Mensa International facts for kids
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| Formation | 1 October 1946 |
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| Legal status | Limited non-profit organisation |
| Purpose | High-IQ society |
| Headquarters | Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom |
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Membership
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~150,000 |
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International Chairperson
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Björn Liljeqvist |
Mensa is the largest and oldest group in the world for people with a very high IQ. It is a non-profit group. This means it does not aim to make money. You can join if you score in the top 2% on a special intelligence test. Mensa includes many national groups and a main group called Mensa International. Its main office is in Caythorpe, Lincolnshire, England.
Contents
What Does "Mensa" Mean?
The word mensa comes from Latin. It means 'table'. This is why a table is in the group's logo. The name was chosen to show that everyone in Mensa is equal. It is like people sitting together at a round table.
How Mensa Started
Mensa was started in 1946 in Oxford, England. An Australian named Roland Berrill and a British scientist named Lancelot Ware created it. They wanted to form a group for the smartest people. The only rule to join was having a very high IQ.
The group was meant to be fair and not take sides in politics. It was also meant to be free from differences like race or religion. Later, the founders felt a bit disappointed. Berrill wanted it to be an "aristocracy of the intellect." But many members came from working-class families. Ware also felt that members spent too much time solving puzzles.
American Mensa became the second big branch of Mensa. This happened thanks to Margot Seitelman. In 2021, British Mensa had a security problem with its computer systems. Some member information was affected.
Joining Mensa
To join Mensa, you need a high score on an IQ test. You must score at or above the 98th percentile. This means you score better than 98 out of 100 people who take the test. Mensa accepts scores from tests like the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales.
Most IQ tests are set up so the average score is 100. A score of about 130 is usually needed to join Mensa. This score puts you in the top 2%.
Many national Mensa groups use well-known IQ tests. However, American Mensa and German Mensa have their own tests. In some countries, you can only take the Mensa test once. But you can still apply with scores from other approved tests. Mensa tests are also available in many developing countries. Groups in these countries are growing fast.
How Mensa is Organized
Mensa International has about 134,000 members. These members are in 100 countries. They are part of 54 national groups. These national groups publish magazines or newsletters. For example, American Mensa has the Mensa Bulletin. British Mensa has Mensa Magazine.
If you live in a country with a Mensa group, you join that group. If your country does not have a group, you can join Mensa International directly.
The biggest national groups are:
- American Mensa, with over 50,000 members.
- British Mensa, with about 18,000 members in the UK and Ireland.
- Mensa Germany, with about 16,000 members.
Larger national groups are divided into smaller local groups. American Mensa has 134 local groups. Some have over 2,000 members, while others have fewer than 100.
Members can also form Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These groups are for people who share hobbies or interests. They can be international, national, or local. SIGs cover many topics, from motorcycle clubs to business ideas. Some SIGs meet in person, while others are online.
The Mensa Foundation is a separate charity in the U.S. It publishes the Mensa Research Journal. This journal shares articles and research about intelligence. Both Mensa members and non-members can write for it.
Mensa Events and Gatherings
Mensa holds many events for its members. These events happen at local, national, and international levels. Many countries have a big event called the Annual Gathering (AG). This event takes place in a different city each year. It includes speakers, dances, workshops, games, and activities for children.
American and Canadian AGs are usually held around their national holidays. For example, the American AG is often near July 4th.
Since 1990, American Mensa has held the Mensa Mind Games competition. They give the Mensa Select award to five board games. These games are chosen for being "original, challenging, and well designed."
In Europe, international meetings are called EMAG (European Mensa Annual Gathering). These have been held in many cities since 2008. In the Asia-Pacific region, there is an Asia-Pacific Mensa Annual Gathering (AMAG). Different countries host this event each year.
Mensa Publications
All national Mensa groups publish newsletters or magazines for members. These often have articles written by members. They also share information about upcoming Mensa events. Examples include the American Mensa Bulletin and the British Mensa Magazine. Some local groups also have their own newsletters.
Mensa International publishes a Mensa World Journal. This journal shares news and views about Mensa around the world. It is usually included in each national magazine.
The Mensa Foundation publishes the Mensa Research Journal. This journal focuses on research about intelligence. Unlike most Mensa publications, anyone can read this journal.
Who Joins Mensa?
All national Mensa groups accept children under 18. Some groups do not test children themselves. But many offer activities and newsletters for gifted children and their parents.
Some very young children have joined Mensa. Kashe Quest is the youngest member of American Mensa. Adam Kirby is the youngest member of British Mensa. Both joined at age two. Elise Tan-Roberts (UK) and Miranda Elise Margolis (US) are the youngest ever to join. They became members at two years and four months old.
In 2018, Mehul Garg scored the highest possible on the Mensa test. He was the youngest person in ten years to do so.
Mensa members come from all age groups. The oldest member of American Mensa is 102 years old. British Mensa once had a member who was 103.
See also
In Spanish: Mensa (organización) para niños
- List of Mensans
- IQ classification
- IQ Award
