The Gifted Program recognizes that parenting gifted children has both rewards and challenges. Parents are often faced with advocating for their child to ensure that school programs are sufficiently rigorous. They are frequently faced with having to provide intellectual challenge and enrichment for their own children in order to supplement school programs that fall short. Because gifted children can be highly sensitive and are frequently concerned about such global and local issues as global warming, endangered species and social justice; parents also provide emotional support. At times gifted students feel marginalized by their peers because they don’t share common interests or humor. These social issues can also present family challenges.

POGO was established more than a decade ago to provide opportunities to meet and discuss these and related issues. Led by experts in the fields of gifted education and child and adolescent psychology, POGO seminars take place while students are in classes on the Montclair State University campus and generally last an hour. The 2009-2010 POGO programs will feature more opportunities for parents to participate in book groups and discussion groups in addition to lecture topics focusing on important issues. All parents of gifted students, not just those whose children are enrolled in the Program, are invited to participate.