According to the National Center for Gifted Children (2021), gifted children thrive when given extra circular activities to fit their individual education, emotional, & social needs. The Center for Gifted Studies supports the needs of local gifted students and has collaborated with multiple organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta, and the STEAM Center. The Center strives to support the needs of local gifted students along with many other organizations within Valdosta State University and others within the local area. Below is a list of local programs offered that may benefit the individual needs of each gifted student. 

Programs

Free programs offered by different departments at VSU, spaces may be limited & applications may be required. 
  • Science Saturday a morning program run by the College of Science and Mathematics. This program is geared towards middle scholars, but children of all ages can join in on the fun. Past themes include Adventures on Earth and into Space, Adventures in Mathematics and Computer Science, Chemistry is out of This World, Marvelous Metals, & Fabulous Creatures and Where to Find Them
  • Planetarium Shows are hosted by astronomy professors and students from the Department of Physics, Astronomy, Geosciences, & Engineering Technologies. Shows occur every first Thursday during the VSU school year and are suitable for children five and up. Tickets are free and the shows begin at 7:00 om, 8:00 pm, & 9:00 pm. Weather permitting, the audience Is often taken to Nevins Hall rooftop afterwards to the observatory. The planetarium is also available for non=profit school groups & civic organizations on a limited basis.
  • Speech, Language, Social (pragmatics), & reading therapy at the VSU Speech and Hearing Clinic
  • Counseling at the VSU FamilyWorks clinic
  • Summer Program for children with reading disorders provided by Scottish Rite and VSU Speech and Hearing Clinic
  • Tutoring at the STEAM Center
  • Project Learning Tree of Georgia at the STEAM Center

*Spaces may be limited & applications may be required

Programs provided by different departments at VSU including tutoring, day camps, and summer camps. These programs require payment but scholarships are available for most programs. 

Programs offered by local nonprofits and government agencies at little to no cost. Some programs do require applications, registration fees, and have limited spaces 

  • Boys and Girls Club of Valdosta offers after-school activities for children of all ages at their two locations. The clubs receive additional funding through a federal 21st CLCC grant. This grant is part of the “No Child Left Behind” act. The 21st CLCC allows the clubs to provide further enrichment for the members to provide personalized enrichment according to their academic and family needs.   
  • South Georgia Regional Library provides many extracurricular activities to enrich children’s lives including book clubs, LEGO clubs, kids’ crafts, and computer. Children and adults are also welcomed to check out books, audiobooks, movies, music, teen fiction, and children literacy to fulfill any literacy needs 
  • Valdosta Youth Council (VYC), a program provided by the City of Valdosta for middle schoolers. The meetings are held once or twice a month. The program helps the member learn new leadership and civic duty skills.  
  • Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks and Recreation provides numerous opportunities for youth including youth sports, cooking camp, a safari day camp, tennis camp, and special events. Their semi-annual program guide provides a more inclusive list of all they offer and can be picked up at their main offices 
  • Mildred Hunter Community Center offers multiple clubs and classes to youth. Activities include a checkers and chess club & a hip-hop class. Many of the classes and clubs offered are based on a mentorship program hoping to provide positive role models for the youth that are experts in the club areas. The clubs and teams include Youth Remote Control Car Club (for boys), Marching Pride Drill Team (for boys), Young Ladies Circles with Ambition (for girls), and Intervention Guidance Mentoring Program (all youth aged 11-18). 
  • Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts (The Turner Center) provides art classes for the youth of Valdosta including visual & digital arts, pottery, and the Young Writers League (YoWL). They also have a special outreach program called the Hal & Jill Project that allows students aged 6 to 18 to learn how to express their feelings into music.