SEM Italy collaborates with the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development at the University of Connecticut, USA. The research conducted by Professor Joseph S. Renzulli and Professor Sally M. Reis is based on a broad vision of the concept of giftedness and aims to promote educational approaches that address the special educational needs of all students, particularly gifted and twice exceptional students, from an inclusive perspective. The research studies conducted by Professor Joseph S. Renzulli and Professor Sally M. Reis and a team of experts from the Renzulli Center, relating to creativity, assessment and identification systems, curriculum personalization, and consolidation, are considered cornerstones of the scientific literature on Gifted Education and continue to inspire research, contributing to the development of programs and services to develop the creative potential of new generations.
Joseph S. Renzulli, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor at the University of Connecticut. Director of the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development. Professor Joseph Salvatore Renzulli is listed among the 15 most influential educators in the world (https://globalgurus.org/education-gurus-30/). In 2021, MENSA recognized Professor Renzulli with the Lifetime Achievement Award (https://www.mensafoundation.org/what-we-do/awards-and-recognition/lifetime-achievement-award/lifetime-achievement-winners/2021-joseph-renzulli/)
Sally M. Reis
Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor, and a Teaching Fellow in Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut.
The Schoolwide Enrichment Model
The Scholastic Enrichment Model (SEM) is an inclusive teaching model for developing the talent, creativity, and potential of all students, including gifted and twice-exceptional students. Based on the belief that "a rising tide lifts all boats," the SEM extends the pedagogy of Gifted Education to the development of the talents of all students, providing every student in the class with the opportunities, resources, and encouragement needed to develop their individual potential through the use of differentiation, enrichment, and acceleration strategies. The SEM draws on forty years of scientific research and is available for free download from the University of Connecticut website (https://gifted.uconn.edu). Professors Renzulli and Reis have successfully translated research and theory into tools, procedures, and teaching materials to assist teachers in implementing the model in the classroom. These materials have been collected in a 'Practical Guide for Teachers', 'The Schoolwide Enrichment Model: A How-to-Guide for Talent Development' (2014), Prufrock Press, translated and published in Italy with the title "The Schoolwide Enrichment Model. A Practical Guide for Talent Development" (J. Renzulli, S. Reis, L. Milan, 2021, Edizioni Junior - Bambini srl).
