The National Association for Gifted Children

It's seems as though the media are only interested in pushing stories which are negative when it comes to young people and the image of young people. It's always the young people who are up to no good or the schools that are failing that grab the headlines. With the amount of negative press young people get on a local and national basis many people now believe that the youth of today are a group of lawless trouble makers who have no interest in doing well at school or having good careers.

The NAGC are a group who are working hard to push, help and encourage young people to achieve more than what others might think they are capable of. Instead of focusing on the negatives they are an organisation who understand that some times the reason why they aren't excelling is the lack of support, encouragement, correct environment and the fact that they aren't being challenged.

The NAGC understand the importance of a support network and that it's not just the child that has to play a part in order for them to achieve. They break situations down and understand the individual roles that the parents and the teachers have to play in the development of young people. The NAGC understand how different situations and environments affect the chances young people have to succeed and most importantly they know that when a child acts out in class it's not always because they are a trouble maker.

We need more organisations like the NAGC working with children within our schools as the children within the schools who are out future and have the power to change the world. It's so easy to deal with the misbehaving kids and forget about those and not give attention to those at the top of the class as just because a child is top of their class it doesn't mean they are reaching their full potential or being challenged it just means that they scored the highest on a couple of tests or assignments.

The Talented Young People organisation is very proud to support the NAGC and will do all we can to help them and promote them as we believe that this is an organisation that has the power to help mould the future of this country and is one that doesn't get enough credit for the work that they do.

If you are in school or a parent of a child in school I definitely recommend that you go to:

http://www.nagcbritain.org.uk

And see if they can help you.

Whilst you're at it why not join in our topic of the week, this week's topic is "What do you think we can do to help young people?"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Britain's Got Talent

Were you one of the ten million people who tuned in “Britain's Got Talent” last week? Were you entertained by the variety of talents on display? I know I was. I was jumping up and down in my chair to see new and different talents that haven't been given the chance to be showcased in a prime TV slot in front of millions for over a decade; finally the art of variety is back. Don't get me wrong I am a fan of programmes like "Any Dream Will Do" and "X-Factor" but this programme to me was a breath of fresh air as finally people had a chance to shine that haven't had that chance in any other show.

In recent years on TV we have been obsessed with having talent shows which are all about one style of act whether that be singing or acting and for years we have been obsessed with having to find someone that can go on and make millions of pounds. Finally in this show it wasn't about finding someone who they could make millions off ok the winner got £100,000 it was about finding somebody with a skill that the public enjoyed to watch. Many people have talents and skills that they know they aren't going to make money off of but it doesn't make that talent any less special or that they shouldn't be given the same platform to showcase it.

The programme also showed a true wide range of people unlike some talents shows and for once they were from a real cross section of our communities in the UK who made it on to the final shows. The programme wasn't just about their talent it was about where they came from and how they got their which is just as important as the talent that they showcase. It's their inspiring stories that can make a difference as much as their talents. They found some really extraordinary people and extraordinary stories which I hope encourage other people to fulfill their dreams and to try new things. Hopefully by watching the programme people thought, hang about it's not what about my talent actually it is it's about how good I am at it, how I present it and how much I love doing it. Whether it be tidily-winks or football a talents a talent regardless of what it's in and one talent is no more important or better than another. We need to appreciate everyone for their talents no matter how wild and wacky they are.

The only downside to this programme was that it was only people who had a talent that could be conveyed well on TV that could get on. There are millions of people around the world who have talents and skills but these can't be presented well on TV so they are still flying under the radar. So I think we need to find a way of getting people will skills that can't be conveyed in an entertaining way for TV some exposure.
It's like if you are the UK's top business man, UK's most intelligent,
UK best counsellor and so on. All of these are talents that people have to work hard for and deserve the same amount of respect and appreciation as the skills and talents that were showcased on the
programme.

I can't wait for the next series and I was so proud of the amount of diverse talents the youngsters of today have. I hope everyone that went on to the show has used it as a learning experience and will go on to even bigger and better things. Just want to say a big well done to everyone that entered and if you didn't enter why not enter next time. Work on a talent or find a new talent and fill out the application form. Even if you entered this time round by why not enter the next series now you have a step up on the competition with one series worth of experience under your belt you could be the next “Britain's got Talent” champion and perform in front of the Queen.


Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

The Apprentice

Tonight (13/07) sees the finale in the UK of the third series of the popular Apprentice series in which sixteen hopefuls have battled it out in what is called the job interview from hell to gain the six figure contract and the job of being Sir Alan Sugar's apprentice.

We are down to the final two, one being a Cambridge educated Internet entrepreneur Simon Ambrose and the other Pharmaceuticals Sale Manager Kristina Grimes. Both of who have given up their lives and careers in the hope that they would be the last one standing and achieve this life changing opportunity.

The show is designed to bring out the ruthless streak in all the contestants as they are put in to direct conflict with the others in order to save themselves and their own chance of winning in this game of survival. The contestants are picked for the show based on how entertaining they are going to be on TV as at the end of the day this is what it is an entertainment TV programme which needs to bring in ratings. There would be no show and nobody watching if everyone got on happily with each other.

Now say what you will about the show as I know it has its critics who do have very just and correct points about the show but in many ways I am all for it. If to work for Sir Alan Sugar or to work in international business is your dream then going on the show is a very achievable way of making it happen. Many of the contestants have sacrificed high paying jobs and great careers for the opportunity which shows their dedication. It's one thing going on a TV programme if you are in a job you hate or aren't currently in work but to give up something you have been working towards your whole life for this opportunity shows great strength of character to do.

Regardless of who wins or loses most of the candidates will have learnt invaluable skills through the programme and be more equipped to deal with stressful situations, teamwork and being able to go out of their comfort zone. Not many situations in their life will test them to the limits that the Apprentice has and sometimes in order to achieve great things we need to be tested to see how much we want something or how good we really are.

Going on this programme the contestants have sacrificed their own privacy with some candidates now being the subject of attention for many tabloids and magazines but for the contestants to be willing to do this in order to achieve their dreams shows great courage. For all of the contestants that have been eliminated now is the time for the real graft as they use the Apprentice experience and exposure to forge careers for themselves and that's what is so great about a programme like this as it can open up so many opportunities to people that they wouldn't have had if they hadn't gone on the show. Hopefully now the contestants can use the spark of being on the Apprentice and now use that power to go on and achieve even greater things.

To get you in the mood for the Apprentice final we have an interview with Apprentice series 2 star Jo Cameron about her time on the show and what the programme has done for her. So to find out her views and what she has been up to since the programme go to:

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.com/experts/index.php?page=article&id=29

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/

Camp America

This month will set a lot of young people from across the globe start of adventures of a life time. After a year of hard graft at college or university many people will now be gearing up for their gap year, for a backpacking trip across Europe or to work abroad in programmes like the Camp America programme which sends young skilled and adventurous people across to America to work at Children’s summer camps.

For many young people this will be a life changing experience as they survive away from their parents’ home or their student digs for the first time. They will get to learn about new cultures, meet new people, see new sights, have new experiences and learn more about themselves than they ever thought possible. They will be getting an education that you can’t learn in a classroom and getting memories that will keep with them for the rest of their life.

I myself went through Camp America and ended up working at a camp called Kenmont Kenwood Camps in Connecticut USA. This was the first time I had ever been away from home or away from my parents for more than a week; it was the first time that I had gone abroad by myself. I was put in a situation which tested my personal skills and encouraged me to learn more. I had to put myself out there and get to know and make friends with people I had never met before. I had to learn how the camp was run and learn how to be the best counsellor I could possibly be.

I was put in a situation of great responsibility and greeted with situations that nothing could prepare me for but at no time in my life have I learnt so much or developed so much in nine weeks. That experience gave me so much confidence and so much energy that I don’t think I could have got anywhere else. I came home a changed a man and a changed man for the better from my experiences and I came back with a book full of friends and contacts from all corners of the globe who I still keep in contact with to this day. No words can describe the magic, the feeling and the experience that is camp.

I am now an interviewer for Camp America and enjoy giving back and helping young people across the country secure the summer of their dreams. I would recommend to anybody that really wants to challenge themselves and to experience all this world has to offer to do a work or study abroad programme. Working at an American Summer Camp can turn the shyest person in to the loudest and most outgoing and can turn the most dependent person in to the most independent person.

If you want to have an experience that will change your life log on to http://www.campamerica.co.uk and find out more about arranging the summer of your life. The application season for this summer has now finished but you can start gearing up for summer 2008.

Adam Sibley
Founder of the Talented Young People organisation
www.talentedyoungpeople.com
"Envisage it, Believe it, Achieve it!"

http://www.talentedyoungpeople.blogspot.com/