Career Education for Gifted Pre-Adolescents

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Abstract
Most children have very few opportunities to learn about the world of work, especially about professional careers that are not highly visible to the public. Intellectually gifted studnts are as likely to need career education and counseling as are less academically oriented students. The type of career education they require will be different, however. Yet, few programs have considered that problem. In this paper a career awareness program developed by the Intellectually Gifted Child Study Group at The Johns Hopkins University and pilot-tested in Baltimore City Public Schools is described. This program was unique in its efforts to combine the teaching of fasic skills and mathematical concepts not typically included in the general elementary school curriculums with exposure of the students to professional mathematicians in small-group situations. The pilot program consisted of four mini-courses, one each in geometry, statistics, probability, and computer science. Twenty-four fourth, fifth and sixth grade students (12 boys and 12 girls) participated. The reactions to the program from students and parents were very favorable. A study of what the children actually learned from the courses was conducted. The program proved to be effective in teaching mathematical concepts as wella s increasing students' interests in scientific and mathematical careers. It is hoped that this project can be continued and expanded into other areas besides mathematics.

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