Understood.org Awarded Oak Foundation Grant to Launch Groundbreaking Digital Resource for Students With Learning and Thinking Differences

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Dec 05, 2023, 09:02 ET

NEW YORK, Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Understood.org, the nonprofit dedicated to supporting the 70 million people in the United States with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia, has been awarded a $757,000 grant from Oak Foundation. The funds will be used to create a digital interactive hub, "Through My Eyes," to illuminate the experiences of students with learning and thinking differences.

"Through My Eyes" is rooted in behavioral science, harnessing the effectiveness of first-person storytelling to transform attitudes and behaviors. Its resources will empower students with learning and thinking differences, increase empathy among their peers, and highlight the factors that help them thrive. The hub will also address racial and economic equity to increase equitable outcomes. Three toolkits will show students, educators, and families how to use best practices of social-emotional learning to promote positive mental health outcomes for students with learning and thinking differences.

"We are honored to receive the grant from Oak Foundation to support neurodivergent individuals and the educators who serve them, and to dispel misinformation about learning and thinking differences," said Understood.org's co-president Nathan Friedman. "This grant will enhance our popular 'Through My Eyes' experience, which is critical to helping parents and teachers understand the lived experience of someone who learns and thinks differently."

With support from this grant, Understood will partner with InnovateEDU as a K–12 design partner, and with Split This Rock as a community-based design partner. Together, they'll create equitable impact and empower students with learning and thinking differences, while also combating misinformation and general misconceptions.

"We are excited to partner with Understood to create a new digital experience for young people with learning and thinking differences," said the director of Oak Foundation's Learning Differences Programme, Heather Graham. "We believe that by leveraging the power of storytelling, we can create a more inclusive and equitable world for these students."

Understood.org, together with its partners, is dedicated to empowering students with learning and thinking differences to unlock their full potential. The grant from the Oak Foundation will further enable Understood.org to make strides toward a more equitable and understanding world for differences.

About Understood.org
Understood.org is a nonprofit focused on shaping the world for difference. We raise awareness of the challenges, skills, and strengths of people who learn and think differently. Our resources help people navigate challenges, gain confidence, and find support and community so they can thrive. Together, we can build a world where everyone can reach their full potential. Understood.org is a 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in New York. For more information, to donate, or to partner, visit u.org/media and follow us @UnderstoodOrg.

About Oak Foundation
Oak Foundation commits its resources to address issues of global, social, and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. Through our grant-making, we support others to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place to live. With offices in Europe, India, and North America, we make grants to organisations in approximately 40 countries worldwide.

SOURCE Understood