Smart Kids and Sputnik Panic: Gifted Education in Winnipeg's Major Work Program, 1954-1972

As the Cold War intensified in the 1950s and the launch of Sputnik shocked North America, the urgency to nurture future scientists, mathematicians, and leaders profoundly influenced the direction of gifted education. In Winnipeg, a program called Major Work emerged not only from educational ideals, but also from a global race for intellectual and technological superiority—a race that would redefine the purpose and goals of gifted programs across the continent.

This history traces the develo...