Help Fund Gifted Support Services

Hi,

Do you know and love a gifted kid (or former gifted kid)? Then read on, friend. We need you!

My name is Sandy Bean, and I am the founder of a new kind of gifted service! I own and operate The Bean Center for Gifted Enrichment & Support.

I have been a teacher since 2004. I love teaching and I love the hundreds and hundreds of students that have come through my classroom! I have always taken pride in being the teacher who connected with every kid, and provided a safe space where students felt supported and understood. I think I did just that.

In my years of practice, I noticed that one particular group of students tended to get ignored from a general education perspective (even in fantastic independent schools): gifted students. My own children are gifted, as am I, and if you have experience with gifted people you'll understand what I mean when I say that this set of traits, while handy in some respects, is not always a "gift." I mean, gifted brains are wired differently, and no one talks about it during teacher training.

But every kid deserves to be seen, learn, and grow. Even ones who are starting at a different line!

Many people incorrectly assume that gifted students, when left to their own devices, do "just fine" in school. And yeah, maybe their grades are good (or maybe not, it really depends on the kid!) when the reality is, these students do not get the same chances to build important skills as their typical peers. Instead, they spend a lot of time sitting through material that they already know. Or grading papers. Or doing puzzles. Or, you know, sneaking on YouTube.

This early ease of learning creates this unrealistic relationship between effort and achievement in the gifted mind; these children are not with their idea-peers, and they don't learn resilience. They are often even afraid to ask questions because they assume they should know everything, or they worry about what classmates will think if they don't "know it all"!

When this is the case, we can see many adverse outcomes manifest: perfectionism, anxiety, imposter syndrome, learning loss and, of course, loss of potential. So even though gifted people are not necessarily wired for these issues, their experiences create the conditions that develop them.

Parents often look for ways to combat these issues, because schools aren't always equipped to handle the learning needs of these types of learners for various reasons. It can be tough to find places where gifted students can gather and get to know each other, and many enrichment programming simply adds more onto a student's plate in the form of extra classes or activities for their own sake.

Back to me.

When my oldest daughter was diagnosed with exceptionalities, it became extra difficult for her school to meet her needs as a gifted person, and I began to realize there was a major need for specialists and advocates in this area. Parents and teachers are hungry for opportunities, information, and resources about this special group of people. COVID shined that light even brighter as I saw the parents looking for other gifted children or specialized groups for their exceptional children.

So, I decided to do something about it. And here we are!

The Bean Center is based on nearly two decades of classroom experience, coupled with gifted program development, curriculum training and development, and a sincere love for adolescent minds and processes.

The Center is poised to address all of that stuff above in a way accessible to all gifted learners-- even ones who were on the edge of qualifying for services in school, or who attend schools without servces.

This fund will help me serve students through a really unique model that marries project-based learning with curiosity, mentorship, grit, and reflection. I also teach gifted kids, parents, and teachers all about how gifted minds work, so these extraordinary kids can find their happy place and use their powers for good!

I humbly request your support to lift my business off the ground, because our gifted students need services like these to grow into the kinds of leaders and agents of change our world needs.

Your donation will go to purchase the following items required for startup.

Any additional funds will go towards mentorship, snacks, and technology products for student projects.

Rent and insurance for my small incubator space

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13.3" Laptops and Stylus Pens Screen Protectors

Power Strips

chart paper, chart stand & markers/pencils/pens

printer, paper/notebooks

art supplies

iPad mini

Bean bag chairs

Green Screen

Social-Emotional games

Dry Erase Board

Laptop Storage

Storage

Document camera

Projector & Screen or TV/mount and HDMI cable

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for making a difference for gifted kids!