{"id":6,"date":"2020-11-14T22:10:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-14T22:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2023-02-22T19:27:20","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T19:27:20","slug":"the-new-umoma-opens-its-doors-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/","title":{"rendered":"Welcome to the MCGT CHOICES Chapter!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:17px\">The CHOICES Chapter of the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented has been an active community for years.&nbsp; We were long known as The Homeschool Chapter, and our monthly meetings were a staple of support for families of gifted homeschoolers in Minnesota.&nbsp; In 2019, we expanded our mission and updated how we serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">CHOICES stands for:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong>C<\/strong>urated Education<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>H<\/strong>omeschooling<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>O<\/strong>nline Learning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>I<\/strong>ndependent Study<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>C<\/strong>harter and Private School<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>E<\/strong>nrichment and Experiential Learning<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-medium-font-size\"><strong><\/strong><strong>S<\/strong>hared Time<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:17px\">We\u2019ve seen a natural expansion over the years in the ways families approach education, as opportunities have broadened.&nbsp; Families with all of their children in public school are often served very well by their local MCGT chapter.&nbsp; But the CHOICES Chapter is increasingly attracting other families who take a very dynamic year-by-year, sibling-by-sibling approach.&nbsp; They might not consider themselves homeschoolers because one or all of their children attends a school, whether it\u2019s charter or private, part-time, community college, or online.&nbsp; We welcome any family that uses their educational \u201cchoices\u201d to their advantage!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">The CHOICES Chapter is a resource for you when:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You have gifted kids who need something besides or in addition to your local public school district.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re looking for a community of families who curate their kids\u2019 education with all sorts of tools.&nbsp; You consider public school, private school, online schools, homeschooling, microschools, learning pods, PSEO, higher education, and more to all be on the table.&nbsp; Your family may be learning during the traditional school day, or it may be at night, on weekends, and over the summer.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re homeschooling gifted kids.&nbsp; Or you\u2019re homeschooling, can\u2019t make \u201cThird Grade in a Box\u201d programs work, and conversations about curriculum with homeschooling friends get awkward.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You&#8217;re stumped in finding your kid&#8217;s educational fit because some simple things are too hard while some complex things are too easy.&nbsp; Your kids may be quirky in a way that doesn&#8217;t quite fit in with other kids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You live with your gifted kids outside of the Twin Cities and don\u2019t have a local community of families with gifted kids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re an educator or professional seeking resources for your classroom or office, and connections for your families.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re a group leader for homeschoolers, co-ops, microschools, interest groups, academic teams, and other communities of learners.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">If you are a friend of our community, you are welcome to:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Join our&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\" target=\"_blank\">groups.io&nbsp;page<\/a>.&nbsp; Post, read, and respond to conversations on our message board, or contact our organizers for support. This is our primary method of communicating with our CHOICES community, and all board-related business including meeting announcements and minutes are posted to that site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\/calendar\" target=\"_blank\">Browse our calendar<\/a> for events hosted by the CHOICES Chapter, MCGT, and other organizations.&nbsp; The calendar is public, but you may need to join the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\" target=\"_blank\">groups.io&nbsp;page<\/a> for more information or to RSVP for an event.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>E-mail us at <a href=\"mailto:CHOICES@MCGT.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CHOICES@MCGT.net<\/a> with questions about navigating gifted kids\u2019 education, building community, supporting parents and kids, and more.&nbsp; No question is too big or small, especially about homeschooling!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>E-mail us at <a href=\"mailto:CHOICES@MCGT.net\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CHOICES@MCGT.net<\/a> to tell us about your organization or resource and inquire about collaboration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Attend our quarterly in-person meetings (third Monday of the month in May, August, and November, and third Tuesday of February) and other events that are open to all. &nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suggest events or activities and share resources to support families like yours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow the public <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MinnesotaCouncilfortheGiftedandTalented\/\" target=\"_blank\">MCGT Facebook page<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">If you are a member of any MCGT chapter, you are also welcome to:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/videos\/\" target=\"_blank\">Watch the panel chats<\/a> about homeschooling and making learning choices for gifted kids. This is a great resource when you\u2019re looking for support at 3AM!<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View and contribute to the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/resources\/\" target=\"_blank\">scholarship resources page<\/a> and <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/resources\/\" target=\"_blank\">view curated resources<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Join the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/1864984917082227\" target=\"_blank\">members-only MCGT Facebook group<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enjoy all of the <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.wildapricot.org\/membershipform\" target=\"_blank\">benefits of MCGT membership<\/a>&nbsp;including MCGT members-only events.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">If you are a member of the MCGT CHOICES chapter, you are also welcome to:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bring home materials from our curriculum library.&nbsp; We have Beast Academy, Life of Fred, Story of the World, Michael Clay Thompson, enrichment materials from Critical Thinking Company, and more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Join the members-only <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/mcgthomeschool\" target=\"_blank\">MCGT CHOICES Facebook group<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Participate in CHOICES members-only events, have priority registration for the most in-demand events, and attend some events at special prices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vote on member business at monthly board meetings (The board meets virtually during the months without a quarterly meeting.&nbsp; Meeting links and agendas are posted to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\">groups.io<\/a>&nbsp;forum.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">What are examples of past and upcoming events?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In-person field trips (iFly, SkyZone), tours (Minneapolis Central Library, Twin Cities stadiums), and classes (The Swordcasting Guy).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Virtual classes (NaNoWriMo, The Stock Market Game, Shakepearean Youth Theatre), field trips (Toucan Rescue Ranch in Costa Rica), and events (pi day crafts, social chats) for kids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Family events (Math with Bad Drawings with author Ben Orlin), park dates (Summer Passport Series), meet ups at events (Renaissance Faire) and casual gatherings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Study groups, teams, and hosting for events like the Geography Bee, the National Mythology Exam, and MOEMS.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Resource Fair, with used curriculum sale, vendor hall, speakers, and more.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Book club discussions for parents<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speakers for parents<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"has-black-color has-text-color wp-block-heading\">How can I help?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Join our primary source of communication on Groups.io and follow our Facebook page.&nbsp; Events and announcements are placed on both forms of media.&nbsp; Also contact&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:CHOICES@mcgt.net\" target=\"_blank\">CHOICES@mcgt.net<\/a>&nbsp;with any questions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If you haven\u2019t already, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.wildapricot.org\/membershipform\" target=\"_blank\">join MCGT<\/a> and our Chapter for $40 per year. Your MCGT membership includes one local chapter, and can either select us as your local chapter or add us as a second chapter for an additional $18 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Come to an event and invite another family to join you.&nbsp; Start by looking at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/groups.io\/g\/MCGTCHOICES\/calendar\" target=\"_blank\">our calendar<\/a>. <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Volunteer to join a committee or help with a project. We have board members working on technology and communication, the library, and several different types of events and gatherings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support the broader gifted community by making a <a href=\"https:\/\/mcgt.wildapricot.org\/Donate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">donation to MCGT<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reach out with questions and ideas.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:17px\">For more information, contact&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:CHOICES@mcgt.net\" target=\"_blank\">CHOICES@mcgt.net<\/a>.&nbsp; We look forward to meeting you!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CHOICES Chapter of the Minnesota Council for the Gifted and Talented has been an active community for years.&nbsp; We were long known as The Homeschool Chapter, and our monthly &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":128,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":126,"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/126"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcgt.net\/choices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}