Programs

American Mensa has a number of awards that recognize hard work, knowledge and creativity. From community service to esoteric cultural knowledge, from writing groundbreaking essays to creating a l33t home page — awards are presented annually recognizing those individuals and groups who shine brighter in their efforts.

Many of our members join to help the organization "do more", and American Mensa has several national programs that support and recognize our members' efforts in their local communities, including Project Inkslinger^® and the Community Activities Program awards.

Gifted children have long been important to American Mensa; one of the first two Special Interest Groups recognized in 1965 focused on their unique issues. Currently, American Mensa has more than 1,300 members under the age of 18 with the youngest being 3 years old.

WorldConnect is a worldwide Mensa program that pairs cities or Local Groups around the world with "sister" cities or Local Groups that would enjoy, and possibly benefit from, the connection.  Matches can be made based on size of local groups, members' hobbies, similar names or physical features, parallel industries or places members want to visit.

American Mensa, Ltd., supports research that furthers the scientific understanding of giftedness and related areas, and we recognize that access to the membership may be an important resource to scholars in these areas. Therefore, research review guidelines have been developed for accessing Mensa members for research (or for using the Mensa database for research) and for requesting approval from the Research Review Committee.

The Service of Information, Guidance and Hospitality to Travelers allows members to enjoy the company and hospitality of Mensans when traveling throughout the U.S. and more than 40 other countries.