The Shadow Project

The Shadow Project exists to make learning more accessible and engaging for children with disabilities, so they can achieve their full potential. We work with special education teachers in predominantly low-income schools to accelerate achievement and foster autonomy for students who are affected by dyslexia, adhd, autism and trauma. Since 2003, we have helped more than 17,000 of our community's most pervasively underserved students to develop essential skills for schools and life success, including goal-setting, perseverance and daily reading. Just over half of these children are from communities of color and face The double barriers of both racism and ableism. Shadow Project's goal is to transform schools into an inclusive place where all students can thrive and belong. (continued on schedule o)our organization provides evidence-based tools and strategies tailored to The needs of students with learning challenges. We also support educators in integrating these reources into their curricula and building their skill sets for providing a trauma-informed, culturally responsive learning environment. Recent accomplishments:with many students are still struggling to develop The academic & classroom behavior skills that they didn't have The opportunity to learn during covid school closures, The Shadow Project program helped 1,954 students at 53 schools to joyfully re-engage with learning. Shadow Project mentors provided 280 hours of support to students reading below grade level, fueling their confidence and engagement in school. Staff trained 166 educators in trauma-informed and equity-centered strategies to integrate sensory spaces in school routines, and students received over 14,000 books, sensory tools, and other educational materials. Teachers using our programs report The impact of these supports: 65% of students increased self-motivation; 61% of students improve their skills in managing emotions; 56% of students showed greater enthusiasm for reading.

Reading mentors (127 students in 10 schools): helps improve The reading skills of students with learning challenges by pairing them with a caring adult mentor who coaches them in The use of a specialized assistive reading technology. Students can see and hear words as they read, helping them build vocabulary, comprehension, and knowledge. Mentors provide encouragement when a student stumbles and teach them that it's okay to ask for help.

Goal setting (1,717 students in 42 schools): students earn educational reinforcers (books, sensory tools, school/art/writing supplies) to celebrate progress made toward academic and behavioral goals they set for themselves, such as reading for 15 minutes a day, turning in homework, or improving attendance. This teaches self-sufficiency, critical thinking skills, and perseverance, and leads to greater social and academic confidence.

Supersensory spaces (198 students in 12 schools): designated breakout rooms that help children with learning challenges and trauma develop skills to manage their emotions so they can remain connected to their classrooms, experience belonging and inclusion at school, and move towards meeting important benchmarks. The rooms help students rebuild their sense of safety and exercise their social-emotional muscles.