Underrepresentation of BIPOC students in gifted education persists nationally, even for concerned leaders who are committed to addressing this disparity. Talent development programs in lower grades is an increasingly common strategy to increase identification rates for these underrepresented populations. However, the deficit framing of this approach may limit its effectiveness by seeing their giftedness as something that must be developed rather than an innate asset. To help educators understand how to unleash these unique qualities to fit into our constructs of who a gifted student is, this powerful, but practical workshop provides three strategies help educators leverage BIPOC gifted children's "because, not despite" assets.
