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Eli's Mitzvah Project

Categories: Activities, Community Service, Dyslexia, General, Giving, In the News, Learning Disabilities, Learning Disability, Students

 

picture of Eli a youngsterBar or Bat Mitzvah symbolizes becoming an adult within the Jewish community, and taking on responsibilities in the community. A Mitzvah Project is a way for B’nai Mitzvah students to express a unique way that they are actively helping to improve their community. These projects often connect with a young person’s interests, hobbies, and passions. 

Learning Ally is fortunate in that one awesome student, Eli, is raising funds and awareness for students who learn differently and has selected our nonprofit as the beneficiary of his Bar Mitzvah project. Why? “Because Learning Ally helped me to read, and I want to help other people like me, read books,” he said. 

Eli was diagnosed with dyslexia in the third grade. Prior to this, his mom read to him. Now, he reads independently using the Learning Ally app on his school computer. He finds literature that he needs to keep pace with his classwork and popular titles he wants to read for fun, like the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series of books. Currently, he is reading Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice. 

Eli appreciates that Learning Ally’s app is specifically designed for kids with learning disabilities, like dyslexia, who have challenges decoding words fast enough to comprehend what they read. He frequently finds literature that he needs to read for school in the Learning Ally audiobook library.  

Student reading audiobooksIn early elementary, Eli was routinely pulled out of class, maybe two or three times, to read in a special education resource room. “I felt like I was different,” he recalls. Now as a seventh grader he attends a new school, Eagle Hill, where everyone in the school has access to Learning Ally and uses it to read in the classroom and at home. 

Bat Mitzvah BraceletsEli is excited about his upcoming Bar Mitzvah in early March. He is raising awareness and funds for Learning Ally, by talking with his teachers, family, and friends, about dyslexia, and what it means to have this learning difference. He will tell them about resources, like Learning Ally, that can help students read books for school at grade level. For his fundraising part, Eli is going to offer bracelets that say, “Learning Differences Are My Superpower!” We think that is an awesome idea and slogan!

Eli’s mom and dad are very proud of their son for taking on this community project. Carin, his mom shares, “With Learning Ally, he can work completely independently now, and he absolutely loves to read!” 

On behalf of Learning Ally, we want to thank Eli and his family for this special gift of time and fundraising community service. We wish him the best in all of his endeavors. 

If you would like to raise funds on behalf of Learning Ally, for your Bar/Bat Mitzvah project, birthday, anniversary, etc., please design your own fundraiser by creating a page on our website.