Inspiring Future Innovators and Creators

Horizons: Imagination Lab- A Summer Journey

Itinerary: Sample Week

Day 1: Ignite Curiosity

Theme: Identity, curiosity, and community-building.

• Welcome, Identity Circles, and Strengths Mapping.
  • Students engage in visual self-exploration activities to express their strengths, interests, and values. These portfolios help educators identify affective needs and create a climate of psychological safety. As we know, gifted learners need environments that validate their inner world and unique ways of processing the world around them (Webb et al., 2016; SENG, 2024)
• Workshop: "Big Ideas + Bold Questions" (Depth & Complexity).
  • Students are introduced to essential questions and Depth & complexity Icons to explore real-world topics deeply. Curriculum for gifted students should include abstract concepts and encourage open-ended inquiry (NAGC, 2021; Kaplan, 2005). 
• Project Kickoff: Choose Your Innovation Challenge.
  • Students launch their week-long projects by selecting a problem or theme they are passionate about solving. Personalization increases student engagement and motivation, especially in high-ability learners (Dai, 2016). 

Day 2: Dive Deep

Theme: Inquiry, emotion, and discovery.

• Inquiry Lab Stations (STEM, Ethics, Arts Integration).
  • Rotating stations challenge students to explore issues such as water conservation (engineering task) and dilemmas (ethical reasoning task). Real-world, interdisciplinary problems cultivate analytical thinking and ethical awareness (NAGC, 2021). 
• Affective Session: "Gifted Brains & Big Feelings.".◦ Students learn emotional vocabulary, discuss overexcitabilities, and create personal "emotional regulation kits." Recognizing and managing emotional intensity is vital for healthy self-concept and executive functioning in gifted children (SENG, 2024; Neihart et al., 2016). 
• Guest Speaker: Young Inventor Showcase.
  • A young investor shares their creative process and journey. Students reflect on perseverance and creative problem solving. Modeling and mentorship enhance talent development and social-emotional growth (Dai, 2016).

Day 3: Build & Design

Theme: Creativity, collaboration, and resilience.

• Creative Thinking Challenge (Odyssey of the mind-style).
  • Teams work together to solve a spontaneous design challenge (e.g., build a machine from recycled materials). Creative challenges build divergent thinking and collaboration, which are key traits of gifted learners (Renzulli & Reis, 2014; NAGC, 2021).  
• Prototype + Peer Feedback Roundtables.
  • Students create early models of their innovation challenge solutions using design thinking cycles: ideate, build, test, and reflect. Authentic problem-solving tasks foster independence and persistence (Kaplan, 2005; Clapp et al., 2017). 
• Journaling & Reflection: The Process Mindset.
  
  • Students record setbacks, breakthroughs, and evolving ideas. They reflect on their mindset and creative process. Gifted learners benefit from metacognitive tools that help them navigate perfectionism and failure (SENG, 2024).

Day 4: Collaborate & Refine

Theme: Feedback, perspective, and empathy.

• Gallery Walk: Peer Critique Rounds.
  • Students engage in structured critique using "Glow & Grow" feedback strategies, helping them revise purposefully. Peer feedback teaches self-awareness, growth mindset, and resilience (NAGC, 2021). 
• Socratic Circles: "How Might We...?"
  • Students discuss ethical questions tied to their projects, practicing perspective-taking and empathy. Dialogic thinking supports moral development and social emotional literacy (Neihart et al., 2016; SENG, 2024).
• Mentor Meetups
  • Local educators or pre-college students give individualized coaching and encourage deeper reflection. Mentorship is crucial for developing gifted students' affective and academic identities (Dai, 2016). 

Day 5: Celebrate & Share

Theme: Legacy, confidence, and reflection

• Final Presentations + Panel Feedback.
  • Students present their innovation challenge products to an audience of families, educators, and peers. Public performance increases intrinsic motivation and encourages students to take ownership of their learning (NAGC, 2021). 
• Time Capsules and Student Voice Journals
  • Students write to their future selves about their passions, goals, and what they have learned. These are sealed for return later in the year. Reflective practices promote identity development and long-term goal setting (Neihart et al., 2016). 
• Recognition Ceremony + Imagination Lab Certificates.
  • Students are honored for growth in creativity, empathy, and perseverance. Celebration of the learning process, not just products, builds confidence and motivation (SENG, 2024).