Contests and Competitions offer students an opportunity to augment their school programs with extra-curricular programs. Benefits of competitions include an opportunity to work on an independent project, feedback on one's standing within a field relative to other students, evaluative feedback from professionals who work in the field, and a chance to win awards and cash prizes.

Resources for gifted:

• Mary K Tallent-Runnels and Ann C. Candler-Lotven (1996). Academic Competitions for Gifted Students: A Resource Book for Teachers and Parents. Corwin Press: Thousand Oaks, CA.
• Frances A. Karnes and Tracy L. Riley (1996). Competitions: Maximizing Your Abilities. Prufrock Press: Waco, TX.
  

Internships are ways for gifted students to learn about career fields and to experience substantive, real-life work in an area. Through internships, students can have contact with individuals who can provide advice on educational and career decisions. Internships can be set up locally through your school by connecting a student with a community member. Many internships exist within corporations and businesses; while most of these are for college aged student, increasingly more of them are for high school-aged students. For a list of internship opportunities, see the book:

• Gilbert, Sara Delaney (1997). Internships. The Hot List for Job Hunters. Indianapolis, IN: Macmillan.