When Stephen was in school, his hand was always raised. A mind brimming with ideas, a packed schedule because he wanted to be involved in everything, an appetite for challenge. Today, Stephen is in college, pursuing a career in aerospace engineering — and we’re speaking with him and the teacher of his elementary gifted program, about what such programs can offer students.

• Why such programs are so helpful for gifted students
• Where things get tough for gifted students — and where such programs fit in as schools work to serve students of all academic abilities
• A look at one district’s gifted program and the difference it continues to make in Stephen’s life, years after graduation