Minnesota Council for the Gifted & Talented

CHAT Night
Finding Friends: Ideas to Help Ourselves and Our Children

with Tina van erp

Monday, oct 26
7:00 – 8:30pm CDT 

Via Zoom

FREE and OPEN to ALL!
No registration required.

Friendship can be both deeply important and consistently complicated for gifted individuals. Join other parents of gifted kids for an informal evening of conversation about finding friends as children and adults, building meaningful connections, and navigating the ups and downs of keeping friendships over time. 

 We’ll share common experiences with the role of affinity, connecting across ages and interests, intensity and sensitivity in friendships, changing friendships, conflict, and the desire for deeper connection. Come with your questions, experiences, successes, and challenges—or simply come to listen. 

As The River ® Coach, Tina Van Erp, M.Ed is a Gifted Learner Coach, Learning Specialist and Teacher Trainer with 25 years of experience working with gifted learners and their families. She empowers gifted learners through knowledge of themselves as a learner, a positive relationship with learning, and developing a personal style of self-advocacy. Tina is also currently a member of the Minnesota Council of Gifted and Talented (MCGT) Board and editor of the MCGT Outlook newsletter. More information about Tina can be found at tinavanerp.com 

What is a CHAT Night? CHAT (Connect. Help. Advocate. Talk.) Nights are dedicated to informally connecting parents of gifted children, helping them find other parents in similar situations with an ear to listen, experiences to share, and solutions to offer. Each CHAT Night starts with a brief (10-15 minutes) presentation by a facilitator on a designated topic of interest followed by small group discussion.

The format of CHAT Nights is intended to be casual, rather than structured. Due to the nature of CHAT nights, they are not recorded.

Join Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81237996683?pwd=WCjWqBlbLLY5Z2wmqsb82FyGpfl1bT.1

Neurodiversity and Giftedness: Supporting Exceptional Learners

Host Co-Sponsor: Lionsgate Academy
Shoreview, MN

Saturday, november 14, 2026
12:30 – 4:00pm ct

$25 for MCGT Members, $10 for second adult in the same family
$50 for Non-Members

REGISTER NOW!

A rare opportunity to gain knowledge, techniques and strategies to support neurodiverse and gifted learners with the top professionals in Minnesota. Interactive sessions include a broad range of topics applicable to all learners, but vital when raising or educating twice (or more) exceptional people.

Schedule:

12:30pm – Large Group Gathering

12:45pm – Breakout Session

2:00pm – Breakout Session

3:15pm – Breakout Session  

BREAKOUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS

  

Join MCGT’s Gifted Adult Community Group!

FREE* and Open to All
BUT registration is required

All are welcome! 

*Participants will be responsible for the cost of their own food, drink, and activities at event venues.

Saint Paul Fall Gangster Walkabout

Sunday, Oct 25, 2026
1:00pm – 4:00pm CT

MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Curious about Saint Paul’s colorful history? Join together for a fall walk through downtown Saint Paul with stops that bring to life the stories of some of Saint Paul’s nefarious characters from the 1920’s.

Lace up your walking shoes and come along to enjoy the stories, the autumn air and connecting with friends new and old!

After the tour we will convene at a local watering hold to raise a glass to colorful historical characters, crisp autumn air and gifted comrades!

Friendsgiving 2026

Thursday, Nov 19, 2026
6:30pm – 9:30pm CT

MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Let’s get together and kick off the Winter holidays season! Honoring the harvest and coziness of November, join us for our second annual Friendsgiving 2026 – an evening of friends new and old, food, sweets and a side of cerebral window shopping. We’ll meet at Red Balloon Bookshop and navigate our way along Grand Ave on foot.

16 Bar Bingo: Holiday Edition

Monday, Dec 21, 2026
6:30pm – 9:30pm CT

MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION

Join the Gifted Adult Community for a festive outing to The Hive Collaborative’s 16 Bar Bingo: Holiday Edition. Enjoy live music, laughter, and friendly competition in this upbeat mix of name-that-tune trivia, and cheer. Don’t fret about your music knowledge — the night is filled with holiday favorites and plenty of hints along the way.