Were you in the "Gifted Program" ?

reply to post by CantSay



Keep telling yourself that is the crux of the matter If it helps you sleep better at night.

Coincidently you are the third person to claim an I.Q. that is off the charts yet harbour incredibly simplistic misconceptions regarding these types of scholastic programs.

I bet you would be playing pro football as well but were cheated out of your opportunity because the NFL doesn't understand how to correctly play professional sports because if they did their scouts would have recognised your superior talents.

Yes, I was in gifted. the OP is onto something.

grade school gifted was called "Discovery" Don't some of these sound like space projects? hmmm...

Anyway... I think discovery was genuinely a discovery... like in court "a motion for discovery"

It was about studying and figuring us out.

Around 6th grade my gifted teacher was a very rude, very cynical and sarcastic woman.

I got dropped in 8th grade after rebelling and getting fed up with school.

I was in a gifted program in my elementary years. It was called LASERS (learning and studying enhancement realized by students).

I remember before the program was started they gave us all a very strange test with off the wall questions on it, like "If a weather system starts on the west side of the country how long would it take to make it to the east side?"

There were other asessment test too, I'm sure, that I don't remember.

The program was headed up by one of the stranger teachers, each grade had about 100 kids in it and we had maybe 7 or 8 kids in the gifted class. This was in the 80s.

We would read advanced books, discuss them, build things, and so on. The class was held on campus in an unused room (a converted storage room) during one of the regular periods. It seemed like the program was gradually converted to a "Creative Problem Solving" club of some sort. I think it was something like this. We actually had problem solving competitions with gifted kids from other schools in the county on an occasional Saturday morning.

It seemed like the special program was more for younger kids, I don't remember being in the program much past 11 or 12, the last creative problem solving contest I remember being totally distracted by one of the girls on my team.

As far as whether or not it was secretly a program to track gifted people throughout life - I'm sure it's possible but who knows. As you can see from my sig I do all kinds of stuff now, from engineering to media to IT to writing. Haven't noticed any MIBs following me though, LOL.

My guess is it was a temporary 80s fad in the educational system, but it is fascinating to see how there are so many gifted kids on this board.

reply to post by DCPatriot


Yes I was part of the gifted program. And you may about my writing style but as I am not writing a book I didn't really care to make it as clean cut. Never did really care for paragraphs anyhow.

I, too, was likewise in the "gifted" program in my area, called Enrichment. We met every Wednesday, and there were only 8-10 kids per grade who participated. While it seemed to foster a higher learning experience, I often wondered whether or not there was some pre-screening going on, even then. I was preselected when I completed 3rd grade, and the battery of tests that were administered seemed to have no correlation to the mainstream classes or teachings that I had been previously exposed to.

The class included logic puzzle solving, problem solving of complex formulas, barter/trade societies, GNP, photo development, book authoring, and several other "seemingly innocuous" group learning exercises. I really have considered in hindsight that the class was to determine which of whom should be monitored and which should be watched.

Future government think-tank'ers or future rebels inventing dirty bombs and plotting devious plans? We'll never know.

I think it is simply amazing how many of us there are on here, perhaps the program was just something to help out bored children that were ahead of the others, and that's it, but I know our government for one, and I recently watched a videotape discussing star children/indigo children, and how children over the past 40 years have become more advanced mentally, but not so much physically. Some attribute that to genetic modification by extra-terrestrials. If said were true, I think the government wanting to have a record of these advanced children would be understandable.

A poster said earlier that these children would be the ones to question everything, want to rebel, take charge, etc. I think that this is certainly one of the reasons they would want to set up a program like that. This has been an interesting topic for sure, I am thankful for each of your responses!

there was a lot of smart kids in first grade with me.

Why me?

How smart can a first grader really be to impress who ever it was making these decisions? Good kindergarten test scores? I don't think so.

the tests that got me in... easy as hell.

the tests that got me dropped... seemingly unfinishable.

i mean sure, if it was a spelling test i probably would have done bad anyway but this test was... i don't know. maybe I just no longer cared. might have been something like that too.

I was more interested in alternative knowledge because everything seemed backwards to me anyway.

...the school I went to didn't have a *gifted* programme...our community was such the concept of gifted was pretty much anyone lucky enough to have had food in their stomach that day...still, thats more than many others have around the world - so pays to be grateful for what you do get and have...


We did however have such things as IQ Tests and so forth done.
I did one at 14...and recall the results of that apparently indicated a high level of intelligence...yet heck, for a supposedly intelligent person I've sure done some stoopid shyte in my time...IQ and EQ are worlds apart...

reply to post by Roundtree


Yes! Voyage of the Mini was definitely it! I loved that show haha. Thank you! I can't believe someone else knew what it was! I do remember playing mancala a bit but I can't say we did whatever car thing that was.

Originally posted by Roundtree
I think it is simply amazing how many of us there are on here, perhaps the program was just something to help out bored children that were ahead of the others, and that's it, but I know our government for one, and I recently watched a videotape discussing star children/indigo children, and how children over the past 40 years have become more advanced mentally, but not so much physically. Some attribute that to genetic modification by extra-terrestrials. If said were true, I think the government wanting to have a record of these advanced children.

A poster said earlier that these children would be the ones to question everything, want to rebel, take charge, etc. I think that this is certainly one of the reasons they would want to set up a program like that. This has been an interesting topic for sure, I am thankful for each of your responses!

I agree, there seems to be a lot.

I mean the forum is large but not as many people are replying compared to what are registered.

it seems like a lot to me.

i can't help but to wonder how many of us are contactees... or perhaps channelers... or perhaps on the list that I think the government tries to keep track of concerning people thought to have been reincarnations of other people in history (I know, i know... far fetched- don't want to get into it- already catching too much hell today) I just think there is something we are not being told about DNA. I don't think THAT is why they picked me... I just have noticed some things about the concept of reemergence of certain people.

My high school (class of 1981) didn't have such a thing. They did have things like ASVAB tests. I answered every question in 10 minutes (of a 2 hour test-time) thinking I was just filling in the circles while the teacher made us at least open the right page. Anyway, I was offered a full scholarship because I had a high score on it, but they also thought I was black - so I had to turn down the scholarship.

Later, MENSA tried to induct me (IDK how they heard about me either (deans/presidents lists???)) - but I rejected them (I was in college and thought they were a bunch of old assholes).

After my BSEE I was offered a nuclear physics PHD scholarship from the NAVY (I didn't apply for it - still don't know why/how they got that idea for me... rejected it so I wasn't forced into a sequestered life like Openheim). So I took the GE Edison program (scholarship) with the Advanced Course option and also the MLC curriculum.

Ever since then I've been experiencing the Bantie Hen concept in the work world. That's where people hate the smart guy - they get envious. I can't even count how many times being 'smart' has worked against me in the politics of work-life. More than it's helped. Instead of doing more work I've usually had to "look busy" in order to avoid someone getting pissed off over some stupid made up thing.

Oh and I improv'd a song about it a couple of days ago. Here:

Originally posted by djmarcone
I was in a gifted program in my elementary years. It was called LASERS (learning and studying enhancement realized by students)...

Oh I do remember something like that in 2nd and 3rd grade (1970, 71). But in 4th they stopped it. And the teacher kept sending me for hearing tests because I wasn't paying attention. Dad said WTF... ohhh I get it... if you want to stay in normal school you'll have to learn to "go along to get along". Don't raise your hand any more, and NEVER get an A on any of the tests - or they'll accuse you of disrupting and do nasty things to you.

In honors math in HS - boy was dad right. That jerk of a teacher wanted to inspect homework (I NEVER did any except some labs in college). I still aced his class and the jerk CHEATED my grade (ditched my last test and final, put in a 0 and a 60). My principal caught him and let me re-take the final a year later. Then the jerk took revenge on my sister. She cried every night.

There really is such a thing as being "too damn smart for your own good". Its been my biggest problem all my life.

reply to post by Evan_Dood
[moreI]

Do you remember the episode where they attached garbage bags with oxygen to something at the bottom of the ocean and made it float up? an old mayan artifact?

I almost feel like the mayan show was the voyage of the mimi, im not positive though lol.

Yep. Grades 4-6 iirc. They called it "Challenger" in my school . Math Olympiads ect, all that stuff. About 12 kids in the class who were deemed "gifted".

Unfortunately I ended up dropping out of school after 10th grade. Became obsseded with girls at a VERY early age 12ish, then fell in with a bad crowd in first year of High School.

I always look at my life and it reminds me of the line from Bronx Tale. "The worst thing in life, wasted talent".

I excelled at all sports, and subjects. But had trouble with authority when I hit 14.

If I could go back in time to 7th grade and do things all over again.

Originally posted by yourmaker
when I was a kid, man...I was insanely rebellious. I would pretend to be stupid so I didn't have to do anything.
I would sneak away during vaccines, or come up with stories for whatever I needed...

School was not my forte at all except to learn how to manipulate people or situations I didn't like.

I was in my own gifted program.

Did people star this because they thought it funny or what? It almosyv sounds like it was written by a politician. I hope you now realize these are anti-social qualities. But that's not according to me. I would agree though. But then...Tv and most music also present problems for society.

I can appreciate the honesty here.

I had experiences with the gifted program in the mid-late 1980s in two different states, Louisiana and Illinois. In Louisiana, it was an informal program and in Illinois, I was part of both a formal and informal program.

I lived in Louisiana until I was 10. In 2nd grade, I read a technical book on butterflies, that referred to their latin names or binomial nomenclature only. In 3rd grade, we had to do a science project of our choosing. I chose to collect butterflies and beetles and pin them to a wooden board and labeled them with only their latin names. Now that I think about it, kind of strange project for an 8-year-old to pick.

Our school had awards ceremonies for students excelling in language arts, math, and science. In 3rd grade, I was given awards in all three areas. I do not know how children were chosen and I do not remember competing, but it was after that awards ceremony that I started receiving the "special" reading time. I would get brought into an area that was like a teachers lounge, but it was only ever two female teachers, always the same two. There was a desk, rows of book shelves on the wall, overstuffed chairs, and they always had the lights off and just the blinds open. They would choose a book for me to read and I would sit and read it with special headphones on. The headpones would have a series of tones and beeps, like a hearing test. I would sometimes use a little monitor that had a jumping red dot on it while I was between sections of reading and then continue with my book. I would stay in that room for up to two hours per day. When vision and hearing tests would be conducted, I would be given multiple series of them. I once told my mom that I thought I needed glasses because I was given so many vision tests. She called the school and the school said their records showed I was fine. Still, the hearing and vision tests continued and the visual and auditory "tests" would continue during my special reading time.

This continued into fourth grade and I had the same two female teachers both years. I continued to win awards at the annual ceremony and also won the fourth grade spelling bee. When I moved to Illinois for fifth grade, nothing special happened. However, before going to the junior high in sixth grade, the school notified my mother that they wanted to put me into the gifted program. I refused to enter the classes because there were only 6 students in the program per grade level and I did not want to stand out. My mother was notified again in seventh grade and I again refused. Yet, I was still given exclusive computer time in the computer lab and participated in speed reading "challenges", classes and programs that not everyone was given a choice in having.

I rebelled for social reasons, yet still joined my school's band program because of my love for music. In sixth grade, I started playing the flute and was first chair in seventh and eighth grades. My music teacher worked with me privately and I won first place medals at various regional contests. She began giving me blank sheet music and I started writing compositions by the age of 13. It wasn't until my daughter started playing the flute last year that I realized not all people can "see" music. She had a hard time picking it up at first and when I described how to see the notes and music as colors, she was lost. I did a little bit of research after that and found that "seeing" music is a rare thing. I think this is why I did so well in the music program. To this day, I can pick up an instrument and play it immediately, even though I've never played it before.

While meeting with a high school counselor before the start of my freshman year, my mother and I were informed that I tested high enough to be put into AP classes. I refused, but my mother pushed and I was forced to take them. I hated it, hated being singled out, and skipped nearly my whole first semester. When I was brought to the counselor's office and asked why I was not attending class, I told him I didn't want to be a freak. After freshman year, my mother let me choose my classes, out of fear that I wouldn't go or would throw the class to be taken out. Looking back, I wish I would not have screwed up, I could have done so much more in life.

My husband was also in a version of the gifted program and took part in a speed-reading program. Looking back, his experience was strange, too. He would be given a book to read in a certain amount of minutes. If he and the few others in his class didn't finish it when the timer went off, they would have to watch a TV on an AV cart that showed random flashing images and then try again. They would always finish it after the images were shown to them. He was in that class for one year, with 5 or so other kids, pulled out of regular reading time as well.

Kind of weird experiences looking back!

You mean writing separate tests and such? Yes I did but didn't take it that serious so they gave up on me.lol
They took a few of us kids who were essentially "bad" (non conformists) and tested us along with the kids who were "scholars".
Atleast they didn't diagnose me with adhd like so many others that didn't like being in a classroom. If I try hard, I perform in the top percentile but my marks didn't reflect that until later.

-iq tests
- advanced math
-advanced english and spelling

First post on ATS:

I was in gifted program from grade 5-12. I graduated with scholarships but dropped out of University due to finding all of the teachers and other students to be too unintelligent and overly reliant on book smarts in general (this even in creative writing programs).

Star Children is to me pure nonsensical ravings. Why did I respond to this OP then?

Certainly these will be disconnected details but I was, a year ago, given a shocking and disturbing image through the internet by someone (likely) hacking my computer. The image was somehow added in to the album art section in iTunes, specifically added to some music I had produced that previously had no other artwork added. When I played the song I suddenly saw a large grotesque image. The photo shows an incredibly occult looking masked figure, their body split in half down the center with one half male one half female, with a keyhole carved into their chest and holding in their hand a ceremonial dagger, in their other hand is a key. The photography, makeup, lighting and costume are all absolutely professional quality and I have been unable to find this same chilling image anywhere else on the internet despite a lot of searching. Odd to say the least...

(edlt: just wanted to also add: one side is white, the other is black and covered in decaying looking wounds and chunks of flesh missing)

I have not posted it to the internet (yet) mostly due to how creepy it looks...

Some months after receiving this image, and due largely to the good luck of my family name, I was given a (for me at least) high profile job working with the music industry and politicians, which I have since had to stop due to poor health.

You know the saying "yeah, I'm paranoid but that doesn't mean they aren't watching me" ? or however it's paraphrased (followed by maniacal laughter no doubt). In terms of other odd and really disconnected events there was also the time last year when a police team showed up to a concert I had organized because of affiliations to political groups I was active with: this was the admitted reason of the officers who said their sergeant had sent them down to annoy us but they didn't feel much like doing it. When one of them revealed there was a family connection to my father he was nice as could be and didn't shut things down by inspecting the venue. I took some video and photos but agreed not to post them lest he get in to trouble with his sergeant.

What is weird is that it was a totally last minute event that barely came together and so the only advertising for it was in free papers and on Facebook, a week before the event but for some reason the police knew about it (and this despite not that many people showing up).

Originally posted by daynight42

Originally posted by yourmaker
when I was a kid, man...I was insanely rebellious. I would pretend to be stupid so I didn't have to do anything.
I would sneak away during vaccines, or come up with stories for whatever I needed...

School was not my forte at all except to learn how to manipulate people or situations I didn't like.

I was in my own gifted program.

Did people star this because they thought it funny or what? It almosyv sounds like it was written by a politician. I hope you now realize these are anti-social qualities. But that's not according to me. I would agree though. But then...Tv and most music also present problems for society.

I can appreciate the honesty here.

i'm not sure why people starred it, doesn't matter, I suppose they agree, or they were like that themselves.
I am more misanthropic than anti-social, in the sense I don't like being around many people,
because they are just stupid. But I don't pre-judge that, I let them determine it for me.

I prefer to be alone in solitude for most of my time, it's nothing psychological,
it's more a realization of where I am in space and time combined with the fact I don't like being unhappy, angry or sad...nothing but content,
and there aren't many people I can be around very long without them pissing me off.

when I was that age though, it's true, I was rebellious. I still am but not to that degree.
I was consistently pushing the envelope. It didn't matter how much trouble I could get in, or did get in.
I never got into too much trouble because I was a 'genius' for that age, and I really only acted out for 'fun'.
but I learned a lot that is still with me today because of it. I can read people and situations like a book.

I would be a politician if I didn't have the morals I do now...

Originally posted by Roundtree
I'm sure many of you have heard of the gifted program, if not, it is a program set up basically to first identify "gifted" children, and then bring them all to different schools to learn different things, once a week. They took IQ tests, constantly gave us projects which were high complexity for 7-8 year olds, as well as other mentally challenging tests. The wierd thing was out of say 7-8 schools in the area, there were only 20 of us in the gifted program, called Odyssey in my region.

Was this an attempt to get the intelligent children on the books? find out who they are and watch them as they mature?

Also, how many of us ended up here? the gifted program taught us to reason, to ask why and how things happen, which is what this and other conspiracy sites are all about. Id advise you all to research star children, and compare the characteristics to the gifted program. I'm sure that we are in a record somewhere, identified as possible star children or something, what are your guys' thoughts?

I have your star symbol in the lines of the palm of my right hand. I was born with it. And like most genius I didn't have a normal childhood and now in my adulthood I am aware of the problem. A holiness church once told me what God said(I saw you before all of creation) about me that you know your different your my scholar and that is good I will find you a bride and it won't be mine. The bride is UFO technology you know that stuff out there near Groom Lake The symbol looks like a toy spinning top a star and a tornado all in one. Want to know more then ask me.