Foundation Voices Blog

In 1972, the Marland Report highlighted that gifted and talented children need different educational programs and services to reach their fullest potential.  The presumption is that, if provided the right educational services, gifted children grow up to be gifted adults that achieve life outcomes relative to their giftedness when compared to their non-gifted peers. However, overall, individuals who have been identified as gifted during school do not go on to have career/life outcomes as high as would be expected.

My talk on July 2, 2024, at the Mensa Foundation’s Annual Colloquium in Kansas City, MO, is about how much leeway different gifted people have to “try on” and find their true callings and passions as they set off on their adult lives. And what price might they pay for making their own choices or taking “too long” to make any choice at all?

I’m Joi Lin (she/her), graduating in June with my PhD in curriculum and instruction, specialized in gifted education leadership, from the University of Denver. I’m also a member of Denver Mensa and chair of the Education and Gifted Youth Committee at the Mensa Foundation. My current roles are as an adjunct professor in a teacher education program, Director of Professional Education at the Gifted Development Center, and a co-founder of my friend’s startup business.

My presentation at the 2024 Colloquium of the Mensa Education and Research Foundation, to be held at Kansas City on July 2, 2024 will be on my main area of research in gifted education, the career decisions of gifted students.

The Mensa Foundation is committed to incorporating the lived experiences of gifted individuals across the lifespan into our understanding of intelligence and the resources we provide. That's why we're thrilled to introduce our groundbreaking Mensa Foundation Research Project, focused on understanding the unmet needs of gifted adults within the various contexts of life.

For the first time in our history, the Mensa Foundation has embarked on an original academic research endeavor. We are poised to be the primary beneficiaries of its insights. Our focus has broadened to encompass the understanding and support of intelligence and giftedness across the lifespan – and you can be a part of it too.

In today's rapidly changing world, our understanding of intelligence and
giftedness is evolving, moving away from traditional measures and
definitions.

As we venture further into 2023, we stand on the threshold of a new understanding of human intelligence.