Mission Statement


Joy L. Davis, Ed.D.
Curriculum Specialist & Associate Director-Caribbean


Misheck B. Ndebele, Ed., M.Phil.
Co-Founder & Associate Director-South Africa

A fundamental mission of the International Gifted Education Teacher-Development Network (Iget-Network) is to bring gifted education best practices, particularly those relevant to the identification and nurturance of culturally diverse learners, to developing countries where gifted education is not included within education policies. We believe that to achieve this end it is necessary to:

  1. Create a cyclical means by which experienced teachers enable less experienced teachers through a process of, a) acquired training and shared expertise, b) support systems that cross international borders, and c) opportunities that equip them with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to recognize and nurture outstanding potential of children who by circumstance have gone unrecognized. One fundamental medium teachers use to recognize student exceptionalities is through a rigorous but relevant science curriculum that also include family involvement activities that enhance student skill development in the home setting (Project U-Stars`Plus, University of North  Carolina-Chapel Hill);
  2. Offer children the continuity of hands-on science and literacy development enrichment activities that nurture their interests and higher level abilities. Such development would enable students to pursue leadership, higher education opportunities and other possibilities beyond the environs from which they come.
  3. Offer student- teacher and teacher exchanges with international gifted education specialists (Wits School of Education, Beaulieu Preparatory School)
  4. Follow the child protégé progress from primary school to college selection. Learners will enter select feeder schools, participate in after school and Saturday enrichment opportunities and college selection counseling.(Project Excite-CTD, Northwestern University).

March 12, 2008