Imagine being a kid who is crazy about math, but has no one to talk about it. That’s where a Mensa Gifted Youth coordinator steps in to help make those connections.

As a local and regional Gifted Youth Coordinator (GYC) volunteer for American Mensa, I get to create fun spaces where gifted kids can show off their intelligence without feeling judged and connect with others like them. These awesome kids need more than just challenging schoolwork – they need a supportive community that really gets their unique perspectives and what excites them.

When I started this role in 2022, I was the regional GYC across 7 states in the Pacific Intermountain Region, overseeing close to 300 gifted youth (GYs) where a little over one-third of those GYs were from my local group, San Francisco Regional Mensa.

Fostering GYs as a regional vs. local GYC have their unique challenges, but it’s totally doable. In this article, I’ll share tips on how to get started as a GYC in your local group or region.

Step 1: Learn the Do’s and Don’ts as GYC – Review the GYP handbook

Working with children, safety is really important which is why you should review the Gifted Youth Program Handbook that’s included in your onboarding materials. I worked with my Regional Vice Chair (RVC) at the time to make sure that all bases were covered to keep the kids safe.

Step 2: Understand Your Gifted youth – Send a Questionnaire

Before planning events, understand your audience by sending them a questionnaire to see what their interests are. When you introduce yourself to your GYs, include a Google Form link with questions like:

1. What’s your favorite subject in school?
2. What do you do for fun?
3. What events interest you the most?
   • Speakers or demonstrations
   • Activities to make friends
   • Book or TV/Movie discussions
   • Field trips, museums
   • Other

Be sure to not make the form too long – have 3 to 5 questions max. Over 80% of submissions wanted activities to make friends which made it clear about what type of events I should plan and I suspect your results will be the same.

Step 3: Plan your first event – Keep it simple

Now that you have an idea of what your GY members want, it’s time to plan your first event! If you’re a local GYC, leverage one of your local group’s events like a picnic or something that you think GYs and other families will enjoy. That way, you don’t need to worry about collecting permission slips (required for GYP-specific events).

When you’re a regional GYC, hosting an in-person event isn’t always realistic so consider hosting a virtual Zoom event. Just make sure that you have another parent present per the GYP handbook. Ask another parent or GY volunteer to join you. Give yourself about a month’s lead time for promotion.

For added security, I like turning on the Zoom registration option for my events to ensure that the event link is not open to the public.

Step 4: Stay connected with other gyCs

Mensa has great support for GYCs on Mensa Connect in their GYC group. A lot of other GYCs share links to their virtual events there so you can share them with your GYs if you’re not yet ready to host your first virtual event. The most important thing you can do as a GYC is to stay connected with your GYs and their families so they always know that someone is in their corner.