“The Creativity Man,” E. Paul Torrance, was recently celebrated at the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in Minneapolis on November 10. The celebration also featured the “Torrance Kids”, who were part of the original group of students tested for the development of the Torrance® Tests of Creative Thinking. These “Torrance Kids” became successful attorneys, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Their success is further evidence of the predictive validity of the Torrance Tests and further proof of the importance of identifying and supporting creatively gifted children.
After the NAGC conference, many of Dr. Torrance’s colleagues and admirers agreed to work to establish an international network of educational professionals who will continue to emphasize Dr. Torrance’s legacy. This mission is crucial because the current educational climate often ignores the diverse needs of gifted students.
With so much emphasis on No Child Left Behind, it is often said that the gifted can get along all right “in spite of us.” But neglecting creatively gifted youth would be disastrous for our country’s future. If the gifted are undiscovered who will be our nation’s leaders? Who will be our great problem solvers? Who will be those who think “outside the box?” Who will be the next “Torrance Kids”?
We must also remember that the gifted among us may also be struggling with learning disabilities. In fact, the legendary “Creativity Man” considered himself to be learning disabled. Dr. Torrance wrote many articles about the “Learning Disabled Gifted” to enlighten and encourage others, and Garnet Millar documented Dr. Torrance’s personal struggles in his biography, The Creativity Man.
To nurture the next generation of “Torrance Kids”, educators must be
> encouraged to discover the creatively gifted in their classrooms.
> Taught to see the “learning disabled gifted” and given screening
> tools that can assess
> students from all backgrounds – including underserved and
> underrepresented
> communities.
STS is committed to discovering and nurturing the “Torrance Kids” among us. Tell us what you are doing in your schools and communities to help this underserved population.
