Today I am joined by Vicki Uwannah who is Education Director over at The GIFTED Project.
The GIFTED Project’s definition of GIFTED is: Greatness Is Fruitful Talent Exceeding Dreams – this implies that “GIFTEDness” starts with a dream…
We believe that every young person is unique and has something great to offer.
It’s only when one starts to reflect on this word, ‘gifted’ that they realise the range of meanings this word can have Some attribute being gifted to innate talent, others say it’s nurtured. However the recurring theme seems to indicate that only a handful of individuals have some sort of claim to it.
We at the GIFTED Project believe that every young person is born with a gift which is of benefit to the world. Why do we say this? Because we believe that every young person is unique and has something great to offer. Most people’s gifts are largely untapped and many people fail to reach their full potential. Recognising your ‘gift’ and developing this is the best way for you to give back to your community; by simply being the best version of you, you can be. Gifting may have some obvious signs such as playing a musical instrument or being exceptionally good at sports, but that’s not to say that individuals without these traits do not have their own unique gift to contribute to their environment.
Being gifted is about having a dream and being able to say: “This is the person I’d like to become, and I know I can get there, because I have these qualities about me. I know that I am gifted to become X because I am naturally good at X, Y, Z; but most importantly, I have the tenacity, self belief and courage to chase after my dream. And not only will my hard work take me there, but my character will also sustain me”. This is what we believe is hidden inside all young people, but it takes the right kind of pressure, environment and encouragement to draw this out. When individuals feel at their lowest, sometimes all it can take is someone else’s belief in them, to motivate them in starting or continuing their journey. In its unrefined, unpressurised and rawest form a diamond is presented as coal but given the right pressure, temperature and environment; that coal can be presented as the most extraordinary diamond.
Giftedness is often defined as educational attainment however; history has noted a number of great people who did not necessarily excel academically; Einstein, Edison and Branson to name a few. When some schools have heard about The GIFTED Project, the initial feedback has been: “oh, we already have a programme geared towards our talented children”. But what about the rest? Singling out the ‘brightest’ and ‘most creative’ children is not the only way to bring about greatness. Segregation not only defeats unity and concordance between pupils, but it also subconsciously sends a message to pupils with low self-esteem that they are not good enough to be given extra support or attention.
The challenge is also to engage those young people who are at risk of truancy, expulsion or worse? Take the case of the recent fatal stabbing of Seydou Diarrassouba, 18, which took place on Oxford Street on Boxing Day. From reports given by school mates, this was another case of another “bright kid“ seduced into the all too familiar gang culture. Hindsight can only suggest whether having an alternative, positive role model and a sense of self-worth may have acted as a buffer. This is not to say that this is the answer to all crime related behaviour in young people, but surely the age old adage “prevention is better than cure” could be considered befitting in this instance?
To all young people reading this article, understand that you are a rare diamond with something unique to offer, and this is what makes you gifted. Appreciate your weaknesses as well as your strengths and believe that you can do whatever you set your mind to; dare to dream. Dream big and follow your dreams through with action. David Viscott rightly quoted that “the only thing hat stands between a man and what he wants from life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible”.
To every parent, sibling, teacher and youth worker out there, continue to push for excellence in your young person(s); not excellence as defined by a generic quota, but excellence specific to your particular young person as an individual.
We wish you much success, stay GIFTED!
Connect with The Gifted Project.
Website: www.gifteduk.org
Twitter: @Gifted_Project