery, study, and development of human potential.

Discover GER2I:

About
Programs
Research
Resources
News
Our Team

About

A group of students at the GER2I summer residential program stand in front of a sculpture at Purdue University

Advocating for High Ability Students

The Gifted Education Research and Resource Institute (GER²I), based at Purdue University, focuses on developing human potential. Founded by John Feldhusen in 1978, GER²I’s mission is to promote the holistic growth of giftedness, creativity, and talents in individuals throughout their lives. We offer enrichment programs for talented youth, graduate programs for future leaders, professional development for educators, and conduct innovative research in related fields.

Our dedicated faculty and students work hard to create high-quality research and programs that significantly impact youth and their families. We are grateful for our donors and advisory board members, whose support keeps us focused on our mission.

We take pride in our diverse alumni and graduate students from around the world. At GER²I, we consider ourselves a family, both during our time at Purdue and as alumni, making a difference in global education. We welcome involvement in our youth programs, graduate applications, and visits from interested scholars.

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Two GER2I students stand with their project

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Support the Center’s Research and Activities

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Research

Project HOPE + (Grant)

Since 2012, Project HOPE+ has provided scholarships and travel costs for 40+ high-potential Native American students to attend GER²I summer residential academic programs, made possible by generous support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and building on previous work in GER²I. Project HOPE+ seeks to validate methods for identifying talent among underrepresented students.

Gifted Education in the United States

This report seeks to refine what is known about underrepresentation in gifted education by conducting more detailed analyses than have previously been done. Because of inequity in identification and services, many scholars and practitioners outside the field of gifted education raise concerns about racism, classism, and elitism within the field.

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HOPE Teacher Rating Scale

The HOPE Teacher Rating Scale is designed to help guide teachers identify gifted students for programming. It is unique in several ways. First, it is short, with only 11 items that measure academic and social/affective components of giftedness, making it easy to use. Second, it is invariant when used to identify students from low-income and culturally diverse families. Third, it can be used across grade levels, K–12.

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Total School Cluster Grouping & Differentiation

The Total School Cluster Grouping Model is a specific, research-based, total-school application of cluster grouping combined with differentiation, focused on meeting the needs of students identified as gifted while also improving teaching, learning, and achievement of all students.

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GER²I Resources

Part of GER²I’s mission is to serve as a resource for parents and teachers who are looking to learn more about opportunities for gifted students and fellow academics who are interested in learning about our research in the field. While not an exhaustive list, we offer these resources as a starting point and welcome personal inquiries to our faculty.

Professional Development

Consulting Information

Faculty and staff are occasionally available for consulting with school districts. This is done on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Nielsen Pereira or Kristen Seward with specific needs and dates as far in advance as possible.

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Academic Programs

Our Team

Administration

Nielsen Pereira

Associate Professor

Kristen Seward

Clinical Associate Professor

Benna Haas

Clinical Assistant Professor

Alissa Cress

Clinical Assistant Professor

Affiliated Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students

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Alexander Bowman

GER²I Program Manager, Graduate Student

Yichen Dong

Graduate Student

Sara Lee

Administrative Assistant

F. Richard Olenchak

Professor

Brendha Tanujaya

Graduate Student

Gifted Education Research & Resource Institute

About

Advocating for High Ability Students

Programs

Enriching educators’ and students’ lives

Research

Project HOPE + (Grant)

Native American Research Initiative