Born in New York City, I occasionally think about it. New York’s City College, local and inexpensive, recruited the children of recent immigrants. Their parents hoped to succeed, but were absolutely determined that their children would. Stuyvesant High School is rigorously, famously selective. The very best students attend.

For decades, City College produced more future Nobel laureates than did Harvard or Berkeley. For years, Stuyvesant produced more National Merit Scholars than did California. We aren’t an immigrant community, but there’s a takeaway: we can learn some things.

Attitude is very important. Nobel laureates need genius, but City College’s reasonably bright students also worked hard and did well. At home and at school we can do what the immigrants did: convince our kids that learning leads to success.

So is propinquity: very bright young people need one another. We can’t segregate our best and brightest (and that may be just as well). But we can get them together and offer opportunities to collaborate and compete, and see teachers thinking hard as well.

Semester-long seminars: eight to 12 juniors and seniors circulating their writing, discussing their experiments and calculations. Active, intelligent participation is what it’s all about. There’s also lab or library time. Thinking, reading, doing, take time and effort.

The project (recruitment and costs such as teacher time, travel, guest speakers, books and equipment, etc.) had best be shared, with Gould or a nearby high school.

Two seminars each semester, one on science, one on arts/humanities; excursions, and guest speakers will broaden the scope of learning. Sciences: geology includes the Maine Mineral and Gem Museum, and its lab and scientists; there are many local sites for fieldwork.

Forestry is diversely practiced around us: tree farms, the several kinds of conservation and rehabilitation practiced by the Mahoosuc Land Trust, town forests, etc.

Arts: Maine literature offers chances to see places famously described, hear from highly articulate local/regional authors, and read, read, read. Maine art: sites depicted, museums in Lewiston and Portland, talks with curators and artists. Maine history in its many guises: potential places and speakers abound.

Our students are ready for this sort of thing. Let’s give them their chance.

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