January 25, 2024 - Peter Bergen on Accessible College Applications

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The college process is pretty much students’ entire life during the first half of their senior year of high school. In recent times, numerous tweaks to the process along with the widespread use of tools like Common App, Naviance, Questbridge, and other things of the sort has made applying to colleges easier than ever before. However, as a student with ADHD, there’s one thing in particular I’ve noticed about the application process; it doesn’t take students with learning disabilities into account.

As I filled out my Common App recently, I couldn’t help but notice there was nowhere for me to talk about my condition and how it’s affected me. It felt like my only choice to make this information known to schools was to write about it - however, basing your essay or supplementals off something like a learning disability can often be seen as “too academically focused.” Most colleges want to hear about a hobby you have, or some kind of experience. Obviously, this preconceived notion that learning disabilities only affect people in the classroom is ridiculous, as it can completely change our lives in many different ways - but this isn’t taken into account. 

That’s where the problem lies for students with disabilities. We’re stuck between two choices - either they write about it, and are forced to let all the other unique, interesting stories they have go undiscussed - or they don’t write about it, and in doing so omit another massive part of their life from their application. This is why, in my opinion, it’s so important that there should be another area within Common App to talk about disabilities specifically - whether they be developmental or physical. Students with such conditions shouldn’t have to compromise between writing about their experiences concerning that condition and their experiences aside from it. People can be influenced by their circumstances and still find ways to influence the world around them as well - and they should be able to talk about how both have shaped them into the person they are. 

January 11, 2024 - Kaeden Ruparel on Feelings and Teasing

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It's the first Connection Corner of the year! Step into January with NYC Kids Project, right as we head back into the schools for our spring semester programming.

Kaeden and our stripey friend Tyler talk about how to handle teasing and what it's like when someone says something that makes you feel not so good inside. We love having Kaeden on our Connection Corner team, and can't wait to share more insight from the next generation of inclusion activists.

December 21, 2023 - Introducing Lucy Burgess

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We're back from our Connection Corner hiatus and this week we're introducing you to another new contributor, Lucy!

Lucy joins our team of the next generation of inclusion activists with a unique perspective on belonging and self-advocacy. We can't wait to have more conversations like this one in the future.

This will be our last post of the year, so get excited for some new things coming to Connection Corner in 2024 - have a happy new year!

September 28, 2023 - Introducing Kaeden Ruparel

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Introducing our newest Connection Corner team member, high school student Kaeden!

Kaeden and Cecilia go way back - and his work on inclusion for queer folks in his school and community is exactly what we mean when we talk about the next generation of inclusion activists. Check out our latest video below to learn more about Kaeden, and to see a surprise appearance from one of our puppet friends.

Stay tuned for more Connection Corner content with Kaeden, Peter, and Marty, (and maybe even a few more new faces...) coming soon!

August 24, 2023 - Peter Bergen on Access in College College Visits and Finding Your Space

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College applications are, without a doubt, one of the most stressful parts of education at any level. And having to deal with them at 17 years old? That’s tough. At least for me, it has been. One of the most challenging aspects of the entire process is for sure touring schools. I was lucky enough to get my tours out of the way before the start of summer, so I could focus on my essays, supplementals, summer activities, and internships. But while this is seemingly the best course of action, it’s definitely not the most realistic for a lot of students. So, how can kids get a feel for the schools they like and dislike without traveling for hours?

    The answer is simple. Looking at pictures is obvious, but looking at stats is more important. And while making sure the school can teach you what you want to be taught is important, that’s kind of ground zero. A lot of kids forget to look past that. Look for information about demographics, class size, Greek life, and what percentage of students are athletes (in smaller schools it can often be up to ⅓ of the student body!). Look for information about dorms - how do they match you up with roommates? If you want to live alone, is that an option? Many kids, including me up until a couple months ago, think “I’ll just go to the best school I can get into and I’ll make it work from there.”

Trust me, don’t underestimate the environment of a school. There are some places I loved on paper, but once I visited them, I couldn’t imagine myself there. Some of the most prestigious schools I visited had dreary college towns, sterile libraries, and (for me, personally) too much Greek life. Maybe these things aren’t important to you right now, but once you start attending a school, they will be.

Visiting schools is important, but if accessing them in person isn’t possible, you can still do it through a screen. 

July 20, 2023 - Marty and Junior interview artist Elisa Huberman

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Marty and Junior are back! This week, they are joined by artist Elisa Huberman and her puppet friend, Tom.

Watch to learn more about how Elisa became an artist and how she uses her passion to reach her dreams!

Join us once a month throughout the summer for Marty's vlogs, along with monthly essay contributions from intern Peter Bergen.

July 6, 2023 - Peter Bergen on NYCKP at Battery Park Playscape

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Apart from presenting at elementary schools across the city, NYC Kids Project also presents at venues from museums to parks. One such venue was a public event that took place at the Playscape in Battery Park, in lower Manhattan, on the Sundays of 5/14 and 5/21.

I was lucky enough to be able to go to the performance on 5/21. The audience was comprised of kids and adults of all ages - however, the kids were mostly preschool-aged. The audience learned about the differences of puppets such as Renaldo, who is blind, Melody, who has ADHD, and Mark, who has cerebral palsy. A main focus of the event was how, regardless of their differences, the puppet characters could still participate in their favorite activities just as well as everyone else - Renaldo and his beeper baseball team, for example. Another point of emphasis was inclusivity - despite differences in appearance, speech, or anything else, everyone is equal and should be treated as such. Something that really clicked with me was the young age of the audience. As someone who wasn’t diagnosed with ADHD until I was in high school, I wish I had learned about how learning differences can affect people sooner - my academic life and self-confidence were definitely hindered as a result of not knowing. This is why it’s so important that we expose younger children to the ideas that NYC Kids Project promotes - so that kids know that they can reach out if they need help and can respect their peers if said peers need help. Events like Playscape Performs are a great way to cater to such a young audience, so it’s vital that these public events continue to be possible. 

June 8, 2023 - Marty Dworkis and Junior interview new friend Courtney

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Junior is back, this time interviewing a friend at JobPath!

Watch the video to learn from this week’s guest, Courtney, about American and Irish Sign Language, as well as some insight into what it’s like to live with hearing loss.

Then check back on the first Thursday of every month to see more of Marty’s videos!

May 25, 2023 - Introducing Peter Bergen

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Hi, my name’s Peter. I’m a 16-year-old currently attending a STEM-focused high school and I’m very interested in raising awareness about the learning differences many people around my age (and much younger) deal with on a daily basis. I’m excited to be able to work with NYC Kids Project to spread awareness on this issue. As someone with ADHD, and who has a younger brother with Dyslexia, I know firsthand how said learning differences can change peoples’ lives and provide new challenges. For me personally, I tend to have a harder time concentrating on tests and homework assignments, among other things. Understanding how things like my ADHD affect the lives of people like me is an important first step in learning how to be more inclusive and understanding.

I’ve now introduced myself and the issue I’m working to spread awareness of - but how can people like you, who may or may not have a learning difference, help? As I said before, it’s important to know how various learning differences can impact people on a daily basis - but it’s also equally as important for those who don’t have learning differences to understand that people like me are still every bit as intelligent and sensitive as everyone else. Unfortunately, this is a sentiment that seems to be lost among many people today. Often, when kids need extra time on tests, or a special teacher to cater to their specific skill set, they’re seen as “less capable.” Instead, realize that learning differently doesn’t mean being less capable, and act accordingly. Treating everyone equally is a great first step.