Introducing Nora Notes
Dear Friends,
Empathy and inclusion are more important today than ever before. Our collective well being relies on certain among us taking precautions in some cases and risks in others for the benefit of people we may not even know. Every person’s fate is inextricably intertwined with everyone else’s--“me” and “we” have merged--and yet so many forget, or seem altogether unaware, of the responsibility we share for one another, and of how nurturing our common bond rather than recoiling from it could benefit us all.
While unfortunate (disastrous, even), it’s really no surprise.
Empathy has fallen by the wayside in recent decades, and our current inability to unify for the common good is just one of many symptoms of the “all about me” attitudes ailing our nation.
Our mission at The Nora Project is to reverse course--to bring empathy education into every classroom and teach youth to value caring for others above personal accolades and “likes” and selfie-stardom. And we’ve found a strategy that yields results--inclusion.
Embodied in the concept of inclusion is that every life matters, and that it’s our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone feels and is treated that way.
Inclusion is a broad concept, tied, for our purposes, to teaching that everyone belongs, that differences aren’t a basis for otherizing, isolating, or bullying, but an opportunity to learn, grow, and see things from a new (and likely interesting) perspective. Embodied in the concept of inclusion is that every life matters, and that it’s our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone feels and is treated that way. Our central goal at The Nora Project is to transform attitudes about disability, but principles of inclusion apply to all forms of diversity and difference, which is why the transformation in Nora Project classrooms benefits all students, not only those with disabilities. An inclusive mindset requires us to consider others in making everyday choices about how to behave. It requires empathy--and empathy is what we need to emerge stronger and better from this incredibly trying experience.
At The Nora Project, we feel an urgency in this critical time to share the power of inclusion with the broader community. The Covid Crisis offers an opportunity to reset and rebuild, and we believe we have something unique to contribute in this pivotal moment.
And so, we’re launching this blog, “Nora Notes,” to help teachers and parents (now also teachers) to bring empathy back into focus. Powered by The Nora Project Program Team (and with a few notes from me every now and then), we’re on a mission to provide resources for homeschool and remote learning that teach kids how to care. Because our mission is also to spark friendships and transform attitudes about disability, and to provide support to students with disabilities (many of whom are uniquely hard-hit during this time), Nora Notes will also feature resources for virtual friendship building, adapted home learning, and disability inclusion basics.
So stay tuned, share this resource with others, and let us know what you think. As always, we’re excited to serve.
With love and hope,
Lauren