February 2025 Executive Director Update

Dear REEL community,Happy New Year! I hope your 2025 is off to a great start. Over the past few weeks, REEL has been working on our own resolutions - we have been engaged in exciting strategy sessions with Manresa Collaboration. Together, we are developing REEL’s roadmap towards our vision for the future, where all Bay Area neurodivergent and twice-exceptional students are supported, understood, and achieving their potential in school.

Credit to Manresa Collaboration for photo.

We also received a new year’s gift: our short video explaining the DEAR REEL model, which REEL developed in 2024 in partnership with our Educator Advisory Group, was finished by video producer extraordinaire and neurodiversity guru, Erin Tee. I am excited to share it with you here:

I’m looking forward to connecting with all of you at REEL’s upcoming first ever K-12 Strengths Fair! March 9th promises to be a great day - don’t miss it!

Later that month, we’ll host a panel of incredible neurodivergent young adults during Neurodiversity Celebration Week.

In February, keep an eye out for us at upcoming conferences:

• Gift-A-Palooza February 6 - 8Sat, Feb 8, 10am PST: Sparking Autistic Interests: From Research to PracticeSat, Feb 8, 11:30am PST: Strength-Based Strategies for the Neurodivergent Child

• William & Mary 2e Conference February 27 - March 1Thursday, Feb 27, 12:45pm PST: The DEAR REEL Model

Behind the scenes, we’re busy working with Bay Area educators - since my last update, we’ve had sessions at the Menlo Park School District, the English Curriculum leaders in North American French Schools, Athena Academy, Serra High School, and Stanford Online High School; and we have events coming up over the next few months at the San Carlos School District, Stevenson Elementary in Mountain View, and at the Nueva School. After each and every one of our professional development workshops, we consistently walk away feeling impressed, inspired, and honored to work with such committed, curious, and passionate teachers. As always, if you don't see your school on the list but are interested in having REEL work with your school, please connect us to your school leadership! Reach out to hello@reel2e.org anytime.

See you March 9th!

Abby Kirigin

REEL Executive Director