Gifted and Talented Students Marilyn Howard believes a high school program for gifted and talented students should offer differentiated instruction, which may include the following: programs that develop skills in problem solving, higher-level thinking, independent study, and creativity flexible educational environments that allow students to pursue areas of interest accelerated curricula to accommodate high degrees of content mastery 6 These possibilities should be offered to gifted and talented students in all grade levels. Technology provides various ways to enhance classroom activities, such as offering advanced coursework from a different location. Whether isolation is geographic, medical, or psychological, the Web can make educational enhancement available to isolated students. Student Interns The mentorship program at the Mountain Home School District offers high school juniors and seniors a one- or two- semester internship in a field of their choice to earn elective credits. Howard states that the key to a successful internship is creating or identifying "real" work that the student can do in addition to observing the mentor. Internships include a County Extension Agent (one student-intern learned to use a new computer program for agricultural budgets and then taught the program to the office staff) and School District Computer Network Manager (where a student intern set up new computers, instructed teachers on how to use computers, and identified network problems). "Gifted students in particular enjoy the realism, challenge, and complexity of real-world tasks as part of their curriculum." A gifted and talented student interested in history created an electronic walking tour of the town's historic homes. The multimedia program, which featured photographs, descriptions and histories of these homes, was displayed at the town's museum (p. 67). 7 EPGY The Education Program for Gifted Youth (EPGY) at Stanford University develops and offers multimedia, computer-based, distance-learning for gifted and talented students. EPGY courses in math, physics, English, and computer science range from kindergarten through advanced-undergraduate study levels. Students may receive Stanford University credit upon completion. EPGY's software is available to individuals, schools, and school districts. EPGY offers several ways for educators to receive technical and tutorial support training and recommends that at least one person at each site should receive their technical training. EPGY software can be used to provide a school's most advanced students courses appropriate to their ability level.