Group aims to empower learning disabled students
Fundraising at Wendy’s today for Project Eye-to-Eye
By Erin Mccarthy
The Galesburg Register-Mail
March 7, 2011

The newest chapter of Project Eye-to-Eye will benefit from people eating at Wendy’s this evening, as the restaurant will give 10 percent of sales to the group that seeks to serve local middle school students with learning disabilities.

Project Eye-to-Eye is a national organization that connects college students and k-12 students who have been diagnosed with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder through mentoring and community outreach.

Keely Campbell, a senior elementary education major at Knox College, said she did not feel she was receiving the support she needed from the college as an LD student and wanted to form the local chapter after hearing how involvement in Project Eye-to-Eye affected her friend.

“She told me how it helped her cope with her disability and meet other students on campus who have disabilities to become each other’s support,” said Campbell. “I wanted the same thing ... to find other people who embrace learning different and not being a disabled college student.”

In the fall term, Campbell brought the idea to Jane Varakin at Knox’s Center for Teaching and Learning. Varakin agreed to be the faculty adviser, and the two began recruiting, catching the attention of Cameron Posey, who would become president of the local chapter.

“Just like Keely, I didn’t really feel supported here either with my learning disability, and I feel like this empowers me a lot,” said Posey. “This gives me a chance to empower another student with a learning disability and let them know it shouldn’t stop them from getting a college education."

Still in its infancy, Knox’s Project Eye-to-Eye connected with Lombard Middle School on Wednesday. Upon completion of training, members will soon begin mentoring Lombard’s LD/ADD students through “meaningful, weekly art projects.”

“We want young LD students to see older LD students being successful,” said Campbell. “That’s what makes the project so awesome.”

Campbell, Posey and other members said throughout their education, they felt persecuted for their learning disabilities, many times being told to hide their accommodations “like a dirty secret.”

“Over 10 percent of students in higher education have some form of disability,” said Campbell. “So why shouldn’t it be discussed or talked about or more groups like this exist if it’s such a prevalent thing?”

Varakin said once the group is established, it will be a “win-win” for both the college and middle school students, as well as parents and teachers of LD/ADD students.

“The funds we receive Monday will help us get art supplies and be able to have support from the national organization who will come in and do trainings, bring in speakers and develop resources so the entire community can access them and become educated on learning disability issues,” said Varakin.

“We’re seeking to change the culture here at Knox by helping people with learning differences — that’s just what it is, a learning difference — be able to articulate their needs and become their own advocates.”

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