Identity is a driving force in life and can influence feelings of connection (Barnett, 2006) and career paths (Farland-Smith, 2012). Identity formation is a crucial part of life, and understanding the factors that negatively and positively impact it are important to support a gifted child’s development. One element that can greatly impact an individual’s development is passion (Graham, 2024; Bouizegarene et al., 2018). Schools have an important role to play in identity development, as they intentionally and unintentionally impact this stage of life (Verhoeven et al., 2019).

This session will share the value of identity development and ways passion can impact it. Participants will be asked to reflect on their own identities and times they felt like their most authentic selves. These reflections will provide a basis for discussion, connecting personal experiences to the research on identity development. Strategies for how passion can be integrated into classes will be shared.