Enrichment coordinator Barby Judge was instrumental in converting the old IQ-based gifted program at each of Dillon's three elementary schools into an enrichment model that reaches 65 percent of the total school population. As part of the new inclusion program, all K-5 classes hold weekly sessions to develop higher-order thinking and foster creativity. Enrichment clusters bring students and community members together around shared interests ranging from radio broadcasting to quilting. A pull-out component allows individual students to pursue topics of special interest like law, genealogy or woodworking. Finally, students with specific interests such as veterinary or computer science may be matched with volunteer mentors from the community.
1981 Western Montana College, B.A.
