If you have a kid who has been identified as academically gifted, is a self-directed learning center a good place for them? Kristen Montesano, co-founder of EPIC Life Learning Community in Dallas, Texas (epiclifelearningcommunity.com), grew up in public school gifted programs, yet she was still bored and unchallenged. In college she began volunteering at a democratic free school which soon inspired her to think about starting her own program. In this interview she explains how self-directed learning centers like EPIC have a special power to serve the needs of academically gifted kids, including issues of self-perception and self-worth.