For 25 years, the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has helped shape the future of Arkansas classrooms — supporting educators and opening doors for thousands of talented students across the state.

Part of ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock’s College of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences, and Education, the Mahony Center was established in 2001 to support programs that challenge and inspire advanced learners. Today, it is one of only about 20 centers of its kind in the United States.

“For 25 years, the Mahony Center has helped position ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock as a leader in gifted education,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, the center’s founding director. “Our goal has always been to cultivate talent at every level — from young students discovering their passions to educators strengthening their practice.”

Building a Talent Development Network

From the beginning, the Mahony Center was designed to connect multiple efforts under one mission: supporting talented students and the educators who teach them.

The Mahony Center combines student enrichment programs, teacher professional learning, curriculum development, and federally funded research focused on gifted education services in schools.

It also reflects the legacy of late Arkansas legislator Joseph Kirby “Jodie” Mahony II, a longtime advocate for public education who championed gifted programs and Advanced Placement opportunities across the state.

Today, the Mahony Center’s work reaches far beyond campus, supporting schools and educators throughout Arkansas and beyond.

“The Mahony Center continues to be a beacon of quality education in these challenging times for Arkansas. My father would be extremely proud of his legacy that is continued by Ann Robinson at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock,” said Jodie Mahony III, son of the late Arkansas legislator.

Transforming Student Experiences

One of the center’s signature programs, Summer Laureate University for Youth (SLUFY), has offered enrichment opportunities for advanced learners and continues to thrive under the Mahony Center’s leadership.

Each summer, about 300 students in grades K–6 attend SLUFY, participating in hands-on courses that encourage creativity, critical thinking, and exploration. Over time, more than 13,500 students have taken part in the program.

Students design solutions to real-world problems, explore literature and the arts, and tackle STEM challenges in an environment that encourages curiosity and collaboration.

“We never want a child to wonder if they’ll get to return,” Robinson said. “The center exists to ensure that opportunities for accelerated and advanced learning remain accessible and sustainable.”

Robinson said for students in grades 7 through 9, challenging experiences are offered through MT Stage, a program that is funded by the Arkansas Department of Education through its AEGIS initiative. Focused on musical theatre, MT Stage offers students the opportunity to move from Shakespeare through current Broadway productions. 

Supporting Educators Across Arkansas

The Mahony Center also plays a major role in supporting teachers across the state.

The ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock Advanced Placement Summer Institute (APSI), now in its 32nd year of operation, has served more than 12,000 teachers in the past 15 years alone. Through APSI, an official initiative of the College Board, teachers gain new strategies and classroom resources that help students succeed in Advanced Placement courses and prepare for college-level work.

In addition to working with high school teachers, the Mahony Center provides professional development opportunities to elementary teachers, gifted and talented coordinators, and principals. Initiated with federal funding, the Center provides support to schools to adopt the use of existing data to spot talent and provide engaging opportunities in the classroom.

Research and Curriculum Innovation

The center is also nationally recognized for developing research-based curriculum and classroom resources.

Over the years, the Mahony Center has produced 25 Blueprints for Biographies curriculum guides, including 15 STEM-focused guides developed and tested with federal support.

The Mahony Center’s STEM Starters research initiatives, funded through multiple Jacob K. Javits grants totaling more than $6.6 million, have introduced engineering and computer science learning models in elementary classrooms across Arkansas and are featured in a recent national publication, “.”

These programs combine literacy and STEM instruction, allowing students to explore real-world challenges while learning about inventors, scientists, and innovators.

Mahony Center by the Numbers

• 25 years advancing gifted education at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock
  
• 14,000+ students served through Summer Laureate
  
• 300 students attend Summer Laureate each summer
  
• 690 educators from Arkansas, nationally, and internationally participated in APSI in 2025
  
• $6.6 million in federal funding supporting STEM initiatives
  
• 25 Blueprints for Biographies curriculum guides developed

Looking Ahead

As the Mahony Center celebrates its 25th anniversary, its mission remains the same: to encourage  talented students, support  educators in within-school and out-of-school settings,  expand opportunities for accelerated learning across Arkansas, and engage in research on talent development.

Through partnerships with schools and community organizations, ongoing research, and innovative programs, the center continues to play an important role in shaping gifted education in the state.

“The Mahony Center is more than a program,” Robinson said. “It’s a commitment to excellence — and to the belief that talent deserves to be nurtured.”

The post Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education Celebrates 25 Years appeared first on News.

The Challenger Award recognizes individuals, typically educators, who take unusual, creative or innovative steps in their professional work. Honorees are recognized at the AGATE conference.

Meadows, a research associate at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, has served in multiple roles at the Jodie Mahony Center since 2015. She currently assists with summer programs and supports the center wherever needed.

“Dr. Meadows left a well-established gifted program in a metropolitan school district to become part of a team in a newly formed district where programs and services for advanced students were designed from the ground up,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center. “Monica was integral to the team — the program is now one of the best in the area. This is just one of many things Dr. Meadows has done.”

Meadows said the recognition was both unexpected and meaningful.

“I am so humbled,” Meadows said. “When Dr. Robinson and Dr. Dietz told me they were going to submit a nomination, I honestly did not believe I would receive the award. Being acknowledged by my peers and colleagues around the state is a very humbling experience and means a lot to me.”

Meadows said she plans to continue supporting students in K-12, as well as graduate and undergraduate students and teachers.

“No matter your profession or career, don’t be afraid to take opportunities that come your way, especially those that lead to paths you wouldn’t typically consider,” Meadows said. “I never considered that I would earn a doctorate or teach in higher education.”

The post Jodie Mahony Center’s Meadows Wins Challenger Award appeared first on News.

The award honors individuals whose work significantly contributes to the development and support of creativity, particularly within gifted education. Named for Dr. E. Paul Torrance — widely regarded as the “Father of Creativity” — the recognition celebrates research, leadership, educational practice, and innovative programming that advance creative thinking and expand opportunities for creative expression.

“Receiving this award reflects a commitment to nurturing creative potential and carrying forward Dr. Torrance’s legacy of valuing creativity as an essential component of learning and human potential,” she said.

Bomar is pursuing a master’s degree in gifted, creative, and talented education, and said she chose to nominate herself after recognizing how closely the award’s criteria aligned with her professional philosophy and classroom practice.

“I chose to self-nominate not out of self-promotion, but out of self-advocacy,” she said. “Educators — especially those who value creativity — are often encouraged to elevate the work and impact they bring to students. The nomination process gave me space to reflect on my experiences and intentionally document that work.”

She invited colleagues familiar with her work to submit letters of support, describing the experience as empowering and reaffirming.

“Charlotte exemplifies creativity — in her work and in her approach to life,” said Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock. “Dr. E. Paul Torrance, in whose honor this prestigious national award was created, would have loved meeting Charlotte and would have been excited to see her innovative curriculum work and creative approach to students in the classroom.

“He was magic in the classroom, and that characterizes Charlotte, too,” Robinson said. “She is an inspiring teacher whose understanding of creativity in children informs her practice every day. It is a pleasure to be Charlotte’s adviser, and ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock is fortunate to have her in our graduate program.”

Robinson added that Bomar teaches in the Little Rock School District and can also be found on the ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock campus during the Summer Laureate program.

Bomar said creativity should be embedded into teaching and learning — not treated as an add-on. Her instructional approach emphasizes originality, curiosity, and divergent thinking through intentionally designed, interdisciplinary learning experiences.

One example is Thrills and Chills: The Art and Science of Amusement Parks, a curriculum she developed that blends engineering, physics, design, and the arts. The unit was field-tested through ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock’s SLUFY summer program and at her own Watson Elementary, where it led to high levels of student engagement and original creative work. As a result, the school’s gifted and talented students earned multiple awards at the Arkansas State Fair.

Bomar also models creativity through her own practice, including art journaling and the design of immersive classroom spaces such as the Young Astronaut room and the Imagination Station — environments she says help students see creativity as both a mindset and a way of life.

“I intentionally encourage creativity by designing learning environments that invite curiosity, exploration, and risk-taking,” she said. “I use open-ended tasks and inquiry-based projects that allow multiple pathways to understanding, and I emphasize problem-finding just as much as problem-solving.”

Bomar believes creativity is essential in gifted education today, particularly as students prepare for an increasingly complex and uncertain world.

“Advanced ability alone isn’t enough,” she said. “Gifted students need opportunities to think divergently, generate original ideas, and engage in authentic, meaningful learning. Creativity supports not only academic growth, but also social and emotional development.”

Bomar credits her graduate studies at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock with helping ground her creativity-centered approach in research while encouraging innovation in instructional design.

“The program challenged me to reflect on my teaching choices, integrate theory with real-world application, and intentionally design meaningful learning experiences,” she said. “It helped me become a more reflective, research-informed educator.”

Looking ahead, Bomar hopes to help shift gifted education in Arkansas toward a more creativity-centered, student-driven model — one that values innovation alongside academic rigor.

“By expanding access to creativity-focused curriculum and professional learning, we can better nurture the diverse talents and potential of gifted students across the state,” she said.

She also encourages educators and graduate students to view creativity as a process and a mindset, not just a finished product.

“When educators embrace creativity in their own practice — by allowing choice, modeling curiosity, and creating safe spaces for risk-taking — it naturally extends to the students and communities they serve,” she said.

The post ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock Graduate Student Honored Nationally for Creativity in Gifted Education appeared first on News.

“I was in gifted and talented education when I was a kid, and now my oldest son, Elijah, who is 14, was identified for gifted and talented as well,” said High, a teacher of 16 years who is a graduate student at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock. “It runs in our family.”

High recalls how exciting being in gifted and talented classes was after getting bored in her regular classes in elementary school.

“I loved the acceleration and fast pace of gifted and talented classes,” High said. “I was really bored in regular classes, and having accelerated work pushed me to work harder. I also found like-minded people who made great friends.”

It’s the same for Elijah, who has been taking gifted and talented classes since the third grade.

“Elijah has skills like I’ve never seen,” High said. “His dream is to go to MIT, become a mechanical engineer, and start his own car company to rival Tesla. He has high expectations. Ever since he started taking gifted and talented classes, that has been the favorite part of his day.”

With her family’s affinity for the subject, High has been interested in getting a degree in gifted and talented education ever since she finished her bachelor’s degree. In 2021, she was working at a school that was participating in the STEM+C2 program, an evidence-based school intervention project designed to identify promising students through universal screening and provide services to gifted and talented students in second and third grade.

The STEM+C2 program is run by the Jodie Mahony Center for Gifted Education at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock, and High learned about the university’s gifted and talented education degree. Everything was going well in High’s educational journey until Elijah was diagnosed with an aggressive brain cancer in September 2023.

“I couldn’t have quit then since my son, who is a GT student himself, is my inspiration for achieving this dream,” High said. “I had to complete this not for myself but for him.”

High often found herself at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital with Elijah, where she would somehow find the time to complete her graduate courses online. She said she found great support from Dr. Ann Robinson, director of the Jodie Mahony Center, and Dr. Christine Deitz, associate director, who provided support and helped her find scholarships. This summer, High was the recipient of a Gene V. Campbell Scholarship from the School of Education that had a great impact on her final days at ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock.

“With my 14-year-old son battling brain cancer, three other young kids between the ages of 11 and 5, and a husband who is also a public school teacher, times are harder than ever. If I hadn’t got that scholarship, I probably would have had to hold off on taking my last class this summer and graduating,” High said. “The experience has been great, and I couldn’t have asked for better. I want to prove that whatever you set your mind to, you can do it no matter what.”

High will be graduating from ĚÇĐÄVlog´«Ă˝ Little Rock with a Master of Education degree in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Education at the end of the summer after completing one last class – Educational Assessments.

“After all these years, I’ll finally have the master’s degree that I wanted since I basically started teaching,” High said. “I feel like I have lived out a dream.”

The post Arkansas Teacher Earns Master’s Degree to Inspire Son Battling Brain Cancer appeared first on News.