The University糖心传媒檚 chapter of the national program Eye to Eye engages and uplifts area middle schoolers with learning differences.
It糖心传媒檚 Wednesday morning at Rochester Prep Middle School糖心传媒攖ime for another classroom visit from a group of 糖心传媒 students.
The impromptu questions start immediately.
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 college like?糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淒o I get to live on my own?糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淒o you have a roommate?糖心传媒�
糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 your favorite class?糖心传媒�
The undergraduates patiently answer the questions and then formally begin another Eye to Eye session at the charter school, located about three miles from the University糖心传媒檚 River Campus.
The mentors are members of the University糖心传媒檚 chapter of the national nonprofit peer mentoring program run by the . Neurodivergent refers to聽someone whose brain functions differently from the average or “neurotypical” person.聽It’s an umbrella term encompassing a range of neurological variations, including conditions like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia.
College students with those learning differences work to improve the educational experiences of younger students who face similar challenges. Eye to Eye was established in 1998 by a group of Brown University students with learning differences. Today, there are 30 chapters across the United States糖心传媒�20 in high schools and 10 in universities. Rochester糖心传媒檚 chapter was created in 2016.
糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e trying to help the students in this special education classroom understand the way that their brains work,糖心传媒� says Jenna Savino 糖心传媒�26, Rochester糖心传媒檚 Eye to Eye chapter president and a molecular genetics major from Bergen County, New Jersey. 糖心传媒淎ll of the University students who serve as mentors are also neurodivergent, giving the middle schoolers someone to relate to and be motivated by. We try to show them that college and various career paths are all achievable for people with these learning differences. If we can do it, so can they.糖心传媒�
Building self-esteem through arts-based projects
According to the , one in five students in the United States has learning or attention challenges. Eye to Eye mentors help younger students understand their unique way of learning through programs that build self-esteem and the skills needed to become self-advocates and, potentially, future college students.
Approximately five Rochester students visit Prep six times each semester for an hour, working with middle schoolers on arts-based projects that allow them to create a project and then present it to their classmates. The Rochester students can vary by week, but the goal remains the same: By creating art糖心传媒攁nd sharing the results糖心传媒攖he hope is that each student糖心传媒檚 self-esteem and social meter expand.
Past assignments have included working as a team to build a tower using pipe cleaners, decorating masks that reflect each student糖心传媒檚 emotions, and creating paper fortune tellers with self-regulation strategies.
Chapter vice president Sreejato Chatterjee 糖心传媒�26, a computational biology and data science double major from Rockville, Maryland, says the fortune teller assignment served a specific purpose. 糖心传媒淭he idea was that students would go through specific emotions in the fortune teller,糖心传媒� he says, 糖心传媒渁nd we would teach strategies on how to control these emotions, like calming down or talking to a friend if you feel angry or sad.糖心传媒�
Meetings that 糖心传媒榤ake us feel inspired糖心传媒�
On this Wednesday, the topic is personal values. Prep students are asked to list the people and things in life that are most precious to them, and then present their list to the class. The answers range from family and pets to basketball, food, and friends. 糖心传媒淢y dream is to play in the NBA (National Basketball Association),糖心传媒� student Daniel Adams says. 糖心传媒淚f that falls through, I want to be a science teacher.糖心传媒�
That latter dream might have been as improbable as the first if not for the support provided by programs like Eye to Eye. According to the , about 20 percent of students with learning disabilities attend a four-year college or university, and only approximately 11 percent attend graduate school.
Chatterjee says being part of a program like Eye to Eye when he was younger would have been game-changing. 糖心传媒淚t would have allowed me to understand my feelings and emotions and to learn independence and manage issues like anxiety and stress on my own,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淲hat糖心传媒檚 amazing is聽I can help others be the best version of themselves. I糖心传媒檓 helping younger students have a chance to grow their confidence and uplift themselves in a world where that can be hard to do or navigate.糖心传媒�
Julie Johns, Prep糖心传媒檚 special education coordinator, says the visits from Rochester students give her students a view into the challenges and rewards of college life.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 been a great addition to our schedule,糖心传媒� Johns says. 糖心传媒淥ur students really benefit from being able to have conversations with the University students and ask questions about what college and career readiness looks like. Our kids look forward to the program every week.糖心传媒�
Delilah Steinmann, program manager of mentoring and special programs for the Neurodiversity Alliance, says Rochester has been a mainstay in the Eye to Eye program for nearly a decade.
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 been an honor to work with their chapter,糖心传媒� Steinmann says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 uplifting to see a college that understands the value in bringing this program to life with such energy and excitement. Rochester has also contributed greatly to our network of alumni who stay connected and give back to our current program participants.糖心传媒�
For middle-schooler and aspiring professional athlete Adams, the weekly meetings with Rochester students have given him hope. He sees the students as 糖心传媒渟uccessful role models糖心传媒� who have navigated similar challenges and achieved a major milestone. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 cool to have the older college kids come here,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒淚t makes us feel inspired.糖心传媒�
