History

The World Council for Gifted and Talented Children originated in 1975 upon the inspiration of a prominent British educator of the gifted, Henry Collis. As Director of the National Association for Gifted Children, it was his vision to unite the educators of the gifted around the world, who were already convening at national levels. This vision evolved into a non-profit organization of educators in the field of gifted education that spans the globe today.

The first conference was held in 1975 in the Royal College of Surgeons in Lincoln’s Inn, London, England. At this conference, in response to a proposal urging participants to join in a worldwide initiative to form an organization to advocate for the gifted children of the world, 150 educators in the field became members of this founding organization.

The World Council was officially incorporated and registered in the state of Delaware as a non-profit organization in 1976. The officers at that time were representatives from three nations: from Israel, President Dan Bitan; from the United Kingdom, Vice President Henry Collis; and from the United States of America, Executive Vice President Alexis DuPont DeBie, joint Secretaries Dorothy Sisk and Elizabeth Neuman, and Treasurer Bob Swain.

It is no small accomplishment for the World Council to have continued to meet its objectives all these years. The organization has benefited from the vision and energy of its founders and their successors in office, from its dedicated and hard-working Executive Committees, from its support from elected Delegates world-wide, from its generous donors and hosting institutions, and from its members across the globe, now numbering over 600, and growing.

The World Council’s mission remains, to this day, to focus world attention on gifted and talented children in order to ensure the realization of their valuable potential to the benefit of humankind. The World Council welcomes all who are dedicated to the lives of gifted children to join in its mission to unite and collaborate in order to solicit support from governments all over the world and recognize the valuable contributions that our gifted children can offer.

In 2017, Dorothy Sisk compiled a more complete history of the WCGTC® that can be accessed here.

For more information about historical information regarding specific components of the WCGTC®, click the buttons below.

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