The Human Development Foundation's mission is to provide educational opportunities for children with high potential from limited economic means.

Cultivating Brilliance one child at a time

The Human Development Foundation tackles a problem rarely dealt with by schools, and we know of no program in the country that serves a similar population. Our objective is to provide stimulating educational resources and learning experiences for intellectually gifted, low-income elementary students because these remarkable children are the most likely to fall prey to the negative influences of impoverished neighborhoods

Children of exceptionally high intelligence - commonly labeled as ‘gifted’ - have special needs that, if not met at an early age, place them at high-risk of experiencing academic and emotional problems that can severely inhibit their development. HDF launched OPEN GATE in 1998 because it recognized that gifted students from low-income families are at an extraordinarily high risk, as they not only face the challenges of being ‘gifted’, but are also subject to problems and dangers that are inherent to their socioeconomic status.