Talent Development with Equity. A Turning Point in Social Change

The aim of this chapter is to provide an educational perspective on social change based on talent development in the ethnic and linguistically diverse population of an Andean country. The current situation of the highly able youths living in vulnerable conditions in the Andean highlands and the Amazon Forest will be explored. A comprehensive analysis involving a developmental, cross-cultural, and inclusive conceptual framework will be used. Studies on gifted education in the Andean and Amazon region have led us to consider giftedness as a social construct, highly dependent on cultural and developmental factors, as well as on educational opportunities. Therefore, we need to restrain our need to frame a narrow one-size-fits-all concept of giftedness toward a dynamic one, shaped by the values, concepts, attitudes, and the language of these cultures. In multicultural contexts, where poverty conditions prevail, students who perceived greater obstacles during acculturation are more prone to social exclusion. Therefore, challenging experiences in acculturation may lead to heightened reactivity to socially hurtful events. Studies about the identification and differentiation programs for the gifted will be analyzed. And the status of young scholars coming from low socio-economic and ethnic minority groups will be discussed. Results of ongoing studies about variables related to gifted performance will be included. Plus, the challenges of gifted education in Latin America, that underline the advocacy efforts to serve the indigenous population with equity will be presented. An example of best practices carried out in Peru, by the Ministry of Education, in order to empower and engage young scholars nationwide will be presented. Finally, implications for future research and public policies to serve talented students coming from original towns will be also considered.