Programs for disadvantaged gifted students require teachers with a number of positive characteristics and a relevant curriculum. The New Challenge Program created by the University of Texas Pan-American College of Education is a Saturday morning enrichment program for disadvantaged gifted children. Students select from classes such as Basic and Advanced Rocketry and Aviation, Adventures in Physics, or The Art of Clowning Around. The classes meet 10 mornings for 3 hours each. Program planners interview and select teachers based on their area of expertise, enthusiasm, knowledge of the needs of gifted learners, and skills in developing student self-concept. Teachers emphasize use of models from the community as learning guides, cooperative learning, experiential learning, concrete examples from students' experiences, and self-concept development. At the end of each 10-week session, students complete a 24-item questionnaire designed to elicit responses that describe the characteristics of the teacher and validate selected traits of a "relevant" curriculum. Over half of the 125 students surveyed listed the teacher as one of the things they liked best about the program. In terms of relevancy, 107 of the 125 students selected their course based on their individual interest and desire for personalized learning. Students also reported opportunities for personal growth. (KS)