Recognising students with great potential and supporting them in their academic endeavours is of utmost importance, particularly for disadvantaged children from rural areas or low-income families. Dr Susan Assouline and Dr Lori Ihrig, at the University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, which is part of the UI College of Education, have developed a program to support high-ability students in their transition to high school and completion of higher-level courses.