Harker hosted nearly 500 families from the greater Bay Area for an all-day forum in December designed for families of gifted children.

Operated by the Scholar Search Association, which was founded in 2009 by Patsy Kumekawa, the Educational Forums for Gifted Student Families events have now been held in dozens of cities across the country, including the one recently hosted by Harker. “We hope that we are helping kindred spirits to find one another so that they may share their experiences and ideas, support each other’s efforts and revel in the excitement of discovery and of thought,” Kumekawa explained.

Designed for families with gifted students grades 3-12, the events are free and include presentations and workshops, as well as sessions for students. Each event is structured like an educational seminar, and parents and students explore pertinent concepts of the educational process with qualified presenters who deal directly with these issues every day. “They also offer students (and parents) a chance to be engaged with kindred spirits in small interactive sessions,” Kumekawa added. “Through these discussions and sessions, one can gain considerable food for thought from people with significant expertise in their fields.”

In addition to hosting the event, Harker faculty, staff and students contributed to the event’s success. A panel on leadership, moderated by Greg Lawson, assistant head of school for student affairs, included upper school seniors Maverick McNealy, Tiphaine Delepine, Simar Mangat and Apricot Tang, as well as Harker parent P.V. Kannan (Sandhana, grade 9), discussing the definition and importance of leadership. Student workshops were presented by faculty members Karina Momary (debate) and Eileen Schick (Singapore Math), and more than a dozen student volunteers helped as guides the day of the event.

For more information about Scholar Search Association and upcoming events, visit http://www.scholarsearchassoc.com/.