Seventeen innovative educational programs for handicapped or gifted children (preschool through secondary level) are described. The projects were among 25 awarded as part of the Foundation for Exceptional Children's Bill Geer Minigrant Award Program. Each project is described in terms of director's name, population served, location, and duration. Brief project summaries are also included. Among those cited are a circus arts program for emotionally handicapped adolescents, a living history project involving gifted and talented high schoolers, a geriatric nursing assistant program for learning disabled or emotionally handicapped high schoolers, trial sheltered employment for severely mentally retarded adolescents, career day workshops for mildly retarded students in grades 10-12, a public opinion survey conducted by gifted secondary students, and computer programing to help severely physically handicapped nonverbal students (age 9-18) in reading and spelling. (CL)