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Evaluation

Concurrent 60 min

Brilliance Unlimited: Rethinking Cultural Identity in Education

Saturday, November 15, 2025
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM ET
Location: Convention Center, 306/307
Grade Level: Pre-K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Short Description: This session dives into challenging the dominant narratives and rejecting one size-fits-all labels to foster culturally relevant experiences. By confronting the “Acting White” Phenomenon and affirming students’ individual and cultural identities, education professionals can empower gifted learners to embrace and build upon their cultural capital expressing their academic and emotional strengths authentically—because when identities are affirmed, brilliance is unlimited.

Learning Objectives:

  • Attendees will understand and acknowledge the influence of anti-essentialism, the “Acting White” phenomenon, and how these influence their students and the ways they show up in classrooms and schools.
  • Attendees will reflect on their areas of expertise and identify where they can incorporate strategies to address the “Acting White” phenomenon and resist anti-essentialism.
  • Attendees will implement strategies to address anti-essentialism in curricular practice and curate opportunities for gifted learners’ cultural identity exploration and affirmation.