Fostering Gifted Children

Highly gifted children should not be made to attend special schools for the gifted, according to the psychologist Detlef Rost, professor of psychology in Marburg. He says to the evangelische Pressedienst (epd - Protestant Press Corps): "Later on, 98% of the people with whom they come in contact will be regular people, so they should learn early on how to interact with them." He emphasized that regular schooling is particularly important for the socialization of children. This notion is congruent to the academic approach of the Nordsee-Internat, which deliberately mingles students from different academic tracks and grade levels.

In order to foster highly gifted children in the best possible way, the Nordsee-Internat has forged a cooperation with the DGhK (Detusche Gesellschaft für das Hochbegabte Kind - German Society for Highly Gifted Children) as well the Nordsee School and created an enrichment-program for its students. By enrichment we also mean enhancement, personal gain, and embellishment. With this program, highly, specially gifted, and interested students are offered the chance to enhance themselves mentally and intellectually, gain more knowledge and skills, and embellish their daily lives with special subject areas.

Participants are given the opportunity to work on subject matters that are distinct from daily school life and independent of the teaching curriculum. They and fellow students who are just as interested in these topics, will work closely under the instruction of a specialist in the field. The enrichment program wakes interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm for a subject area and teaches skills and methodology to pursue these interests and queries.