On February 22nd, the cafeteria of Apollo Junior High was the place to be if you were a parent, or a kid, looking for a summer camp to attend.

These weren't just any summer camps, however.

The vendors participating in this event lead camps geared toward meeting the exceptional needs of gifted children.

The Summer Programs Fair, hosted by the group Richardson Gifted, was a perfect example of the kind of support offered by this new gifted advocacy group.

A dozen vendors, all specializing in camps geared toward enriching gifted children, were on hand to tout their programs.

Many of these camps focus on art, science, music and math.

Among the offerings were the University of Texas at Dallas Summer Chess Camp, the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UT Dallas, the Repertory Company Theatre, and Human Development at SMU.

Other venue options included North Dallas Martial Arts, Camp Invention, ID Tech Camp, the Dallas Zoo, and STRIPES Yoga - a camp particularly popular with parents of children who suffer migraine headaches.

Included among the variety of programs, and even a raffle for attendees, there was also scholarship information for gifted students in grades K through 12, as offered by the Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT).

Bonnie Abadie, founder and president of Richardson Gifted, was thrilled with the large turnout.

“This is fabulous! It really shows how very interested parents of gifted kids are in finding good, enriching, appropriate venues for their kids."

"We’ve seen that there are many resources available for Special Education, but not as much focus is put on gifted programs.”

The Summer Camp Fair was just one aspect of the many things this new group is initiating.

The goals of Richardson Gifted are to provide support for parents of gifted children, advocate and enrich the lives of gifted children in innovative ways, and establish a communication network among parents, teachers and caregivers.

Offering a variety of educational forums, including hosting speakers to present on the subject of gifted children and their families, is another outreach tool of the group.

To learn more about this gifted children resource network, or to read about the summer camps available, visit http://www.richardsongifted.com.

Pictured (below left) is Bonnie Abadie, President of Richardson Gifted, with Meimei DiGennaro, Vice President of Membership.