Upcoming Gifted Education Institute
Teach for Student Learning | Elevate Student Thinking | Enhance Your Pedagogical Toolkit and Leadership Skills
Join us for the Teaching for Learning Institute, an annual gathering designed for educators committed to advancing student thinking and curriculum excellence. From foundational instructional strategies to the cutting edge of educational technology, we provide the tools you need to support and challenge advanced learners.
Why Attend?
- Expert-Led Practical Sessions: Learn from distinguished Whitworth faculty, successful alumni and nationally recognized researchers and authors.
- Evidence-Based Models: Gain access to proven resources and frameworks that bridge the gap between potential and achievement.
- Featured 2026 Themes: Specialized tracks for program evaluation, twice exceptional learners, and supporting advanced students in the general and gifted classroom.
Whether you are a school leader, classroom teacher or gifted specialist, there's something for you at Whitworth's Teaching for Learning Institute!
Summer 2026 Teaching for Learning Institute
- Dates: June 24-26, 2026
- Location: On campus
Whitworth University
300 W. Hawthorne Road
Spokane, WA 99251 - Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
- Cost: $399* per person (includes lunch)
*School-based teams that register together will receive every sixth registration free; Whitworth University is a Washington state-approved clock hour provider.
Join us for three days of engaging sessions focused on ways we can use or adapt curriculum resources, identify strengths, develop talent, support learners with twice-exceptionalities, and differentiate instruction and support psychosocial skill development. Each day includes a keynote, breakout session, an in-depth multi-day deep dive track, as well as opportunities to share your ideas and network with others around specific topics of interest.
Academic Credit
You may elect to receive one graduate-level credit from Whitworth University for an additional fee of $150. There will be course assignments for those receiving graduate-level credit, to be completed after the conference is over. This credit can be used to meet the elective requirement for the Washington State Gifted Education Specialty Endorsement offered at Whitworth. One graduate-level semester credit equals 15 Washington state-approved clock hours. Registration for credit will occur during the institute after an informational meeting, held on Wednesday, June 24, at 4 p.m.
Payment Information & Cancellation/Refund Policy
Payments with credit cards can be made via the online registration form. We also accept checks and purchase orders. Please email purchase orders to gifted@whitworth.edu or mail them to:
Whitworth University
Center for Gifted Education
300 W. Hawthorne Road
Spokane, WA 99251
All monies less $25 processing fee will be refunded if paid registrations are canceled by 5 p.m. PST on Friday, June 20, 2025. After June 20, no refund is provided. Contact the Center for Gifted Education at gifted@whitworth.edu or 509.777.3769 to cancel your registration and request a refund.
Hotel Accommodations
Need a place to stay? Hotels near campus, with discounts, can be found here.
Example Schedule
| 9-10 a.m. | Keynote address |
| 10-10:10 a.m. | Break |
| 10:10 a.m.-12:10 p.m. | Deep dive tracks (attend the same track each day) |
| 12:10-1:10 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1:15-2:15 p.m. | Breakout session 1 |
| 2:15-2:25 p.m. | Break and snacks |
| 2:25-3:25 p.m. | Breakout session 2 |
| 3:30-4 p.m. | Roundtable discussion |
Keynote Speakers
Kristie Speirs Neumeister, Ph.D.
Kristie Speirs Neumeister is a professor in the department of educational psychology at Ball State University, where she directs the gifted licensure program and teaches graduate courses in educational psychology relating to gifted education. Throughout her career she has focused her research on aspects of perfectionism and how perfectionism influences the achievement of academically gifted students. Speirs Neumeister serves on the NAGC Board of Directors and was the recipient of the National Association for Gifted Children's Gifted Child Quarterly Paper of the Year and Early Scholar Awards. She is also the co-author of Perfectionism in School: When Achievement is not so Perfect; An Introduction to Gifted Education: The Complete Kit for Facilitators, Coordinators, and In-Service Training Professionals and Gifted Program Evaluation: A Handbook for Administrators and Coordinators.
Claire E. Hughes, Ph.D.
Claire E. Hughes professor of special, gifted and twice-exceptional education at Cleveland State University. Previously, she was professor of elementary and special education at the College of Coastal Georgia, faculty director of special education programmes at Canterbury Christ Church University in the U.K., and has been a Fulbright Scholar to Greece twice. Winner of the Gifted & Award from NAGC, she is President of the Association of the Gifted for the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC-TAG). Her research areas include: twice-exceptional children – particularly gifted children with autism; generational studies; the use of AI in education and international education.
Emily Mofield, Ed.D.
Emily Mofield is an associate professor at Lipscomb University, teaching courses in the Gifted Education & Advanced Academics Program and Ph.D. and Ed.D. Programs in Leadership. With over 25 years of experience in gifted education as a teacher, district leader and researcher, Mofield is passionate about developing high-quality resources to equip teachers to identify, serve and support gifted and high-potential students. Mofield has authored or co-authored several books, award-winning gifted curricula (with Tamra Stambaugh/Vanderbilt PTY), articles and chapters in the field and has been recognized by NAGC with the Hollingworth Award for excellence in gifted education research (with Megan Parker Peters). She has co-authored Collaboration, Coteaching, and Coaching in Gifted Education: Strategies to Support Gifted Learners with Vicki Phelps, recognized as NAGC Book of the Year (2021). She has also recently co-authored A Teacher's Guide to Curriculum Design for Gifted and Advanced Learners (2022) (with Tamra Stambaugh). Her newest books include Vertical Differentiation for Gifted, Advanced, and High-Potential Students: 25 Strategies to Stretch Student Thinking (2023) and Coaching in Gifted Education (with Vicki Phelps). She is currently working on her next book project, Beyond the Screen: Tools for Deep Thinking and Meaningful Inquiry in a Digital World.
Mofield lives in Nashville with her wonderful husband, creative and caring daughter (7th grade) and darling poodle. She loves serving in her church, riding the Peloton and playing piano.
Featured Speakers
- Jen Flo, M.Ed., MAT
Jen Flo is a dedicated educational leader with over 25 years of experience focused on transforming district cultures and expanding learning opportunities for all students. Currently serving as a lecturer for Whitworth University's gifted education graduate program, she specializes in advanced learning, early career educator support and systems improvement. Flo is a Whitworth gifted education program alumna and has established herself as a recognized expert in gifted education; supporting educators in districts and presenting at state, national and international conferences. Her collaborative approach to educational improvement has fostered successful partnerships with multiple school districts and a statewide PLC for district coordinators, where she supports districts in designing and revising gifted services to meet the needs of advanced learners, sustainable mentoring systems, and provides school improvement supports. As an active member of several professional organizations, including serving in leadership roles with the Washington Association of Educators of the Talented and Gifted and serving on the OSPI Advisory for Highly Capable Programs, Flo continues to advocate for educational excellence, earning recognition through awards such as the WAETAG Dedication to Excellence honor and various teaching distinctions throughout her career. - Tamra Stambaugh, Ph.D.
Tamra Stambaugh is a professor and the Margo Long Endowed Chair in Gifted Education at Whitworth University. Stambaugh is the co-author/editor of several articles, monographs, book chapters, and award-winning books and curriculum units including the Vanderbilt PTY Curriculum, the Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program. Her research interests include curriculum and instructional interventions for promoting talent development and expertise as well as strategies and systems for identifying and serving students from low income and rural settings. Stambaugh serves on several boards including the Gifted Child Quarterly advisory board, the American Educational Research Association Gifted SIG executive committee, and the WAETAG board. She has also served on the National Association for Gifted Children board of directors as a member at large and as an officer in the role of treasurer. Prior to her role at Whitworth University, Stambaugh was the executive director of Programs for Talented Youth and an associate research professor at Vanderbilt University. She received her Ph.D. from the College of William & Mary. Prior to moving to higher education, Stambaugh was a HiCap teacher and coordinator of gifted programs at the local and regional state level. Stambaugh's work is widely recognized nationally and internationally and is the recipient of national awards for leadership, scholarship and service in the field; she is an invited speaker for the United States Embassy Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State Speaker's Bureau and has been invited to consult or present in several countries including Australia, China, St. Croix and the United Arab Emirates. - Nick Castilleja
Nick Castilleja is a teacher on special assignment (TOSA) for highly capable education in Pasco, Wash. Drawing on a wide variety of teaching assignments and experiences, Castilleja advocates for dynamic, challenging and engaging curriculum and instruction for all students. He earned his master's in gifted & talented education from Whitworth University in 2019 and recently completed a term serving as a board member at large for WAETAG. Castilleja specializes in delivering experiential professional learning sessions on tailoring engaging learning environments, differentiating instruction, Project-Based Learning, Depth and Complexity, as well as identifying and serving multilingual advanced/high potential learners.
Keynotes
- Game On: Strategy Tips for Teaching Highly Capable Students – Kristie Speirs Neumeister, Ph.D.
Teaching can seem like a strategic, evolving game where every move counts. Just when you think you mastered it, you level up to a new "world" with a class full of highly capable students that require a fresh skill set. In this keynote we'll unlock key strategic moves to help teachers navigate the challenging course of teaching gifted kids, all with the ultimate goal of helping them become well-adjusted and ready to take on their own game. - OK Boomer, OK Zoomer: What Generational Perspectives Reveal About AI – Claire Hughes Lynch, Ph.D.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way we teach, learn and think – but our responses to it vary widely across generations. This session offers a clear, engaging look at how different generational experiences with technology shape attitudes toward AI in gifted education. Using brief musical references and moments of humor to highlight generational contrasts, we will explore how each cohort – from Boomers to Gen Alpha – understands creativity, rigor and innovation in an AI-rich world. - Curriculum as Transformation: Preparing Gifted Learners for Now and What's Next – Emily Mofield, Ed.D.
Today's gifted learners are growing up in a world of instant answers, shifting knowledge and AI that can generate information in seconds. More than ever, they need learning that changes how they think and how they use knowledge, preparing them not just for what's known now, but for what's coming next. Intentional differentiation and rigorous curriculum are key to this transformation. They not only deepen thinking but also help cultivate talent into realized potential. By moving students beyond surface learning into deeper inquiry, creativity and authentic problem-solving, we guide them from curiosity into deep discovery. Along the way, they develop the intellectual courage essential for thriving in a rapidly changing world. In an age of screens and shortcuts, curriculum must do more than deliver information; it must transform learners into thinkers who use knowledge with wisdom and purpose to shape a changing world.
Deep Dive Tracks (select one to attend for all three days)
- Beyond Good Intentions: Assessing the Effectiveness of Programs for Highly Capable Students – Kristie Spiers Neumeister, Ph.D.
Evaluating gifted programs is critical to ensuring students leave with the knowledge and skills they need for future success. This session equips participants to identify meaningful data sources, collect and analyze both qualitative and quantitative data, and use results to measure true program effectiveness. Drawing on experience evaluating district gifted programs in a variety of settings (urban, suburban and rural) and across high and low performing schools, the presenter will demonstrate the value of a thorough evaluation and break down the process into clear, actionable steps. Participants will learn how to select and use data sources, analyze them effectively, and triangulate findings to showcase strengths, pinpoint challenges and develop targeted recommendations that provide a road map for strengthening programming for highly capable students. - Clustered Classrooms in Action: Differentiation Strategies that Stretch Student Thinking – Emily Mofield, Ed.D.
Are you ready to elevate instruction to the next level in your clustered classroom? Gifted learners thrive when instruction is intentionally designed to challenge them with the "just right" amount of friction. In this session, you'll learn guiding principles for planning differentiated learning experiences that meet the needs of gifted students within a clustered classroom. Explore ways to move beyond surface-level coverage into deeper layers of meaning and complexity. Walk away with practical tools and strategies to add layers of challenge, ignite curiosity and promote cognitive rigor while ensuring your clustered classroom becomes an environment where advanced learners grapple with advanced content, depth, complexity and abstract concepts. - Recognizing and Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students – Claire Hughes Lynch, Ph.D.
Twice-exceptional (2e) students present a unique blend of advanced abilities and learning challenges. This three-part series equips educators with practical tools to identify 2e learners, design instruction that supports both strengths and needs, and address the essential social-emotional components of learning. Teachers and parents will be equipped with specific actions they can implement right away to help 2e learners thrive. Day one focuses on recognizing twice-exceptionalities and how strengths and disabilities co-exist. Day two focuses on effective teaching practices. And day three highlights how to support the whole child.
Additional deep dive tracks and breakout sessions will be posted soon.
