For students who struggle with concentration in class, it’s not hard to imagine what it would be like to have a learning disability or ADHD. A group of DU students knows what it feels like and are getting together to do something about it.
They are called Project Eye-to-Eye, and their mission is to empower elementary, middle and high school students through art to talk about their learning disabilities. The program matches college students with learning disabilities to similarly disabled younger students to mentor. Because the mentors know what it is like to struggle with a learning disability (LD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), they are able to guide the students to have pride in their disability.
The 14-member DU chapter is one of two Colorado chapters of the national organization, founded at Brown University in 1998. The other chapter is at Cherry Creek High School. The coordinators of the DU chapter have biannual visits and weekly phone calls with the national office for support and advice.
Senior biology major Joey Leon, mentor and former coordinator in the program, went to Washington D.C. at the beginning of October to take Project Eye-to-Eye’s national involvement to a new level. While in Washington, he received training on how to advocate for students with disabilities and visited the offices of 35 U.S. Senators and Congressmen, including Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet.
“The biggest thing about the whole project is encouraging students that they should not be ashamed of, but proud of, their learning disability. They need to advocate for themselves,” Leon said.
Here in Denver, the mentors work for an hour a week at Grant Middle School on Pearl Street, where they do weekly art projects and create a “safe space” for students to talk about their disabilities. Leon described how the projects help the kids grow.
“One project we did last year was a ‘build-a-gadget’ project, where the kids had to build a gadget that would help them concentrate better in the classroom or help them in school,” Leon said. “One kid created a giant papier mâché boombox because he had a bad memory. He wanted to be able record the teacher’s lessons and play them back later. The point is to take that and realize that we can give that kid a real accommodation, a voice recorder, to help him in school.”
Although some people might not think of dyslexia or ADHD as conditions in need of mentoring, these students face many stigmas associated with their disabilities, according to Leon. Natalie Pipe, a sophomore Digital Media Studies major and program coordinator, put it in perspective.
“If you asked someone who wears glasses to read a book, they might not be able to. That’s what it feels like if you have a learning disability. Speaking from my experience, not being able to sit still in class, not being able to concentrate, makes it a lot harder to learn,” Pipe said.
“For me, I’d be so focused on trying to self-stimulate that I would have this anxiety of not being able to focus on anything,” Pipe said.
Pipe stressed the importance of having a dialogue with the kids about their learning disabilities, because they are so difficult to talk about.
“It’s so important because no one is asking them what it feels like, telling them they are capable or reassuring them that they are not dumb,” she said.
The program is always looking for new members and has received very positive feedback in the past year, both Pipe and Leon said.
“Once in a while, I’ll hear a kid say, ‘Yeah, I have dyslexia, but it’s okay.’ I remember just being so embarrassed and ashamed in middle school, going to the nurse to take medicine every day and not being able to explain to anyone why. It makes me so proud of them that they can talk about it.”
College students at DU who are struggling with school can find resources here on campus in addition to helping out with Project Eye-to-Eye. The Disability Services Program and Learning Effectiveness Programs, located in Ruffatto Hall, provide resources for students with disabilities. Through DSP, a disabled student can receive accommodations such as dictionaries, audiobooks, extended time on tests and note-takers. Students can even register early for classes through DSP, allowing them to structure their classes in a way that makes it easier for them to learn and concentrate.
