Life School held its annual Gifted & Talented (GT) Expo Awards on April 22, 2022. This year, the GT Expo was held at Life School Red Oak. Students, parents, and staff filled the campus as GT students competed for the title of “Humanitarian of The Year” and participated in activities that explored the way of life of those in developing countries.
This year marked the first face-to-face event of its kind since before the pandemic. Energy permeated the campus auditorium as students from all six of Life School’s elementary campuses gathered. Each of Life School’s more than 100 GT students in grades 3-6 spent the 2021-2022 school year researching developing countries, including their infrastructure, innovations, energy supplies, and specific organizations that serve these nations.
One of the research projects addressed sanitation concerns in India through vermicomposting (worm composting). The research project focused on solutions that would improve lives through the practical means of safe, sanitary, and odor-free waste management and provide an economic boost to farmers who are able to yield higher quality and quantity of crops. Students studied the challenging circumstances of the poorest sector of the population in India and came to understand why continuing to innovate is essential to the betterment of the most fragile human lives.
“Our students’ knowledge of challenging circumstances in developing countries, as well as technical knowledge related to their projects such as architecture, innovation, engineering, interdependence and threats within ecosystems, and the basics of human thriving is remarkable. But what makes me most proud is that their hearts grow to care about Earth and its people,” said Ellen Saltzman, Life School District Gifted and Talented Coordinator.
All of the finalists who compete at the GT Expo contend for a first or second place win that allows them to financially contribute towards the organization that they spent the school year researching. Over the last five years, GT students have financially contributed to more than twenty organizations donating more than $4,000 to non-governmental organizations around the world.
Winners were selected from each grade level. Third-grade winners were Jeremy Alford, Isabella Klu, Gabriella Klu, Eduardo Morales Nune and Anthony Vaughn from Life School Lancaster (1st); and Mila Lauterbach, Hayden McCumber, Iyinoluwa Osibamowo, and Anthony Spencer from Life School Red Oak (2nd). Fourth-grade winners were Jessica Agbakpe, Amy Habtetsion, Munachi Abara, Samuel Barron, Austin Dishaw, Imran Olowonmi and Bailee Stover from Life School Carrollton (1st); and James Jefferson, Kori Keys and Dayalin Velasquez from Life School Lancaster (2nd). Fifth-grade winners were Amari Browder, Aiden Driver and Caleb Lopez Zander from Life School Cedar Hill (1st); and Galilea Gonzalez, Rogaciano Jaramillo and Abby Ortega Alvarado from Life School Oak Cliff Elementary (2nd). Sixth-grade winners were Kevin Chavez, Caleb Moore, Emmanuel Morales-Nunez, Daily Morton, Vanessa Okafor and David Ortega from Life School Lancaster (1st); and Madison Brooks, Alyssa Burks, Oluakanyinsola Lawal-Solarin, Alexander Lopez and Briellah Perez from Life School Moutain Creek (2nd).
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Life School is a tuition-free, public charter school with campuses in Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Lancaster, Mountain Creek, Red Oak, Oak Cliff and Waxahachie, TX. Life School develops leaders with life skills through strong academics, character training, and partnerships with parents and the community. Its mission is accomplished in part through the financial support of donors who provide scholarships and embrace making students ready to learn, ready to lead and ready for life.
Parents who are interested in enrollment can visit lifeschool.net/learn-about-life. Partners who would like to support Life School financially can give online at lifeschool.net/give.
