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The Gifted Learning Project
- The Gifted Learning Project is a grassroots, volunteer-run nonprofit organization devoted to providing help and hope to people with special needs, as well as to their family and friends, through creating and producing educational books, music and videos.
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Better Understanding
- Founder Girard Sagmiller conceived of The Gifted Learning Project after writing a book documenting both his struggles and successes as a person living with Dyslexia. Through the writing and publishing process, he was awakened to the need for a centralized source of both educational and inspirational materials for people with learning disabilities. But his vision was not about helping people cope with their special needs; it was instead about helping them recognize and celebrate their special strengths. And when his own son was born with Down Syndrome, The Gifted Learning Project’s mission was further solidified. As Sagmiller puts it, The Gifted Learning Project “is all about giving people hope. It’s about showing them that they truly can have a normal life and do what they want to do.”
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Show and Tell
- Since its official inception in 1999, The Gifted Learning Project has been touching lives around the world through its products. Created and produced entirely by a dedicated staff of volunteers, each new piece is made possible, in part, by funds generated by the organization’s designation as a Nonprofit Direct Seller with eBay Giving Works. Most recently, this funding has helped enable The Gifted Learning Project to make the short documentary, Dakota’s Pride: One Father’s Search for the Truth About Down Syndrome, which was featured on PBS.
- While Sagmiller credits the wide showing of Dakota’s Pride with helping raise The Gifted Learning Project’s online profile, he’s also quick to mention the part eBay Giving Works plays in attracting people to the organization. In fact, he is consistently surprised by the generosity shown by buyers, as well as by people making outright donations in support of the cause.
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Peer Learning
- Looking ahead, Sagmiller sees even greater opportunity with eBay Giving Works, from further developing the Community Seller aspect of the program to communicating with other Nonprofit Direct Sellers to discuss what is and isn’t working. One of his suggestions is for nonprofits to come together each year via a web seminar to share their experiences and learn from each other. And the first piece of advice he’d like to impart to nonprofits thinking of joining is simply: Try it!
- Dakota’s Pride will air on PBS October 19, 2008 at 4:30pm – KCPT (Kansas City)