learning differently foundation

Hannah GuerinSenior Seminar & Thesis: Section on Social InnovationFaculty: Lara Penin, Jon Jelen, and Eduardo Staszowski

LEAD A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities

Today there are approximately 5.4 million children in the United States with learning disabilities, 3 million of which are receiving the special education services they need as stated in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP). In New York City there are currently 140,000 students with learning disabilities that will be pulled out of special schools for learning disabilities and into public schools within the next two years.

The Problem

LEAD: A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities

A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities

Jumping the Hurdle is an after-school club for children with language learning disabilities in New York City schools. Hannah Guerin Consulting will provide the schools with the Jumping the Hurdle manual to implement and run the club.


Project Opportunity

Children’s home

Jumping the Hurdle

NYC public schoolHannah Guerin

Consulting

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Manual

Manual

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NYC public schools i

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Project Description

How the Project Works

1. How much does it cost to run an after school program once a week for a year? 2. Do New York City teachers especially SPED attend any annual conferences? Or do they meet regularly? 3. What would be the best way to inform the school of an after school program?4. Would you suggest having an orientation for the participating schools? 5. Do you think the SPED teachers would be able to handle the workload of running the club or is it too much? If so what about teaching assistants?

Open-Ended Interview Questions

Interview with Principal of Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School


Solution

The Learning Differently Foundation creates educational toolkits for New York City schools that address specific issues for children with learning disabilities. The first toolkit that Learning Differently provides is the LEAD: A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities. The LEAD toolkit contains, a manual, poster, and membership card that will help the special education teachers implement and sustain the LEAD club. The LEAD manual provides a number of activities that the special education teacher can use to build student communication skills. The overall goal of the LEAD club is for the students to use the communication skills they built throughout the activities to create an awareness campaign within their community.

A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities LEAD: A Club for Children with Language Learning Disabilities


The Expert Project entails having each of your students research their favorite animal and creating a presentation or another visual material to back up their research, i.e. a drawing of the animal assigned to the child. At the end of the 2 week research session each child while present to the club. The students should be encouraged to research something that they don’t necessarily know.

ExampleExpert ProjectDescription: The idea with the Expert Project is to give every student the chance to become an expert on one specific topic. The overall focus should be on how the student communicates throughout the project, i.e. if they don’t understand something they ask for help from someone.

Materials Needed: Internet, Art Supplies of students choice, Microsoft powerpoint & word,

Topic ideas: Plants, animals, historical building or time period, company, favorite person,

DescriptionEx

pert

Pro

ject

Lauren and the other members of show up to the Expert Project.

SPED teacher goes over the Expert activity with Lauren and the other members.

Lauren researches with Sam on the computer about frogs for the Expert Project.

Lauren goes home and asks her parents for help on her frog project.

Lauren presents her project on frogs on the 3rd week.

SPED teacher congratulates Lauren on her project!

NYC SchoolsLEAD

Learning Differently FoundationGeneric Gov. Grants

Generic Private Grants

Special Gov. Grants

Special Private Grants

CBO’sPTA’s

NYC DOE

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Manuals for club implementation

Permenate infomation exchange

Funding for the club

Permenate infomation exchangePermenate infomation exchange

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$

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$

LEAD & non-LEAD Families

Permenate infomation exchange

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Family

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School outreach from Learning Differently Foundation


Special Education teacher goes over LEAD material with the principal


LEAD Club outreach within the school with sign up posters


Special Education staff looks over the sign up posters and organize the LEAD Club


Student goes to the front office to sign up for LEAD Club date & time


1st Day of LEAD Club!


Learning Differently Foundation Business Model

Strategy

Structure

Scale

Scope


Schools get a “prepackaged” club

Rely on school participation & local print shops

Learning Differently Foundation’s scale is endless because learning disabilities are a global issue

Learning Differently Foundation has an Advisory and Consultative board

Foundation is funded through city and federal grants

The children get an additional service for their learning disabilities

Parents have another way to get involved in their children’s lives

Biggest assumption is schools participation

Learning Differently Foundation Business Model


Social Position

Builds student communication skills through activities that will help them with their future

Changes societies presecption of learning disabilities through awareness campaigns

The toolkit can be modified to fit schools individual needs