Nick Colangelo describes the Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa as an oasis for gifted kids.

Established in 1988, the center has grown from Colangelo and a graduate assistant to a 44-member staff. It is housed in a newly constructed building on the northeast corner of campus. The mission of the center has been to identify exceptional students and improve their learning experiences.

"Our focus is always trying to better understand kids who are really very gifted in terms of their academic and artistic ability," Colangelo said. "How do we make school a successful experience for them?"

Susan Assouline, who joined the Belin-Blank Center in 1990, co-wrote with Colangelo "A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America's Brightest Students." The report dealt with accelerated learning for children and the beliefs surrounding the concept. It received considerable national attention, including a 2004 feature in Time magazine. The goal, Assouline said, was to dispel some widely held myths.

"We really wanted to put that out as a challenge for people to reassess where they were in terms of their thinking about academic acceleration - having kids learn something new every day and having kids have the opportunity to do what they're ready to do, when they're ready to do it, even if that's before it was traditionally planned on being taught," Assouline said.

Colangelo further emphasized the need for challenges in the lives of gifted students.

"It doesn't do anybody any good to have a really bright kid just sitting there feeling like 'I know this stuff, I'm ready for something else,' and then not getting it."

Colangelo and Assouline agree there are many obstacles to overcome between them and the students in need of an "oasis." Geography is one such obstacle.

"A lot of times, the kind of education you receive depends on your zip code," Colangelo said. "One of our goals is to minimize that.

- Shawn Flickinger