With around 100 parents and children in attendance, the event invited families to explore a unique approach to learning through Family Passion Projects.
Nationally recognized educator and gifted education advocate Andi McNair led the evening with an energizing presentation on how families can ignite passion-driven learning at home. Drawing from her personal experiences and research-based strategies, McNair guided families through her 6 Ps of Passion Projects framework — Passion, Plan, Pitch, Project, Product, and Presentation — designed to help learners turn their interests into impactful, collaborative projects.
“Family Passion Projects are about celebrating the unique interests of each family member, fostering collaboration, and creating shared experiences that are both educational and enjoyable,” McNair explained during her keynote.
Families were encouraged to choose topics they care about, work toward a shared goal, and present their learning to an authentic audience. The projects could be Mastery Projects focused on skill-building, Kindness Projects that promote empathy, Innovation Projects that solve real-world problems, or Perspective Projects designed to change points of view. McNair also encouraged families to build executive functioning skills together and create dedicated time for reflection and family meetings.
And while students might face some struggles throughout the process, McNair said that’s actually a good thing. She emphasized the importance of powering through difficulties, adding that being motivated by personal gratification rather than external rewards is an essential skill for gifted kids later in life.
She urged parents to encourage their children to “be like a buffalo,” which faces challenges head-on by walking into storms instead of away from them, and to “be like a butterfly,” embracing struggle as a necessary part of transformation. She also encouraged families to hold “fail-abrations” to celebrate struggle and shine a light on the value of failure as part of learning and growth.
“Gifted learners have the potential to completely change our world, and this generation right now has more of an opportunity than any generation before because of their access to the world,” McNair said. “If we teach them how to embrace the gifts they have and who they are, just think of what a difference they could make.”