Frequently Asked Questions

The Nora Project (TNP) offers programming for all grade levels. Our social-emotional curricular units follow a progressive model of learning and provide materials for each grade level – from introduction, to deeper understanding and active application. TNP’s programming supports our organization’s goal of building inclusive classrooms. Complete TNP program details can be found here.

The Nora Project's programming is grounded in the belief that there are many ways of being in the world, and that all ways are valid. These values are reflected and taught in our programs and are also represented in our materials and guidance. TNP’s programs are designed to support ALL students.

Our programs teach that disability is a natural and expected part of human diversity and that all ways of being should be honored and respected. This creates a foundational understanding for discussions about diversity and intersectionality on a broader level. Our programs are proven to reduce student conflicts, help students cope with stress, and build stronger, more inclusive school communities.

Educators - To learn how TNP’s social-emotional programming can support your school, staff, and students, contact Community Outreach Manager, Amie Richards, by booking a meeting or emailing Amie at Amie@TheNoraProject.ngo. You also can download an Educator Letter, which can be edited and sent to decision makers within your building or district, as an introduction to TNP and its mission of building inclusive classrooms.

Parents - Visit TNP’s family resource page to download a Parent Letter, which can be edited and sent to decision makers within your child’s school as an introduction to TNP and its mission of building inclusive classrooms. TNP also hosts free quarterly Meet The Nora Project: Presentation and Q&A Sessions, during which your child’s school team can attend to learn more about TNP. Visit our Events page to find and share upcoming session dates.

Implementation of TNP’s programming is flexible and customizable. Community Outreach Manager, Amie Richards (Amie@TheNoraProject.Ngo), will work with you to determine the program(s) that will support your school or district’s specific goals. Once you’ve completed your purchase, our Program Team staff is available on-demand to support your implementation by offering thought partnership, answering questions, and collaborating to solve problems.

On average, we suggest that teachers allow approximately 30 minutes per lesson. However, all lessons can be extended or condensed to support your classroom goals. Lessons are designed to be modified by educators to meet the needs of all students and classrooms while also maintaining the integrity of each program. Our Program Team is available to educators, should further guidance or support be needed.

TNP provides high-quality professional development and ongoing support for all participating schools and staff. This approach to implementation support sets TNP apart from all other social-emotional learning curricula providers today. TNP’s Program Implementation Team, composed of former educators, are available to provide on-demand support to teachers via phone, email, and video conference throughout the school year. Participants can count on receiving prompt, reliable, and ongoing support from our Program Team.

TNP measures the impactfulness of several programs, which represent a cross-section of our offerings. Teachers and students who participate in those units complete surveys before and after implementation to measure student growth in knowledge and understanding of empathy and disability, and to determine the impact of programming on classroom culture and environment, with a focus on reducing conflicts and increasing inclusive practices and feelings of belonging.

All of TNP’s curricular unit and professional development materials will be accessible on your personalized TNP Central (Moodle) dashboard, either through your computer or the Moodle Workplace App.

TNP provides a teacher guide, lesson resources, and a materials list for each curricular unit. Users can purchase items in the materials list or borrow them within their community. Some materials (such as chart paper) are optional. Many units integrate children’s books that are central to the lessons. TNP provides free access to a comprehensive virtual Resource Library of book titles, online read-alouds, and other digital resources. While many of the children’s book titles have corresponding read aloud videos linked in TNP’s materials, we recommend that our program partners consider sourcing physical copies of the books whenever possible.

TNP uses the CASEL social-emotional learning framework as a foundation for its work. While our programs are not explicitly aligned to social-emotional learning standards, the lessons address the skills and concepts embedded in the CASEL Core SEL competencies.

The Nora Project is the only provider of comprehensive preK-12 disability inclusion-informed social-emotional learning curricula in the country. TNP offers on-demand, individualized program implementation support. This is provided by a 12-person team of qualified professionals that includes individuals with lived disability experience, classroom experience, and advanced degrees in relevant educational fields.

Data collected and analyzed by a third party organization shows that TNP students outperform same-age peers, who use other social-emotional learning (SEL) curricula — such as Second Step® — in both empathy and inclusion domains. Students using TNP curricula have significantly higher empathy scores, stronger relationship skills, and a greater appreciation for diversity. Educators report that The Nora Project content fills in gaps of other social-emotional learning curricula, such as the ability to reach all students and the importance of disability inclusion.

Base program costs and live webinar fees can be found on the TNP Webstore. Total cost is dependent on the number of users across a school or district. Schools and districts seeking to bring TNP’s curricular and professional development units to more than 50 users can contact Community Outreach Manager, Amie Richards, at Amie@TheNoraProject.ngo for program pricing that corresponds with your school or district’s specific user count.

This Funding Guidance document provides instruction on identifying and securing grants and additional funding to support your SEL efforts. If you have additional questions, please contact Community Outreach Manager, Amie Richards, at Amie@TheNoraProject.ngo.

Many districts that purchase TNP professional development units can grant continuing education credits to their staff for program completion. At this time, TNP is only able to provide CEUs for certified teachers in the state of Illinois upon special request.