History

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History

1994 In July the idea of setting up G.A.T.E.WAYS as an organisation to cater for the needs of highly able children was conceived.

  • In August G.A.T.E.WAYS registered as a small business.
  • In September G.A.T.E.WAYS held its first holiday program with 37 participants.
  • In November the first Brainwaves meetings were held – one in Box Hill and one in Hampton. These meeting were held on a Friday evening once a month and continued for 4 years until the time when it became necessary to change the format to cater for the increased demand.

1995 The Bright Futures Policy introduced by the Victorian Government and schools were required to provide programs for their gifted and talented students.

From 1995 until 1998 G.A.T.E.WAYS operated from a home office with only a telephone, a fax machine, and an antiquated computer.

1996 First of three Festival of Workshops held in Perth, Western Australia.

1997 The Omega Club for highly able mathematicians opened in Glen Waverley.

1998 This was the year G.A.T.E.WAY first offered:

  • 2 day Eureka workshops.
  • 4 half day Journeys programs.
  • A Saturday Brainwaves Club.
  • The first official Brainwaves Club newsletter was published – the Encephalograph.
  • Attendances had reached 8000 in one year.

1998 G.A.T.E.WAYS moved to its first office and engaged its first administrative assistant.

1999 A big year for G.A.T.E.WAYS saw:

  • On Locations commence.
  • A branch of the Brainwaves Club open in Hobart, Tasmania.
  • A residential camp To The Waters and The Wild in Denmark, Western Australia.
  • The first End-of-Year Festival of Workshops.
  • Bright Buttons, a club for Preps, included in our Brainwaves Club.
From 1999 G.A.T.E.WAYS had continued growth and success. Annual attendances reached 12000 and the number of presenters and supervisors had increased from 12 to over 100.

2000 The new millennium heralded:

  • The first G.A.T.E.WAYS Challenge.
  • Festivals of Workshops in Hobart and Launceston, Tasmania.
  • The first In House workshops run for students - Caulfield Grammar School, Glen Iris.
2001 This year saw more new programs on offer – programs that were to be repeated many times:

  • The first So You Want To Be A Leader program was held at the Box Hill Town Hall.
  • On Locations commenced at the Alfred Brash SoundHouse, Arts Centre, Melbourne.
  • Pilots On Probation was held at Essendon Airport.
  • Semester long In Residence program at Caulfield Grammar School.

2003 The first Canberra Festival of Workshops.

2004 Inaugural Art Exhibition – display of Brainwaves Club (The Picassos) artwork.

2005 G.A.T.E.WAYS Publications was formed and G.A.T.E.WAYS self-published You be the judge!
          A branch of the Brainwaves Club opened in Canberra.

2006 While all the established G.A.T.E.WAYS programs continued to expand, new programs were added:

  • Out On The Town for secondary students, held over 3 days in the city.
  • The first Prep Festival.
  • Parent Information Evenings.
  • Teacher Information Evenings.
  • Publications in partnership with Blake Education.
  • Re-introduced holiday workshops.
  • On Locations at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.

2007 Brainwaves had now expanded to include 5 clubs in the areas of Maths/Science/Books and Writing.

  • G.A.T.E.WAYS introduced Excellence Awards to recognise student’s work of the highest standards.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Publications self-published CSI Mathematical and Super Sleuths.
  • A new On Location program commenced at Lab 3000.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS takes up residence in a larger office and increases administrative staff.

2008 Commenced On Locations at the National Gallery of Victoria and Share Community Campus.

  • Re-introduced Year 6 Leadership program.

2009 The Brainwaves Club opens at a second venue in Melbourne.

  • The Eureka workshops commence in Canberra.
  • A mid-year festival was added to the calendar.
  • The University of Canberra hosted the G.A.T.E.WAYS Challenge for the first time.
  • Expansion of all other programs continued to meet the growing demand.

2010 Inaugural Festival of Workshops held on the Gold Coast, Queensland.

  • First On Locations held at Werribee Zoo.

2011 The Eureka workshops commence in Queensland.

  • Expansion continued in all existing programs.

2012 The Brainwaves Club opens at a third venue in Melbourne.

  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Education International is formed and holds workshops in Bangkok.
  • First On Location held at the Australian Synchrotron and at Duneira Estate, Mt Macedon.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Directors invited to appear at the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into the Education of Gifted and Talented students.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS invited to present on its model to the Education Minister of Malaysia.

2013 International workshops held in Singapore and Bangkok.

  • The Eureka workshops commence in Sydney.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS attendances reach 50,000.

2014  New website opens allowing for online registrations!

  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Publications self-published The Perplexing Puzzles of Professor Fibbernacho.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS opens a Sydney office and appoints first Sydney Co-ordinator.
  • First Year 6 Leadership program held in Canberra.
  • First Western Suburbs Festival of workshops held in Melbourne.

2015  Eureka programs extended throughout Sydney, staffed by local presenters for the first time.

  • Following continued expansion, additional program co-ordinator appointed in Melbourne.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS launches a newsletter, The G.A.T.E.POST with parents able to subscribe on website homepage.
  • First Brisbane Festival of Workshops.
  • First Brainwaves Clubs for Years 7-9 established in Melbourne.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Education International Festival of Workshops in Bangkok.
  • First branch of The Brainwaves Club established in Sydney in Double Bay.

2016  Second branch of The Brainwaves Club established in Sydney at Ryde.

  • First mid-year festival run in Sydney.
  • Eureka program continues to expand in Sydney.
  • First On Location at Writers’ Victoria.
  • Attendance at World Gifted Conference in Sydney.
  • Co-founder and co-director Win Smith retires.
  • Meg Pini joins co-founder and co-director Jill Lawrence as new co-director.

2017 Fourth branch of the Brainwaves Club established in Melbourne.

  • First Journeys offered in Sydney.
  • The G.A.T.E.WAYS Challenge introduced to Sydney.
  • First End of Year Festival in Sydney.
  • G.A.T.E.WAYS Education International Festival of Workshops in Bangkok.
  • Additional program co-ordinator engaged in Melbourne.
  • Annual enrolments reach 15,250.

2018 An additional branch of the Brainwaves Club open in Sydney.

  • First year 6 Leadership program in Sydney.
  • First Eureka program in Adelaide.
  • First Eureka program on Sunshine Coast.
  • Sydney office moves to Mona Vale.
  • Additional program co-ordinator engaged in Sydney.
  • First online Brainwaves Club.
  • Annual enrolments reach 17,000.

2019 G.A.T.E.WAYS 25th birthday year.

  • Additional program co-ordinators appointed in Sydney and Melbourne.
  • First On Location at Montsalvat.
  • First Eureka program in Geelong.
  • First Eureka program on the central Coast of NSW.

Host Schools 1994 – 2019

Over two hundred schools have hosted G.A.T.E.WAYS programs since its inception.
Well over 1000 schools have participated.

HOST SCHOOLS 1994 - 2019