This is Jackson - also known as FSK (Freakishly Smart Kid). Jackson is raising money to attend Duke Tip’s Summer Studies Program at Wake-Forest University. Based on his high achievement and financial need, he was awarded a $2600 scholarship. He’s trying to raise the remaining $1200 balance plus travel expenses and some pocket money. Final payment is due May 1st, 2015. 

What is Duke Tip’s Summer Studies Program?

From their website:
“Duke TIP Summer Studies Programs are superb academic opportunities and dynamic residential and social experiences for seventh through tenth graders. These three-week sessions are intense and demanding; students are challenged to think critically about themselves and their world.”

From the research I’ve done - it’s Nerd Camp.  And it’s exactly where he wants to be....

Jackson is 12 years old and scored a 29 on the ACT college entrance exam. The average score for high school juniors is 21. He doesn’t meet too many kids who think like he does - he noodles on things like quantum mechanics and makes jokes about physics.

Why do we need help?

In addition to being profoundly gifted, Jackson has Asperger’s Syndrome. It’s basically high functioning autism. He struggles to be tactful in social situations and he has difficulty making friends because of some developmental delays.

He goes to therapy once a week to learn the behaviors that most people take for granted: tact, eye contact, recognizing other people’s physical boundaries, etc. In addition, we’ve worked closely with the school system to make sure he’s in appropriate classes; grade level advanced in some, others he attends with his peers so he can learn social skills.

Jackson has progressed beautifully in therapy, to the point where it’s not immediately obvious he’s autistic. However, the end result is a great deal of medical expenses and time invested that affect our already small household budget.

Our budget is small in part because of the above and in part because I am a single mother.  I work from home so I can be readily available to do the things that need to be done when one has a child with special needs - therapy appointments, school meetings, etc. - as well as a neuro-typical child who is also bright and active.  Though he loves his children, their father does not contribute to their expenses beyond that which the court requires.  

Why should he go?

First: It’s an incredible academic opportunity for him.

Second: It’s an opportunity to learn new social skills. The class he chose is “Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: The Rhetoric of Critique”. An interesting choice for a young man who tends to think very literally. In this class he’ll learn how to offer diplomatic and constructive criticisms; how to analyze his thoughts before he puts them on paper. This is a new skill for someone who says whatever pops into his mind.

Third (and most important to me): He has the opportunity to make friends. Jackson is so very different from most kids that he has very few friends. In this environment, he’ll be surrounded by other young people who ponder and noodle over things the way he does. He’ll be with “his people” - the Nerds at Nerd Camp.

As an aside, I didn’t name it Nerd Camp. I pulled the name from the site run by Duke Tip attendees and alums: www.tipwiki.net

What else does Jackson do?

Jackson is very active in his boy scout troop and does a lot of community service with them. He is on the fencing team, and participates in Nashville Children’s Theatre’s summer program. He also spends time playing with his 10 year old brother.

We’re trying to raise the $1200 balance for tuition, and $800 to cover travel expenses and pocket money for the three weeks he’s there.