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LENS-NC showcases progress toward outcomes for students with learning difference
In spring 2020, Durham-based MDC in partnership with the Oak Foundation convened nine organizations focused on the intersection of race, educational equity, and learning differences to form Learning for Equity: A Network for Solutions – North Carolina, or LENS-NC.
Over the past four years, the network has expanded to 20 organizations, continuing their commitment to improving educational outcomes for students of color and low-income students with learning differences. Recently, the network held a community showcase, presenting the work and progress that has been made thus far.
About LENS-NC
According to their site, MDC was founded in 1967 as Manpower Development Corp. out of Gov. Terry Sanford’s North Carolina Fund in collaboration with the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity and the National Association of Manufacturers. Their mission is to equip “Southern leaders, institutions, and communities with the necessary tools and strategies to advance equity—particularly racial and gender equity—and economic mobility,” and they have a vision of “a South where all people thrive.”
LENS-NC is one of MDC’s education projects, created in partnership with the Oak Foundation’s “Learning Differences Programme.” Together, the network compiles research and resources, addresses common challenges, and develops strategies for advocacy and change ranging from the classroom level to statewide.
LENS-NC Community Showcase
At the June 2024 community showcase, several organizations had the opportunity to share their research, programs, and other partnerships that have been developed in alignment with their participation with LENS-NC. Here are select highlights from the showcase.
El Futuro‘s ADHD coach and outreach specialist, Tamara Schlez, and program manager for community engagement, Becky Leon, presented on culturally responsive mental health for Latinx individuals and communities. In a section of their presentation, Schlez identified how even minor language differences, in this case with spelling and acronyms, can be a barrier to resources.
Read the entire article here.
