How was Children’s Mensa doing in 2014?

Due to the great success of the traditional autumn conference, which has taken place in Prostejov for several years now, we complied with the overwhelming demand and held the first Spring conference in Prague. In the Chamber of Deputies, numerous outstanding experts in the field spoke on the subject, including a rare guest, Mr Ranko Rajovic, who gave a presentation on the latest trends in his NTC Learning System method. The total number of participants of both conferences reached almost 400.

Members and friends of Children’s Mensa also had two opportunities to attend Children’s Mensa meetings this year. The Spring meeting took place in Podlesi, and besides the traditional activities (lectures, games, nature trips, and general talk about life’s joys and sorrows), it included a 4-hour workshop with psychologists from the Mansio association. The Autumn meeting, this time exceptionally held in-house, took place in Liberec, and 110 participants enjoyed a varied and colourful range of activities in the Babylon Centre. Due to the vast premises and huge offer of attractions, we had less opportunities to enjoy each other’s company, but the children immensely enjoyed the IQ Park, IQLandia, Lunapark, and Aquapark. Many parents then listened to the lectures by Dana Havlova about gifted children, and by Magda Cavojska about gifted children at schools and school options. Our next meeting will be in the country again, which will allow us to spend more time together.

The principal summer events were, as usual, the Summer overnight and suburban camps. Apart from the traditional Logical Olympiad camp, we organized a Summer camp in Zbraslavice and a suburban camp in Brno. The current number of 200 happy participants may grow in the next year, as we are considering organizing a suburban camp in North Moravia.  Are you, by any chance, in the mood for devoting a week to the gifted children of the region? We will help you! ;-)

A group of older camp participants wanted to increase the frequency of their meetings, which led us to begin organizing weekend events in Rousinov from the Summer (approx. every 6-8 weeks), where these teenagers can meet, play board games, plan various activities, and enjoy themselves. The programme is prepared by them to suit their ideas and interests.

Children’s Mensa also intensely co-operates with schools. We organize, among other things, demonstrations of board games, discussions with parents, and lectures for teachers. We keep founding new Gifted Children’s Clubs and support the already existing ones, where these children can meet and develop their interests. We are also very pleased with the increasing number of co-operating schools. If you know of a school with enthusiastic teachers, who are interested in working with gifted children near you, try to inspire them to begin co-operation with us. We are grateful for any volunteers joining our quest.

For pre-school children, we prepared an NTC Learning System publication, which can be ordered here. In co-operation with the Centre for Talent Development, we organize workshops and courses, and we have made changes to our Mensa Statutes to be able to get accreditation for these courses. Conditions for initializing the co-operation can be found on the web page Mensa-co-operating kindergartens.

Mensa Grammar School is being attended by 180 students this year. The school and its students regularly participate in competitions, conferences, and public affairs in the area. The results of our students, shown in school reports, final exams, and admission exams to universities, are outstanding. The Mensa Grammar school also excels in the individual attitude to students, and in the wide range of elective subjects and courses.

We were also very pleased with the Logical Olympiad. Approximately 49,000 students and pupils took part in the contest this year. Almost 2,000 of them advanced to the regional rounds, and the top 200 to the finals in the Ball Games Hall of Prague Castle.

The website deti.mensa.cz is a great help for all the above mentioned activities. All of the information about the Gifted Children Clubs, co-operating schools and kindergartens, NTC Learning System, events, and news in the field are published there. If you register to receive our newsletter, you will receive (approx. once a month) an email containing notices on events organized by Mensa and other partners, interesting articles, conferences, meetings, etc.

Everything we do for children is organized by volunteers – both Mensa members and non-members. I would like to thank them all for their work – it is hundreds and thousands hours of selfless work, without any financial reward. The only rewards are good feelings and children’s joy. THANK YOU.

And if you, dear reader, want to join, contact us, you will be more than welcome!

Dana Havlová

Related topics

• Latest news
• Mensa activities for gifted children
• Children’s Mensa
• Mensa NTC Learning System
• Gifted Children’s Clubs
• Co-operating schools
• Logical Olympiad
• Meetings of members and friends of Children’s Mensa

10.12.2014

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