ESU Holds Out of the Box Event for Gifted Elementary School Students

On Saturday, April 13, East Stroudsburg University welcomed more than 45 gifted students from local and regional school districts to the Saturday Gifted Institute. ESU students taking Instructional Planning in Special Education (SPED 215) created a day of hands-on learning for elementary and middle school aged children (grades 2-8.)

This semester, the pre-service students created "Out of the Box" lessons involving the Great Barrier Reef and its protection; Shark Tank, featuring real world problems; Root Words, through Bananagrams; Regional Attributes; Volcanoes; and Structural Building.

ESU SPED 215 students who prepared the day's lessons and event were Eve Beuchat, a sophomore from Meadville, Pa.; Kayla Brandt, a sophomore from North Wales, Pa.; Jennifer Brunetti, a junior from Cresco, Pa.; Elyssa Camacho, a senior from Carteret, N.J.; Mikayla Fluck, a junior from Hellertown, Pa.; Briana Grant, a junior from Easton, Pa.; Julia Gutekunst, a senior from Nazareth, Pa.; Ainsley Howard, a sophomore from Easton, Pa.; Kerry Kaufman, a sophomore from Churchville, Pa.; Sarah Lynch, a sophomore from High Bridge, N.J.; Jilian McGowan, a sophomore from Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Madison Romanowski, a sophomore from Bushkill, Pa.; Paige Scalzo, a sophomore from Easton, Pa.; Madison Strickler, junior from Milford, Pa.; KalliAnn Talsania, a junior from Perkasie, Pa.; Alexandra Taylor, a sophomore from Lancaster, Pa.; Madeline Werkheiser, a senior from Easton, Pa.; and Lauren Wolk, a senior from Whitehall, Pa.

ESU's Saturday Gifted Institute program is the only program of its kind in Pennsylvania. For more information, please contact Dr. Brooke Langan, dean of ESU's College of Education by calling (570) 422-3377 or email [email protected].