Expanding a child’s mind expands the number of opportunities for a better future. Recently, the Pearl River Central Upper Elementary School received a grant from the Lower Pearl River Valley Foundation to allow the school to implement a new program.

The $3,000 grant, will help PRC Upper Elementary School gifted students increase their knowledge in unique ways.

“While many parents and educators are familiar with the left brain, right brain approach to learning and increasing knowledge, here is a relatively new concept where the integration of these two learning styles is purposefully orchestrated in order to produce ‘whole brain’ thinkers,” Clyde Dease, LPRV foundation president, said in a news release.

The grant helped the school merge its Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) subjects with its art unit in the Quality Utilization and Enrichment of Student Talents (QUEST) program for gifted students. Through this integration, Dease said creative art lessons will help children at an early age develop into “whole brain thinkers.”

Tracy Stockstill, QUEST teacher at PRC Upper Elementary School, said the purpose of the gifted education program is “to foster development of strategies in higher-level thinking and citizenship. These strategies can be achieved by providing a variety of enrichment and discovery experiences that develop creative thinking, problem-solving and writing, decision-making, critical thinking, researching, and public speaking.”

With emphasis on productivity and leadership, Stockstill said the program is dedicated to developing a child’s love of learning, a desire for excellence and a sense of responsibility to themselves, the school, the community and society. The program is offered to intellectually gifted children in 2^nd through 6^th grades.

“I enjoy seeing the students learn through hands-on activities,” Stockstill said. “They learn to think outside the box at an early age.”

Throughout the program, the gifted students will learn units of study based on the process of Benjamin Bloom’s taxonomy—with emphasis placed on analysis, synthesis and evaluation—activities in creativity enhancement, the use of technology in research and product development, self-directed learning and self-understanding. Also, students will be involved in activities that boost critical and logical thinking, involve independent research projects, develop communication skills and provide experience in the visual and performing arts.

During each year, the students participate in various events to demonstrate their intellectual progress and gain experience in community services including PRC Recycles—which is a program that monitors the recycling program at PRC Elementary. Also, each year the QUEST program at the elementary school raises money for new pajamas and books for local foster children through multiple fundraisers throughout the year, including talent showcases, skate parties and more, Stockstill said.

The students will participate in an art exhibit toward the end of the art portion of the program.

These students also participate in a robotics club where they learn the fundamentals of engineering with fun activities involving Legos.

“The goal of STEM is to integrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics into the art curriculum,” Stockstill said. “We are very thankful for the grant and hope to help all the students we can achieve excellence.”