Who we were & what we did
BALSA - the Berkeley Advanced Learner Support and Advocacy Community - was an inclusive, diverse grassroots organization, founded and led by Berkeley parents in 2012-2017, partly in response to changes in the Berkeley Unified School District Gifted & Talented Education (GATE) policy.
BALSA's mission was to
* The term Twice Exceptional, often abbreviated as 2e, refers to gifted learners who also have disabilities.
BALSA's mission was to
- Support the special academic and social-emotional needs of gifted, talented, high-potential, Twice Exceptional*, and high-achieving students in the Berkeley Unified School District, regardless of whether such students have been formally GATE identified.
- Advocate for increased efforts to identify and mentor high-potential students from all cultural, racial, ethnic, linguistic and socio-economic backgrounds, in line with the 2020 Vision to close the achievement gap in the Berkeley Schools.
- Build community by cultivating positive alliances and collaborations between parents/guardians, teachers, and administrative staff; sharing resources and best practices from other advanced learner support groups; and reaching out to families whose children may require extra assistance to realize their unique talents.
* The term Twice Exceptional, often abbreviated as 2e, refers to gifted learners who also have disabilities.