GPGC Alumni Association

The GPGC Needs Your Help Now!

The State of Louisiana is facing tough budget times and the very existence of the GPGC may be in jeopardy. The Program is anticipating an almost certain 20-30% cut in its appropriation and it is possible that its appropriation could be cut all together. Alumni and Friends of the GPGC can help prevent this dire outcome by contacting their Louisiana State Representatives and Senators now and expressing your support for the continued funding of the GPGC.

For an introduction to what's going on please read Zart Dombourian-Eby's letter calling the alumni and friends to action.

What You Need to Do to Help:

Find Your Elected Officials: Go to http://www.legis.state.la.us/ and click on the link "How do I..." on the left-hand menu column. That link will take you to a page of questions - one of which will be "How do I contact my legislator." Click on that link and it will tell you how you can reach your State Representative and State Senator by phone, mail, or email. This page also has a link that will help you find out who your State Representative and State Senator are if you don't know at this time.

Contact Your Elected Officials: Please contact your State Representative and State Senator as soon as possible to urge them to support continued funding for the GPGC. A personal letter or call is best but if nothing else, please email them. We have prepared a sample letter for you to use. Please make sure to add your personal reasons for supporting the GPGC - it will make this letter much more effective. Let us know at zart@giftie.org who you have contacted, when you contacted them, and a summary of their response (if any).

Even Better: In addition to contacting your State Representatives and State Senators, please also send a copy of your letter to the following officials. These officials also need to hear about the GPGC an why it is such an important program. They are in positions that are quite influential.

Best: Personally visit with your legislators to discuss the GPGC. Make an appointment to see them at their district office if possible or in Baton Rouge during the session. Face-to-face contact enables you to make the most impressive argument for the GPGC. If you personally know any influential politicians or state officials (like the Governor!) please do make a special effort to contact them about the GPGC's funding situation.

Out of State Alumni and Friends: You can help too! Please ask your friends and relatives that are Louisiana residents to contact their elected officials about the GPGC. Direct them here or furnish them with your own letter and information. You can also help by contacting the Governor and letting him know how important the GPGC was to you and why it should continue to receive as large of an appropriation as possible.

The GPGC Alumni Association is a group of former students of the Louisiana Governor's Program for Gifted Children. It was founded by Dr. George Middleton and held its first summer session at McNeese State University in 1959.

Any person who attended for any length of time, or who was associated with the program as a staff member, is automatically considered a part of the GPGC Alumni Association. The purpose of the Alumni Association is to give alumni a place to update their contact info, find old friends, exchange news, revive fond memories, and maintain a link to the GPGC.

There are no fees, although donations are always appreciated and will be used primarily to support the current Program along with the association itself.

If you attended the Program and have not yet registered as a member of the GPGC Alumni Association, please...

Registering will also allow you access to the GPGC Alumni database and all of the other Members Only features of the website (available only after logging in) so that you can find old friends and participate in all of the GPGC Alumni Association events and activities.

Thank you!

The GPGC Alumni Association