The 2e Center for Research and Professional Development at Bridges Academy

Helping twice-exceptional students thrive

The 2e Center is a first-of-its-kind multi-disciplinary hub where professionals, scholars, and practitioners combine expertise to enhance understanding of the growing population of 2e students. With the unique opportunities afforded by working with a lab school, the Center can encourage and undertake much-needed research, provide courses and workshops for educators and parents, and share resources about the best practices that serve this cognitively diverse, at-risk population. 
 
The primary goals of the Center are to create awareness, offer professional development, provide outreach, and generate projects that will improve services for the special population of children known as twice exceptional (2e). 
The 2e Center operates within a positive psychology framework, emphasizing that more is to be gained from understanding and acknowledging what a child can do than from focusing on deficits and problems –– an approach all-to-common in many schools.
 
Professional Development
 
The 2e Center staff provides professional development  including: 
  • Workshops on curriculum development and innovative, strength-based instruction.
  • Training on instruments, assessment tools, and growth indicators.
  • Mentoring faculty members in professional activities such as professional writing and workshop presentations.
 
Outreach 

​The 2e Center has specific goals to disseminate information and resources through multiple venues. Center activities include 
  • Hosting a Speaker’s Series, with visiting lecturers such as Jonathan Mooney and Dr. Temple Grandin
  • Keynoting at local, state, and national conferences
  • Writing a bi-monthly column for the 2e Newsletter
  • Conducting parent workshops
  • Hosting a multi-disciplinary Symposium with invitees from across the nation
 
Research 
​
The 2e Center encourages research studies, both internal and external, that serve to build a base of best practices for twice-exceptional education; to assess awareness levels and needs; and to better understand the 2e learner. In addition, the staff and Executive Board of the Center develop and field-test protocols and instruments specifically designed to measure strengths, interests, and talents.
Directors, faculty and members of the 2e Center and  Bridges Academy are available for professional development and awareness workshop. Please contact Kim Vargas for more information or fill out the contact form below.

    Contact the 2e Center:
Executive Board Members
Susan Baum, Ph.D.
Director of The 2e Center for Research and Professional Development
Robin Schader, Ph.D.
Jann Leppien, Ph.D.
E. Jean Gubbins, Ph.D.
Kim Vargas, MS.
Administrator of The 2e Center for Research and Professional Development