Lisa J. Mitten

Every child has unique talents and abilities waiting to be discovered and developed. It is this belief that led Mitten to create the innovative program "TGI Fridays" (Talents and Gifts Investigations Fridays) for third through fifth-grade students to realize their talents early in life. This confidence-building program gives students a choice to participate in a club where they are strong or to investigate a club that focuses on a talent they would like to develop. These areas include: honor choir, drama, art, creative writing, technology, science, Math Olympiad, Geography Olympiad, cooking, marathon and Red Cross basic first aid training and disaster relief. Clubs are facilitated by faculty and staff. Parents, community volunteers and guest speakers visit the school to talk to students about their area of expertise. Realizing that elementary schools typically dictate which subjects students will take, Mitten's student-centered program gives students an opportunity to discover and develop their talents and abilities at an earlier age. It also helps students develop positive attitudes toward one another and themselves. Mitten lives in Houston.