Apr 24, 2008

Jessica Smith, a sophomore at Ava High School, has recently been selected to attend the 2008 Missouri Scholars Academy. The Academy is a three-week academic program for 330 of Missouri’s gifted students who are ready to begin their junior year in high school. The Academy is a residential program held on the campus of the University of Missouri-Columbia. Funds to support the Missouri Scholars Academy are appropriated by the Missouri Legislature following State Board of Education recommendations. The Academy also benefits from the support of the Gifted Association of Missouri. The State Board of Education is responsible for setting policies of the Academy. Now in its second decade, the program is administered by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in cooperation with University of Missouri officials. The Academy reflects Missouri’s desire to strive for excellence in education at all levels. The program is based on the premise that Missouri’s gifted youth must be provided with special opportunities for learning and personal development in order for them to realize their full potential. With a carefully selected faculty and staff, a specially designed curriculum that focuses on the liberal arts, and a variety of stimulating extracurricular activities, the Academy enables students to be part of a unique learning community. The Missouri Scholars Academy allows for students to enhance their academic skills, assimilate the accumulated knowledge of their culture, relate to contemporary issues, deepen understanding of themselves and their unique abilities, and engage with others in critical thinking and problem-solving activities. The Academy’s curriculum is designed to give participants a chance to pursue studies that differ from traditional educational programs. Guest lecturers, forums, cultural events and other programs during the Academy reinforce and extend the curriculum. Smith stated, “This was one of those once-in-a-lifetime, never-happen-to-me opportunities, but it did happen to me! The help and support I received was wonderful. I give many thanks to Mrs. Davis (and all the other teachers who helped on this project) for this amazing opportunity and the many more to come.” Miss Smith was nominated as a candidate for the Missouri Scholars Academy by her Gifted instructor, Karen Davis. “Jessica was selected based on her high PLAN test score, her gifted talents, her essays, and high GPA. This application required that we get input for some essays from several of Jessica’s past and present teachers. Jessica was a super candidate for this award. She easily adapted to the strenuous schedule we had to work within and her writing style and fluency was already so well developed, we completed the entire application process in less than four weeks. I’m very proud of Jessica and I believe she will be an excellent representative for our school”, Davis stated.