Project SOS was conceived eighteen years ago when I was a sophomore in college working with students attending a Title 1 school in a large urban school district. After volunteering and tutoring there for a year, I realized two key points (1) I was not skilled enough or knowledgeable enough yet to meet their needs, and (2) I absolutely was going to devote my life to helping improve the lives of youth at-risk for academic difficulty.
From that experience, every single educational, career, and volunteer decision I have made has had that as its mission--supporting our students.
Project Support Our Students has as its mission the provision of educational support, resources, and direct services for teachers, families, and students. Over the past eighteen years, I have presented information and empirical evidence for data-driven decision making to over 2,300 teachers, 1,100 families, and 500 researchers in institutions of higher education. I have been involved in numerous state and national level advocacy efforts. Some of the highlights from these advocacy and involvement efforts include:
*In 1993 I was a volunteer for Project PASS (Partnership Assuring Student Success) through the Kansas State Department of Education.
*In 1995 I volunteered to be the regular education teacher in an inclusive service delivery model so that the children with exceptionalities could be afforded opportunities to interact with and learn with typically developing children.
*In 1997 I was appointed to the Kansas Speech Language Hearing Association as the student representative to the council.
*In 2000 I received recognition as an Interdisciplinary Research Fellow at Florida State University. This group facilitated numerous changes in early childhood education in Florida, including Tallahassee's Head Start program.
*In 2001 I volunteered for the Florida Department of Children and Families in reviewing research and writing policy for effective child care settings and early childhood educational efforts.
*In 2004 I received recognition from the Kansas Association of Teacher Educators for my work with children with speech-language impairments.
*In 2004 I became a member of the International Reading Association.
*In 2006 I volunteered at Literacy Week in several local Kansas schools.
*In 2007 I emceed and volunteered at the Kansas Book Festival.
*In 2008 I was appointed as a KS advocate with MENC and I presented Congress with petitions for Equal Access to Education.
*In 2008 I was appointed to the Boys and Girls Club of South Central Kansas' Advisory Board.
*In 2008 I was recognized by the Kansas Reading Association as demonstrating exemplar research efforts that informed decision-making in the classroom.
*In 2009 I was invited by the Kansas State Department of Education to serve on the selection committee for Kansas Teacher of the Year.
*In 2010 I was recognized by Wichita State University as its Young Faculty Scholar for the research efforts and service projects focused on serving and supporting youth at-risk for school failure.
*In 2010 I was appointed to the Kansas Coalition for School Readiness.
My efforts and drive to serve and support our students will continue. Project SOS provides a focused energy through which all volunteer, professional, mentoring, and instructional efforts can be optimized.
