Support Neurodivergent, Gifted, and 2E Learners in CA!
Tax deductible
Hello dear family, friends, and community!
We hope you will take a few minutes to read about a struggling but crucial, one-of-a-kind therapeutic educational resource in the Orange County community.
Who We Are
We are 2e4Me Academy/Learning School, a welcoming haven for neurodivergent, gifted, and twice-exceptional (2e) children and their families. 2e kids are those who have been identified as highly gifted but also have various learning challenges or diagnostic considerations. This could be concerns for ADHD, Autism, learning disabilities, anxiety, PDA, etc. More often than not, they also struggle with aspects of executive functions, or higher-order cognitive skills, including emotion regulation and planning/organization. Quite simply, their brains just work differently. Traditional school environments often cannot meet the asynchronous developmental needs these children have, and many of these students ultimately end up being homeschooled.
The 2e4Me Difference
At 2e4Me Academy, we embed evidence-based treatment (EBT) within hands-on academic activities, investing in our children's interests and strengths while simultaneously supporting their areas of need. Intellectual and social-emotional growth are nurtured concurrently, in a highly flexible, welcoming environment, by a multidisciplinary team of professionals. We create room for kids to try, to lead, to explore, and to forge true friendships.
Our children are at this school because they have struggled, been labeled as oppositional, were bullied and/or traumatized, and have generally not been supported by a traditional learning environment. We are the ONLY school in all of Orange County that uniquely offers:
- 1:1 staff/child ratio for each student who needs it.
- Active therapeutic/behavioral intervention using Dr. Ross Greene's life-changing EBT, Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) approach. This includes parent coaching sessions with the director, a board-certified psychiatrist who is also certified in CPS.
- Dedicated educational and intervention plan and goals crafted over an initial 3-month period outlining each child's strengths and challenges.
- Truly flexible learning environment. This goes beyond just allowing kids to do their work while jumping on a couch (which some of our kids do!), but also incorporating each child's input into daily activities, like doing quests to learn math skills.
- Innovative single-subject acceleration, or being able to meet each child at their academic level across each subject area.
- Emphasis on peer connections. Our kids go from being verbally aggressive and proactively shunning peers, to engaging flexibly and happily with others again!
- Hands-on, project-based learning and enrichment in both individual and group-based formats. While we offer the more traditional options like chess lessons, music classes, and art classes, our students also engage in science discussions/experiments, building circuitry boards, learning Braille, or doing Gallium metal experiments. These opportunities are given EVERY DAY.
- A close-knit community of families who truly understand the impact these challenges can have on an entire family system.
How You Can Help!
Here's the part where we need YOU! To be inclusive to all 2E students, tuition for 2e4Me Academy, a nonprofit organization (501c3; Tax ID: 88-2293977), covers only about half of the daily operating costs per student. We are sorely in need of funding to make this program sustainable for years to come. Their current needs include:
- Funding for a permanent, appropriate school location
- Addressing our growing waitlist and expand our community reach! We need to hire and train additional committed staff who will be paired with each student.
- Competitive salaries for existing, hardworking teachers and behavioral aides
- Hiring several specialists for 1:1 sessions, including a speech therapist, occupational therapist, computer science teacher, coding teacher, and/or a credentialed reading/writing interventionalist for those with language-based learning disabilities.
- Funding advanced education and intervention trainings for all of our staff.
- Hiring dedicated administrative staff.
- Replenishing and enriching project-based learning materials.
- Materials for our ongoing clinical training program for psychology graduate students, like the cost of assessment material to better track academic progress in our students.
For these reasons, and so many more, we humbly ask that you donate to this unique and well-deserving program.
Parent Testimonials
Our methods REALLY work, as our parents attest to:
"When we started formal schooling, we saw a change in our son. He was sad, anxious, had little tolerance for anyone or anything, and was constantly putting himself down. As a parent trying to guide a 2e kid and advocate in a system that doesn't understand (or know how to identify them), this will exhaust you. We found 2e4Me when a neuropsychologist told us the term "twice exceptional." I was initially hesitant to go against the grain, as my husband and I are both products of formal education, and the program seemed almost too good to be true. I couldn't believe a program like this wasn't more widely available. The path isn't clear or linear - for any kid - but if you're willing to put in the work and trust the process, the end results are beautiful. At 2e4Me, we finally felt understood and fully supported. Our child felt valued and safe. If your goals for your child are to make it through childhood with their self-esteem and compassion for others intact, then you've found your school. 2e kids aren't easy; they feel misunderstood (and frequently are misunderstood!). But, these are kids that will change the world if you consistently meet them where they're at and let them learn their way." - parent of 7yo, 2e4Me student since 10/2024.
"The school has been life-changing for our family. It provides a safe, supportive space where our daughters thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. The focus on building social skills has been especially transformative, helping our daughters make meaningful connections in ways no other school has achieved. For the first time, they come home happy and excited to learn. This school hasn't just saved their education - it has saved our family." -parent of 7yo and 11yo, 2e4Me students since 8/2024.
"2e4Me has been transformative for our son, and family. He went from absolutely hating school, and having constant issues and anxiety, to loving school. Everyday he wakes up excited to go and learn, see his friends, and be a part of this incredible community. He has made so many friends, and now trusts the teachers and staff because they use a collaborative approach. The flexibility of the program has allowed him to complete flourish. This has also completely changed our home life, which was very stressful while he was struggling at school. We are so grateful to have found this amazing school." -parent of 8yo, 2e4Me student since 4/2023
"2e4Me has been life-changing for our family. For the first time in 2.5 years, our daughter is able to attend school and is able to go full-time. She has made wonderful friends and the staff are truly remarkable. Her interest in reading, social studies, art, and science, has been reignited and she wants to attend everyday. 2e4Me allows her to be her authentic self and encourages her to lean into her strengths and interests. Instead of focusing on behaviors, the staff and team collaborate with the children to solve problems together and teach skills. The director is certified in Collaborative & Proactive Solutions/Problem Solving. Our daughter is so happy there and asks if she can stay through high school. 2e4Me is truly amazing." -parent of 10yo 2e4Me student since 4/2024.
"We are parents of a neurodivergent 9-year-old. We homeschool our son because he does not fit the mold of traditional education. Our educational journey has been a lonely experience, both for him and us, until 2e4Me Academy. Our son is overjoyed and eager to come to the Academy to be with his friends, both neurotypical and neurodivergent, who share his common interests and skillsets, and enjoy the same things as him. We have seen tremendous growth in him socially and emotionally in such a short time. It is where he is truly accepted for who he is and where he is being taught to meet his full potential, no matter the kind of support he needs. Consequently, the Academy has become our Family. We hope for 2e4Me Academy to maintain, sustain, and grow because our neurodivergent children need and deserve to be in a safe and supportive learning environment." -parent of 9yo and 7yo, 2e4Me students since 9/2022.
Organizer
Ariel Eckfeld
Organizer
Newport Beach, CA
2e4Me Academy Inc.
Beneficiary