Programs and strategies for gifted, underachieving students are the topics of a national conference cosponsored by Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Montgomery College, and the Association of Educators of Gifted Underachieving Students (AEGUS).

"Diamonds in the Rough: Practical Strategies for Uncovering the Brilliance of Gifted Underachieving Students" will be held on March 21 and 22 at the University of Maryland, Shady Grove.

The conference will feature both local and nationally known speakers. It will highlight MCPS' GT/LD (Gifted & Talented/Learning Disabled) program, one of two comprehensive programs for GT/LD students in the United States, which recently was featured in articles in Roeper's Review, The Washington Post and Education Week.

Keynote speakers are Jonathan Mooney, dyslexic writer, activist, and cofounder of Project Eye-To-Eye mentoring program; Susan Baum, who teaches graduate courses in education of gifted and talented students at the College of New Rochelle; and Andrew Mahoney, director of a counseling center for gifted and talented students in Herndon, Virginia.

Panelists and workshop leaders from all fields of gifted education will offer a range of more than 50 workshops, panels, demonstrations, and hands-on activities.