Inaugural board elected for giftEDnz

Left to right: Louise Tapper, Anne Sturgess, Ann Easter, Tracy Riley, Rosemary Cathcart.

The official launch of the Professional Association for Gifted Education, giftEDnz, took place in Rotorua on Saturday 14th March.

Held in conjunction with the Reaching Forward national conference, the inaugural meeting was attended by nearly 100 members from all over NZ.

There was considerable interest in the election of the new board, with 13 candidates standing for just five positions.

Steering committee member Dr Roger Moltzen, who chaired the meeting, said: “The interest in giftEDnz has been phenomenal and we are delighted with the calibre of people who put themselves forward for nomination.”

The five elected members of the giftEDnz Board are:

• Tracy Riley, Massey University.

• Louise Tapper, University of Canterbury.

• Rosemary Cathcart, REACH Education.

• Ann Easter, University of Waikato.

• Anne Sturgess, Edgecumbe College.

The board brings together people who have a wealth of knowledge and expertise in gifted education, including academics, teacher educators, professional development providers, and teachers.

According to Dr Moltzen, “giftEDnz has the potential to bring together professional groups that have been largely working in isolation up until now and this can only benefit gifted and talented students in NZ.”

The association was established in 2008 with funding support from the Todd Foundation. It aims to assist gifted education professionals to network, advocate for the needs of gifted and talented children, make links with national and international organisations, and offer a shared voice to government and other groups.

For more information, see http://www.giftednz.org.nz