INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT OF (HIGHLY)-GIFTED CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS.

Kinder-College e.V., Koblenz
In Germany, around two percent of children are considered highly gifted, i.e. they have an IQ above 130. Intellectual giftedness is a blessing for the child, the families and society as a whole. But gifted children get bored quickly, find games “stupid” and cause disruption in order to get attention. Later, they feel under-challenged and suffer social exclusion for being a “swot”, they don’t enjoy the usual “age-appropriate” leisure activities and prefer intellectual verbal challenges instead of physical ones. Consequently, these children require special support that is tailored to their needs in order to develop in a balanced manner and realise their potential.

The Kinder-College e.V. in Koblenz and Windhagen, for example, offers around 90 courses in a wide variety of subjects that are visited per half-year on Saturdays by roughly 700 course participants at the age of four to sixteen years. In small groups averaging eight to ten children, the college attendees can focus on their respective fields of interest under qualified supervision – over a longer period, without pressure or having to worry about school grades, simply for knowledge’s sake.

Educational projects for children and adolescents from the local region, and in particular, for those who require individual assistance and attention, are considered especially deserving of support by the Wirtgen Stiftungen.

In cooperation with the Kinder-College, the Wirtgen Stiftungen want to help to ensure that highly gifted children and adolescents from the region will still have access to an attractive and varied program in their local areas in the years to come, which takes into account the intellectual needs of these exceptional young people.