Happy Birthday, Dr. Karnes!

There are amazing things happening on campus at Southern Miss. We are excitedly awaiting the final stages of construction of our brand new space for the Karnes Center. While we wait, we are celebrating all the good things that are to come and all the good things that make up our past.

Dr. Frances A. Karnes established the Center for Gifted Studies in 1979. We have been striving to serve the needs of gifted and talented students from all backgrounds for the past 43 years.

Our efforts and offerings include:

• 2 Day programs in the summer featuring engaging, advanced curriculum for students with intellectual and academic gifts and talents
• 2 one-week long residential programs for students with academic, intellectual, or leadership gifts and talents
• 1 two-week long residential program for students with academic talents
• 2 month-long Saturday programs during the winter months for students with intellectual or academic gifts
• A parenting workshop series hosted in the winter months
• The Fall Day of Sharing for Teachers
• The Gifted Education Strand at the Making Connections Conference each spring

And there is more on the way! We cannot make an official announcement just yet, but be on the lookout for advanced levels of Professional Development, new ways to partner with us while working at your school, and year-round, online offerings for teachers and students.

None of these things would be possible without the original vision and mentorship of our dear Dr. Karnes. Her ability to find the gift in everyone she meets, and her desire to push each person to their own potential set the tone for the Center that now bears her name. Each and every day we seek opportunities to help students discover their gifts and reach their potential. Thank you, Dr. Karnes, for leading the way. We are grateful for your leadership and wish you the best birthday ever!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Karnes! We can’t wait to show everyone our new space: Coming Soon!

Save These Dates

Tentative Dates for Summer Programming at the Karnes Center for 2022

1/2 Day Programs

Young Gifted Students Program

• Students who have finished PK through students who have finished 3rd Grade
• June 6-10, 2022
• 9:00 AM – Noon each day

Summer In the Middle

• Students who have finished 4th Grade through students who have finished 6th Grade
• June 13-17, 2022
• 9:00 AM – Noon each day

Residential Programs

Summer Program for Academically Talented Youth

• Students who have finished 7th Grade through rising high-school seniors
• June 20- July 2, 2022

Summer Gifted Studies Program

• Students who have finished 4th Grade through Students who have finished 8th Grade
• June 20-25, 2022

Leadership Studies Program

• Students who have finished 6th Grade through rising high-school seniors
• June 27-July 2, 2022

Dates are subject to change and will be confirmed prior to applications being made available. More details coming soon!

Give the Gift of Encouragement

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday, a day that has come to symbolize generosity and the pay-it-forward attitude of individuals who want to help others succeed.

Our goal here at The Karnes Center is to provide each of the students who attend our programs with the encouragement to discover their purpose and the inspiration to make their dreams come true. We welcome gifted and 2E students from around the country to attend online and in-person programs. Updates to our program lineup for 2021 will be announced in mid -January.

Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and cultures. During the past summer more than 50% of our attendees were awarded partial or full scholarships through the generosity of donors just like you. If you would like to encourage a child to pursue their best future, please consider giving a gift to The Karnes Center this season.

Here are some of the things that your donation can provide*:

• $2 pays for an individual hand sanitizer bottle for one student.
• $5 pays for a lost dorm key
• $20 pays for shipping materials for an online course to one local student.
• $25 pays for three student meals.
• $30 pays for one registration fee.
• $40 pays for shipping materials for one online course to one student outside of our state.
• $60 pays for a dorm room for one night.
• $150 pays for the materials one student will use during a one-week class.
• $200 pays for one young student (PreK – 3rd grade) to attend the Day Program for Young Gifted Children.
• $500 pays for a Chromebook and all of the software that students use while they are participating in our programs.
• $675 pays for one middle or high school student to attend one-week of Leadership Studies.
• $ 1000 pays for one middle or high school student to attend a week of accelerated academic courses.
• $1500 pays for bus services for field trips to local businesses and cultural activities for an entire class.
• $3000 covers a three-week intensive program for one high-school student.

*Amounts may vary depending on the topics taught in each course. Amounts provided are a average estimate based on the past several years.

These are only a handful of things that we need to make a child’s experience one they will never forget. Salaries and wages for Curriculum Developers, Teachers, Counselors and other workers are not included in these estimates: they need your love too.

Please visit our giving page by clicking here to process your online gift.

All that we give to children comes back to us when we turn the world over to them. Thank you so much for all that you do to support the young people in your life.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Karnes Center!

Goodbye, Old Friend. A brief word about the end of DukeTIP.

As one of only a handful of Universities allowed to operate an affiliate program of DukeTIP, we are certainly saddened to see the end of this era in gifted educational programming.

Our founder, Dr. Frances A. Karnes, began our partnership with DukeTIP in the 1980s and we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the TIP administration ever since. Through that partnership we were allowed the privilege of using the Duke TIP name while hosting and managing our own program under that banner.

While that relationship has come to a close, we still welcome Academically Talented students to our summer programs whether they take place on line or on our beautiful campus in Hattiesburg, MS. If you are looking for a place to find encouragement, growth opportunities, and a community of uniquely gifted individuals, we have a place for you!

In January, we will be announcing an updated program of study for the year 2021 and hope that you will consider spending some time with us here in the Hub City. We welcome you to browse our past offerings for an idea of what we have available each year.

Thank you to our dear friends, Shawna Young, Paris Andrew, and especially Rick Courtright who joined us each year at Southern Miss for the Mississippi Awards Ceremony, and to all of the other Duke TIP staff we have worked with through the years for the support and comradery you have provided.