JEDDAH, 27 August 2006 — A conference on gifted children kicked off yesterday with workshops focusing on integrating thinking skills in the curriculum, developing creative thinking, discovering gifted preschoolers and the social and psychological needs of the gifted.
The workshops continue today while tonight is the official opening of the Scientific Regional Conference for Gifted Students under the patronage of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah.
The first-of-its-kind three-day conference also includes field trips to various religious, educational and entertainment sites, such as the two holy mosques, the King Fahd Space Communication City, the Jeddah Center for Science and Technology, the Scientific Creativity Club, and King Abdul Aziz University’s College of Marine Sciences.
The workshops are taking place at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Le Meridien Hotel and the Intercontinental Hotel in Jeddah. Tonight’s opening ceremony as well as the following conference activities will take place at the Jeddah Hilton.
In addition to the work papers that will be presented during the next three days, there is also an interactive creative products exhibition by youth from across the Kingdom, as well as a book exhibition. There are also some workshops for students on skills development, self-development, and brain mapping that would be taking place in different shopping centers and bookstores in Jeddah.
A leadership program began Friday and continues until Wednesday for gifted students, allowing them to meet and talk with local model leaders in various fields in order to develop their leadership skills.
This leadership workshop program includes a visit to the Ministry of Commerce branch for a workshop on the characteristics of a distinguished leader, a visit to Okaz newspaper for a workshop on communication skills, a visit to College of Economy and Administration at King Abdul Aziz University for a workshop on decision-making and critical thinking, a visit to Binzagr Trading Company for a workshop on solving problems creatively, and a visit to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry for a workshop on project planning skills.
Some 1,500 experts from within and outside the Kingdom are taking part in the workshops and the presentation of working papers. The topics covered in the sessions during the next three days include nurturing the gifted and developing their critical and creative thinking, the role of the public and private sectors in nurturing the gifted, concepts related to giftedness and creativity, ways of identifying the gifted, the gifted with special needs and integrating thinking skills in the curriculum.
