Advanced Placement Incentive Program
The Advanced Placement Incentive Program: Enhancing AP Opportunities for Low-Income Students in Iowa Project is led by the Iowa Department of Education (DE) and The University of Iowa Belin-Blank Center. This project serves teachers and low-income students in Iowa’s high-poverty public school districts (districts with 40% or more free/reduced lunch enrollment). The grant provides support to schools to encourage low-income students in Iowa to participate in AP and pre-AP activities.
Iowa Online AP Academy
Contact: Clar Baldus, Ph.D.
A federal grant supporting IOAPA makes it possible for students from every high school in Iowa, especially those in rural areas, to take AP courses online. IOAPA also provides training and support to educators across the state who are teaching, or who want to teach AP courses. The federal funding helps cover tuition costs for students taking AP courses and for teachers trained through the academy.
Javits Grant for Twice-Exceptional Project
Contact: Clar Baldus, Ph.D.
The "Twice-Exceptional" project is funded with a three-year (2005-2008), $904,772 federal Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education Program grant to the Iowa Department of Education, which is teaming with the UI’s Connie Belin and Jacqueline N. Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development and Iowa’s Area Education Agencies. The project’s main goal is to learn more about gifted students who have a learning disability or an autism spectrum disorder.
Institute for Research and Policy on Acceleration (IRPA)
Contact: Susan Assouline, Ph.D. and Megan Foley Nicpon, Ph.D.
The purpose of IRPA is to provide research and information on acceleration as a curricular intervention for gifted students. IRPA’s staff engages in research and acts as a clearinghouse for information on acceleration. Also, IRPA provides consultation to schools on policy issues. IRPA provides competitive grants for scholars who are doing research on acceleration. Currently, IRPA is conducting a national study of attitudes and practices concerning acceleration. IRPA was established by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
The Templeton International Fellowship Program
Contact: David F. Lohman, Ph.D. and Maureen A. Marron, Ph.D.
The Templeton International Fellowship Program provides full-travel fellowships for 50 international educators to attend the Wallace National Research Symposium on May 18-20, 2008. The fellowship covers travel, room and registration costs. The Fellows are also expected to use the knowledge they gain at the Wallace Research Symposium to enhance gifted education in their home countries. The fellowship program is made possible by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.
Davidson Institute Research and Evaluation Program (DITD)
Contact: Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D., Susan Assouline, Ph.D. and Laurie Croft, Ph.D.
A grant from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development (DITD) provides a comprehensive research and evaluation program administered by the Belin-Blank Center. The research focuses on profoundly gifted students identified by the Davidson Institute. In addition, the Belin-Blank Center will conduct evaluations of the new Davidson Academy and other Davidson programs.
Autism and Giftedness
Contact: Damien Ihrig, M.S.
The Belin-Blank Center is involved in assessment and intervention of gifted students who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. A focus of this grant is in helping such students attend and succeed in summer and special programs offered by the Belin-Blank Center, as well as other gifted centers. The project is made possible by grant from the Messengers of Healing Winds Foundation.
Advanced Placement (AP) in Iowa
Contact: Susan Assouline, Ph.D. and Megan Foley-Nicpon, Ph.D.
The purpose of this program is to enhance Advanced Placement (AP) opportunities in Iowa. The Belin-Blank Center, working in partnership with the Iowa Department of Education will provide the State of Iowa with information on AP and opportunities for students to take AP courses and exams online through the Belin-Blank Center. In addition, Iowa teachers will receive grants to further their professional development in AP. A statewide conference for educational leader will be held on June 24, 2008 in Des Moines. The AP program in Iowa is made possible by a $400,000 grant from the State of Iowa Legislation.
Invent Iowa
Contact: Nicholas Colangelo, Ph.D. and Clar Baldus, Ph.D.
The Invent Iowa program provides opportunities for Iowa students K-12 to participate in inventiveness curriculum as well as local and regional inventiveness contest. The top inventions from the local and regional competitions are selected for the State Invention Convention, co-hosted by the College of Engineering of The University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Funding for the program has been made possible by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
Contact: Clar Baldus, Ph.D.
Recently Completed Grant-Funded Programs
A-Z | Maps
Belin-Blank Center / 600 Blank Honors Center / The University of Iowa / Iowa City, IA 52242-0454
B-BC Privacy Statement