PG Retreat at Glen Eyrie Conference Center
A Gathering for Families with Profoundly Gifted Children
Jan 27, 2009
Exceptionally and profoundly gifted children often experience difficulty forming meaningful friendships with age peers. Parents of profoundly gifted kids have just as hard a time finding other families who understand their special parenting challenges.
It is not an exaggeration to say that PG Retreat is a life-altering experience for many families with profoundly gifted children. For many, it is the first place where all family members truly belong.
One mom from an attending family expresses the strong appeal of PG Retreat: "I was so desperate for us to meet folks we could connect with, I flew more than halfway across the country with a just turned four year old. What a life saver!"
PG Retreat- When and Where
The 2009 PG Retreat takes place July 2nd through 9th at the Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs. This is the second year Glen Eyrie will host the event. In a December 31st, 2008 email interview, event organizer Bob Guertin said Glen Eyrie “added an extra level of intimacy and closeness to an already intimate event. Many friendships are built at the PG Retreats that last through the years with kids and parents keeping in touch and sharing their experiences.”
2009 PG Family Retreat Events and Activities
PG attendees connect with 30 to 40 other families with profoundly gifted kids while participating in activities including:
- Guest speakers and discussion sessions
- Classes and activities for profoundly gifted children and teens
- Arts and crafts, games, and exercise
- Buffet-style meals
- 4th of July Picnic with Storytelling and S’mores
- Outdoor activities including hiking, orienteering, and ropes course
- Evening events such as dance night, hike to view fireworks, ice cream social, and talent show
PG Retreat Application and Registration
Participating families are encouraged to apply before the end of January. Although there may be some flexibility in registration dates, the PG Retreat finalizes room reservations in early February and cannot guarantee Glen Eyrie Castle and Conference Center availability or accommodation rates for late registrants.
PG Retreat organizer Bob Guertin encourages interested families to complete the application under the members tab of the PG Retreat website. Although Mr. Guertin stresses that formal testing is not required for acceptance, qualifying test scores ensure a smooth application process. Portfolio applications and anecdotal evidence of profound giftedness are welcome. Mr. Guertin states that this informal application process “ensure(s) a good fit for new families.” Membership is ongoing after initial acceptance into the group.
A gifted education professional and the PG Retreat event founder review applications. Hoagies Gifted defines profound giftedness and test score cutoffs warranting PG classification. PG Retreat organizers “realize there are 2E kids and kids with asynchronous development who belong in our group even though some aspects of their testing may not meet “PG” levels.” Families with twice exceptional children are encouraged to attend PG Retreat.
PG Retreat Serves the Unique Needs of Profoundly Gifted Kids and Their Families
The PG Retreat is family retreat for kids at the highest end of the gifted spectrum. Event organizers are not in a position to review hundreds of applications and hate to be in the position of turning gifted kids away. Parents should carefully consider whether PG Retreat is an appropriate resource for their gifted child before submitting an application.
For those families facing the distinct challenges and opportunities of raising a profoundly gifted child, PG Retreat is an essential lifeline for parental sanity providing social-emotional support for the whole family. In an email interview on January 2nd, 2008, PG Retreat Board Chair Peggy Hamilton said “The kids stay in touch constantly by phone and by email or chat, and as they get older they start to travel to visit each other outside the context of PGR. I cannot imagine how my daughter would have survived without the friends she made at PGR over the years.”
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