Testimonials

Lina Tedjoe was afraid she would not be able to cope with the level of the RITHA with my previous education, but decided to take the step anyway - with success!

"I grew up in a middle class family. At the age of 20, I started working as a teacher at an elementary school in Suriname. After working there for two years, I left for the Netherlands with the intention of continuing my studies. Since the financial means were lacking, I started working in education again. From class teacher to remedial teacher and tutor of 'plusklas'. 

Initially I had the opinion that I would not be able to cope with the level of the RITHA with my previous education (HBO master). I therefore started insecure, but the warm guidance from RITHA gave my selfconfidence a big boost. During the specialization module ''We don't need no education'' by Jan Bransen, I became aware of my various roles as an individual and the expectations and obligations associated with these roles. I have learned to name my positive qualities and to use them at the right time and place. What I would like to pass on to others is: Know thyself! 

Besides having brought a lot of knowledge in the field of giftedness and a large network, the RITHA has also increased resilience and eliminated barriers to action. Students are given the opportunity to receive an education that matches their potential, teachers experience less action embarrassment, and the school has sufficient expertise to shape policies around supporting gifted students."

As director of the European Talent Centre Croatia, Robert Kelemen works with RITHA. What makes this cooperation so valuable?

“Our main motivation to start cooperation with the RITHA programme was to provide the best possible opportunity to gain experience about gifted education for teachers and trainers in our Centres of excellence. Learn from the best, is our motto. I can recommend others to work with the Radboud University, and especially the RITHA programme, because they will get a partner who thinks creatively to suit their needs and provides a programme that changes perspectives on gifted education and offers freedom in setting the educational goals of participants.”

Trainer Julija Kukec shares her experiences with RITHA.

"I meet gifted children every day. As a preschool psychologist working in kindergarten, I see challenges these children, their teachers, and their parents face in the regular education system. And I also see the need to provide them a different approach. This is what motivated me to start the RITHA programme.

What makes this programme specific is solid, scientifically based theoretical foundation and learning how to implement these findings in practice. Also, the opportunity to learn from top experts in the field of gifted education. I also want to highlight the continuous support of teachers through positive supervision and the connection to a network of international experts in the field of giftedness, which provides great opportunities for cooperation.

By participating in RITHA programme, I acquired variety of important skills: how to identify gifted children, how to design, implement and evaluate different programs and forms of working with these children. I also gained a greater understanding of creativity and how to encourage it in different environments and systems, and increased my skills in the field of working with parents of gifted children."

Enyi Jen helped develop the RITHA programme. What makes this programme so unique?

I helped develop the RITHA programme in 2017. I am a current RITHA lecturer and have also taught in the US. During my teaching, a question I always ask myself is: what else I can offer to my students? I believe RITHA has several unique characteristics. 

First, similar to many professional development programmes, RITHA contains the latest scientific knowledge and useful evidence-based practices in the field of gifted education. I enjoy working with our RITHA students to explore concepts and exchange ideas. 

Second, RITHA uses a blended learning style, which allows us to reach educational professionals in different countries. This blended learning model was carefully evaluated by Lianne Hoogeveen, RITHA's programme director, and I, and the result was published in the journal Evaluation and Program Planning in 2022. In other words, RITHA itself is also a science-based programme. Finally, RITHA is designed for participants with different backgrounds – from teachers to counsellors, psychologists to administrators, social workers to parents and beyond. It is also very hands-on. We emphasise that it is important for RITHA students to implement the RITHA knowledge in the various contexts of gifted education and to use the final product to contribute to improving the world of gifted education, care and policy. 

My lifelong passion is discovering best practices to support highly capable, young students by developing their talents and helping them experience positive social and emotional interactions. To achieve these goals, I work with teachers, parents, psychologists, and researchers globally and learn a lot from them. Working with RITHA from a different time zone is not always easy. However, my RITHA experience is rewarding when I see RITHA students change their perspective and play an influential role in the local community for high-ability students."