Mission

The purpose of O-YES is to help high school students, who exhibit academic resilience and success in spite of their learning differences, develop skills of self-advocacy. By learning to be one's own self-advocate, the students play a crucial role in making teachers aware of their learning style, showing teachers ways of presenting information that adheres more to their learning strengths, and requesting accommodations from teachers when the classroom dynamic feeds on their learning weaknesses. Through this process, students learn to become responsible for taking a proactive approach in communicating their learning needs.

The long-term goal of O-YES is for these students, grades ninth through twelfth, to be confident in their ability to talk with their present or future instructors about the challenges they face in the academic arena. Ultimately, our hope is that O-YES members will carry these skills and willingness to take charge of their own academic success with them throughout college, regardless of the roadblocks that may lie ahead.