What We Do

Near-Peer Mentoring for Students

For over 25 years, Eye to Eye’s award winning near-peer mentoring program has served over 15,000 students in more than 1,000 schools across the United States.

Our weekly, school-based program is run by and for students who learn differently and is designed to build critical social emotional skills that improve the educational experience and outcomes of students who learn differently, including those with Dyslexia, ADHD, and other disorders that impact learning such as processing disorders, autism spectrum disorder, and more.

Looking to Bring Eye to Eye to Your School?

Our Partnerships Team is here for you! Request a meeting or more information here.

Already Have Eye to Eye's Near Peer Mentoring Program at your school?

Sign up to be a mentor or mentee today!

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How It Works

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High School & College-Aged Mentors

We work with College, University, High School or Upper School partners to recruit, train, and support staff advisors and student mentors age 16+ who learn differently to serve as chapter leaders and near-peer mentors.

Middle School & Elementary Aged Mentees

We work with Middle School, Elementary or Lower School partners to recruit, train, and support staff advisors and students in grades 5 through 9 who learn differently to participate as mentees

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Weekly School-Based Mentoring Sessions

Mentors & Mentees meet weekly in a small group setting throughout the school year on a day and time that works for both school partners (typically after school) where they complete a structured series projects and activities.

Improved Educational Experiences & Outcomes

Mentees gain confidence, self-esteem and critical social-emotional and self-advocacy skills, while mentors develop valuable leadership, interpersonal and professional skills.

Download our Mentoring Overview to print and share information about the program.

What's Included

New for 2024!

All new school partners who sign up before the April 15 priority deadline receive a free 90-minute virtual professional learning workshop or speaking engagement included with Mentoring Program! Connect with our Partnerships Team to learn more here.

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Curriculum & Supplies

School partners receive a one-year license to our evidence-based curriculum, along with printed workbooks and all the necessary supplies and materials to implement the program.

Marketing & Recruitment Materials

School partners also receive both a digital and physical Recruitment Toolkit with everything they need to promote the program to their school community and recruit the necessary staff advisors and student participants.

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Training & Implementation Support

  • Two student leaders from each chapter are selected to serve as “Chapter Leaders” and receive an all expenses paid trip to our 3-day intensive Organizing Institute conference at the University of Denver in early August to learn everything they need to implement the program.
  • Staff advisors and mentors also have access to online trainings and resources to ensure they have the tools and support they need in their roles.
  • Throughout the school year, staff advisors and student leaders have access to Eye to Eye’s online resource HUB and participate in weekly coaching calls with their dedicated Program Coordinator throughout the school year.

Background Screenings & Liability Insurance

Eye to Eye maintains comprehensive liability insurance coverage and works with school partners to conduct criminal-history screenings on all student leaders and mentors over the age 18 prior to engaging with mentees.

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Access to National Events, Scholarships & Other Leadership Opportunities

Student leaders and mentors gain full access to The Neurodiversity Alliance network of national neurodiversity-related events, and are eligible to apply for exclusive scholarships and other leadership opportunities to grow their personal and professional skills.

What's Required

Partnership Agreement & Annual Membership Fee

All school partners must complete a standard partnership agreement and pay an annual membership fee of $1,500 for Mentee Schools and $3,500 for Mentor Schools each year to become an Eye to Eye partner school. The annual membership fee helps to offset the cost of program materials and ongoing training and implementation support. Financial assistance is available for schools who qualify.

Staff Advisor

A dedicated staff advisor is required to serve as the liaison with Eye to Eye and support student recruitment and engagement, typically no more than one to two hours per week throughout the school year. Mentor School Advisors provide direct mentorship and support to the student leaders responsible for implementing the program, while the Mentee School Advisors provide supervision and assistance during the weekly mentoring sessions.

Classroom & Storage Space

School partners must provide access to a dedicated classroom or similar meeting space on campus for the Mentors and Mentees to meet and conduct program-related activities. This includes a classroom on the Mentee School campus where the weekly mentoring sessions are to be held and a dedicated storage space for the curriculum and supplies.

Implementation Timeline & Key Deadlines

Eye to Eye’s programs operate in conjunction with the traditional school year calendar. School partners must sign-up and identify a staff advisor by May 1st of each year in order to successfully launch the program for the upcoming school year.

Space is Limited! Guarantee Your Spot by April 15th

All school partners that sign-up before the March 15th priority deadline are guaranteed a space for the upcoming school year, in addition to receiving a 20% discount on the annual membership fee and access to a free 90-minute virtual professional learning workshop or speaking engagement included with Mentoring Program! Connect with our Partnerships Team to learn more here.

April 15

Priority Deadline
to Sign Up

May 1

Final Deadline
to Sign Up

June

Staff Advisor
Training

Early August

Student Leader
Training

Late August 

Supply Delivery & Kick-Off Meetings

September

Mentor & Mentee
Recruitment

October

Weekly Mentoring
Session Begin

Where We Operate

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Over the last 25 years, Eye to Eye has partnered with more than 1,000 public, private, and charter schools in over 25 states that serve a diverse population of students.

Examples of current and past school partners include:

We welcome all schools interested in partnering with us, although we prioritize schools serving students furthest from opportunity. Aligned with our mission and values, financial assistance is available for schools that serve predominantly students of color or students from low-income households. For more information, reach out to us today here to talk more.

What Partners & Participants Are Saying

Eye to Eye completely opened my eyes to how I could work differently with my students and their parents as a special educator. Since I have been involved with Eye to Eye, I have an ease in talking with students and their parents about their learning differences. I am truly grateful to be involved in Eye to Eye, which has supported me to to be a the best special educator I can be.

—Bari Levin, Educator, Golf Middle School (Retired)

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See Our Program In Action

Peer Mentorship Program in Action

Watch CNN Heroes: Learning Differently on cnn.com to learn more about the Eye to Eye peer mentoring which pairs high school and college students who have learning differences with middle school students facing similar challenges.

Click the image to visit cnn.com and watch full video "CNN Heroes: David Flink"
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Ready to Bring Eye to Eye to Your School?

Our Partnerships Team is here for you! Request a meeting or more information here.

News & Updates from Eye to Eye

Professional Learning Workshop

Embracing Neurodiversity: A Workshop at Crane Country Day School

Eye to Eye at the Learning Disabilities Awareness Conference

Empowering Voices: A Q&A with Eye to Eye Ambassadors from the LDA Conference

Strike Out Stigma Northwestern and Golf

Self-Stigma: The Silent Battle and Our Commitment to Strike It Out

February Newsletter

February 2024 Community Newsletter