Project Eye to Eye

The Project Eye-To-Eye Program Model

Project Eye-To-Eye seeks to develop a national coalition of mentoring programs for labeled students by partnering with local communities, public/private schools, universities, and local businesses to implement the Project Eye-To-Eye programming model.

On one hand, Project Eye-To-Eye’s programming model is very straightforward: labeled adults mentoring labeled students as a means of empowerment. However, underneath this straightforward programming model are a set of clearly defined principles that focus our work and distinguish the Project Eye-To-Eye model as one of the most innovative programs for labeled students in the country. To be considered an Project Eye-To-Eye Chapter, each local grassroots program has to design its program to adhere to the following core principles of Project Eye-To-Eye’s programming model:

Principle #1: Mentoring and Hope [up]

Research shows that the most important element in the life success of labeled individuals is not IQ or academic success, but self-esteem. Project Eye-To-Eye’s fundamental mission is to give younger labeled students hope by bringing a mentor into their lives who can model success and empower younger students to imagine a positive future for themselves.

Principle #2: Asset Based Academic Empowerment [up]

Project Eye-To-Eye is not a tutoring program or an academic remediation program, and mentors will not be teaching reading or working in the traditional pathology model. Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will aim to provide their mentees skills that facilitate academic empowerment. These skills break down in the following areas:

Self-Advocacy: Mentors will work with students to become positive self advocates for their needs as learners.
Meta-cognitive skills: Research on resilience and success shows that meta-cognitive skills, the ability to know how one learns, is one of the most fundamental skills leading to a successful life. Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will engage their mentees in an ongoing conversation about their learning styles and help them develop an asset based understanding of their learning.
Proactive Learning Strategies and Academic Accommodations: Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will work with students, parents and teachers on developing asset based learning strategies for their mentees, not remediation strategies. These strategies will focus on integrating alternative learning styles and multiple intelligences with concrete academic skills like note-taking, organization, and reading approaches. In addition, Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will work in partnership with teachers, students, and parents to implement a concrete accommodations plan for their mentees.

Principle #3: Beyond Normal Art Club [up]

Beyond the work of academic empowerment, the Project Eye-To-Eye Programming Model relies on the use of art, broadly defined, as a medium of empowerment. Through art, Project Eye-To-Eye children have the opportunity to access their gift for project-based, spatial, tactile/kinetic, and interpersonal learning within an academic environment. Each Project Eye-to-Eye chapter will be required to have a Beyond Normal Art Club, the specific structure and art pedagogy to be developed by the local chapter coordinators in partnership with the Project Eye-To-Eye programming director. The experience of art empowers students to develop their strengths and validates the unique gifts that are too often ignored within a traditional educational paradigm. Most importantly, as philosophers such as Maxine Green have explored, the use of art enables both the students and mentors to participate in a dialogue about social and personal change, empowering them to envision a different educational experience for themselves and ultimately their community.

Principle #4: Parent Networking and Empowerment [up]

Parents of labeled students are often divided from each other, uninformed of their legal rights, and disempowered by the institution of education. Project Eye-To-Eye seeks to connect these parents and support the development of a powerful coalition that will share information and advocate on behalf of labeled children in their community. On a local level, Project Eye-To-Eye chapters will be required to develop a parental empowerment plan outlining outreach strategies to this powerful group of community shareholders. On the national level, Project Eye-To-Eye will use the Internet to engage parents in a national dialogue.

Principle #5: Professional Development [up]

All members of Project Eye-To-Eye will be given training on LD/ADHD issues, art pedagogy, community development, and working with children. No program will be considered an Project Eye-To-Eye chapter unless a clear training model for mentors is outlined and put into action. Project Eye-To-Eye chapters will be provided with training materials, financial resources, and support in networking with local professionals, to provide high quality training for all mentors.

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Donate Now Project Eye-To-Eye Sites How To Start Your Site Newsletter Programs and Community Outreach e-Mentoring (Mentors and Alum only) Program Model: Mentoring and Hope Asset Based Academic Empowerment Beyond Normal Art Club Parent Networking and Empowerment Professional Development	The Project Eye-To-Eye Program Model Project Eye-To-Eye seeks to develop a national coalition of mentoring programs for labeled students by partnering with local communities, public/private schools, universities, and local businesses to implement the Project Eye-To-Eye programming model. On one hand, Project Eye-To-Eye’s programming model is very straightforward: labeled adults mentoring labeled students as a means of empowerment. However, underneath this straightforward programming model are a set of clearly defined principles that focus our work and distinguish the Project Eye-To-Eye model as one of the most innovative programs for labeled students in the country. To be considered an Project Eye-To-Eye Chapter, each local grassroots program has to design its program to adhere to the following core principles of Project Eye-To-Eye’s programming model: Principle #1: Mentoring and Hope [up] Research shows that the most important element in the life success of labeled individuals is not IQ or academic success, but self-esteem. Project Eye-To-Eye’s fundamental mission is to give younger labeled students hope by bringing a mentor into their lives who can model success and empower younger students to imagine a positive future for themselves. Principle #2: Asset Based Academic Empowerment [up] Project Eye-To-Eye is not a tutoring program or an academic remediation program, and mentors will not be teaching reading or working in the traditional pathology model. Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will aim to provide their mentees skills that facilitate academic empowerment. These skills break down in the following areas: Self-Advocacy: Mentors will work with students to become positive self advocates for their needs as learners. Meta-cognitive skills: Research on resilience and success shows that meta-cognitive skills, the ability to know how one learns, is one of the most fundamental skills leading to a successful life. Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will engage their mentees in an ongoing conversation about their learning styles and help them develop an asset based understanding of their learning. Proactive Learning Strategies and Academic Accommodations: Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will work with students, parents and teachers on developing asset based learning strategies for their mentees, not remediation strategies. These strategies will focus on integrating alternative learning styles and multiple intelligences with concrete academic skills like note-taking, organization, and reading approaches. In addition, Project Eye-To-Eye mentors will work in partnership with teachers, students, and parents to implement a concrete accommodations plan for their mentees. Principle #3: Beyond Normal Art Club [up] Beyond the work of academic empowerment, the Project Eye-To-Eye Programming Model relies on the use of art, broadly defined, as a medium of empowerment. Through art, Project Eye-To-Eye children have the opportunity to access their gift for project-based, spatial, tactile/kinetic, and interpersonal learning within an academic environment. Each Project Eye-to-Eye chapter will be required to have a Beyond Normal Art Club, the specific structure and art pedagogy to be developed by the local chapter coordinators in partnership with the Project Eye-To-Eye programming director. The experience of art empowers students to develop their strengths and validates the unique gifts that are too often ignored within a traditional educational paradigm. Most importantly, as philosophers such as Maxine Green have explored, the use of art enables both the students and mentors to participate in a dialogue about social and personal change, empowering them to envision a different educational experience for themselves and ultimately their community. Principle #4: Parent Networking and Empowerment [up] Parents of labeled students are often divided from each other, uninformed of their legal rights, and disempowered by the institution of education. Project Eye-To-Eye seeks to connect these parents and support the development of a powerful coalition that will share information and advocate on behalf of labeled children in their community. On a local level, Project Eye-To-Eye chapters will be required to develop a parental empowerment plan outlining outreach strategies to this powerful group of community shareholders. On the national level, Project Eye-To-Eye will use the Internet to engage parents in a national dialogue. Principle #5: Professional Development [up] All members of Project Eye-To-Eye will be given training on LD/ADHD issues, art pedagogy, community development, and working with children. No program will be considered an Project Eye-To-Eye chapter unless a clear training model for mentors is outlined and put into action. Project Eye-To-Eye chapters will be provided with training materials, financial resources, and support in networking with local professionals, to provide high quality training for all mentors.
©2006 Project Eye To Eye