Summer Camps at UC Irvine
Summer camps are UCI-sponsored (different from for-profit groups that rent space on our campus) youth programs and are carefully created to promote skills development in a safe and inclusive environment. Through the richness of the university's expertise and resources, our programs incorporate the latest innovations and techniques designed to elevate the educational experience. It is our sincere goal to have a positive impact on each child's personal growth and development by teaching confidence, personal responsibility and character development. We also recognize the importance of striking a balance between instruction and fun and creating unforgettable UCI experiences.
See the flyer for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the characteristics of a typical gifted student?
Gifted children have characteristics that often make them stand out from other students. Gifted students are curious, have a good memory, a developed sense of humor, they are highly creative, use advanced vocabulary, and have a wide knowledge base as compared to their grade level peers.
Is there a definition of "gifted"?
Yes, the current definition, which is located in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is "Children who give evidence of high achievement capability in areas such as intellectual, creative, artistic, or leadership capacity, or in specific academic fields, and who need services and activities not ordinarily provided by the school in order to fully develop those capabilities".
According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), “Gifted individuals are those who demonstrate outstanding levels of aptitude (defined as exceptional ability to reason and learn) or competence (documented performance or achievement in top 10% or rarer) in one or more domains."
What are Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) services?
GATE services provide challenging curriculum and instruction to gifted and talented students in California capable of achieving significantly beyond the level of their peers. The state of California provides support to local school districts to establish GATE services through the MTSS Continuum. The state provides general standards that offer districts considerable flexibility in defining who are "gifted and talented" and in designing local programs.
According to NAGC, gifted students need support and guidance to develop socially and emotionally as well as in their area of talent, Socio-emotional development may lag intellectual development. Thus, it is crucial that gifted education professionals and families of students with gifts and talents promote well-rounded development and the pursuit of self-actualization. Further, qualities such as emotion regulation, social skills, willingness to take strategic risks, ability to cope with challenges and handle criticism, confidence, self-perceptions, and motivation should be developed, as they may differentiate those individuals who move to increasingly higher levels of talent development from those who do not.
What is the process for GATE identification?
Each district develops its own criteria for GATE identification. Contact your district GATE coordinator for more information regarding identification and testing.
How is GATE instruction different?
GATE services use Depth and Complexity to enhance, extend, and enrich the core curriculum. Depth and Complexity is used to differentiate learning opportunities that stress the complexity of subject matter, develop greater depth in thinking and reasoning skills, and provide for the creation of new ideas and new products.
What is differentiated instruction?
Differentiated instruction involves providing students different avenues to acquire content; to process, construct, or make sense of ideas; and to develop teaching materials so that all students within a classroom can learn effectively, regardless of differences in ability.
Where can I find more resources?
GATE-Resources.aspx
