Do you know a bright preschooler who is academically ready to start kindergarten or first grade, but ineligible due to the district's birthdate cut-off? How about a middle or high school student (not attending a selective enrollment or gifted program), who demonstrates subject area proficiency  and could benefit from advanced academics or AP courses in math and other subjects? Join us to learn how Chicago area parents can work with schools to advocate for academically advanced children under the Illinois Accelerated Placement Act.  Registration is required for this webinar.  Hurry!!! Registration is limited to 100 participants.

Webinar Speakers

Lemi-Ola Erinkitola, M.S. (Founder @The Critical Thinking Child LLC)
An author and award-winning educator, Erinkitola is deeply passionate about empowering parents and their children. Her tutoring and consulting practice, The Critical Thinking Child LLC, provides parent coaching and fosters students’ academic achievement through the advancement of cognitive brain development and critical thinking skills. Her brain training boot camp program was featured on ABC News. Erinkitola is also the founder and Executive Director of the Children’s Reading Foundation of Greater Chicago. There, she collaborates with community partners to provide literacy support and free books while sharing a love of reading. Additionally, she currently serves as an Ambassador for By Kids For Kids (BKFK), helping to improve educational technology and promote innovation among today’s youth. Erinkitola is an invited conference speaker at the local, national and international levels on early literacy, gifted education, cyber safety and critical thinking.

Eric Calvert, Ed.D. (Associated Director @Center for Talent Development Northwestern University)

Eric Calvert oversees Gifted LearningLinks, outreach, and professional development activities for educators. Calvert brings extensive experience in developing innovative programs and services for gifted and talented students to his role at CTD. He previously served as assistant director for gifted education at the Ohio Department of Education, where he oversaw the revision of the state’s operating standards for K through 12 schools, administered university-based summer programs for gifted students, and oversaw the development of the state’s policy on academic acceleration, which has since become a national model. Calvert’s background also includes serving as director of youth programs at Purdue’s Gifted Education Resource Institute. His desire to explore the potential of technology to enhance learning and thinking led him to designing and teaching graduate courses in “digital learning theory” and research methods in the Learning Design program at Bowling Green State University. Calvert