Nelson Beats The Odds Kickstarter Launch

A graphic novel about an African American boy who is referred to special education and experiences stigmatization and vulnerability.
 
 
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RICHMOND, Va. - May 28, 2015 - PRLog -- Ronnie Sidney II, MSW, Supervisee in Social Work, announces the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for his first book NELSON BEATS THE ODDS. The 32-page self-published graphic novel is about an African American student named Nelson whose misbehavior and poor handwriting land him in special education. Nelson’s parents and special education teacher help him develop resiliency and overcome his learning disability. NELSON BEATS THE ODDS is scheduled to be completed by August 17, 2015.

Imagine That! Design is providing the layout and illustrations for the graphic novel. One of the novel’s main characters, Mrs. T., was inspired by the author’s sixth and seventh grade special education teacher Mrs. Tobey. “I expect to see her picture by the word “teacher” in the dictionary someday,” says Ronnie. He credits Mrs. Tobey and a handful of Essex County Public School teachers for his academic success. On March 9th, 2015 Ronnie went back to his old high school and honored Mrs. Tobey and six other teachers who helped him “beat the odds”.

Studies have shown that students with learning disabilities face difficult odds and experience poorer academic outcomes than students without learning disabilities. A 2011 study by the IDEA Data Center found that African American students in Virginia made up 23.8% of the student population but represented 31.6% of students diagnosed with a specific learning disability. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, Black and Hispanic students with disabilities face much higher rates of school disciplinary actions, drop-out rates and experience lower rates of graduation.

“I want NELSON BEATS THE ODDS to resonate with young people, particularly African American males and students with learning disabilities,” Ronnie explains, “I want the book to speak directly to their experience. I was in special education for seven years and I know exactly how it feels to be stigmatized and labeled.”

Ronnie has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help finance his project. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding website that helps fund creative projects. Ronnie’s project goal for NELSON BEATS THE ODDS is $10,000 and the money will be used to cover illustration, publishing and promotional costs. In exchange for pledging to the project, backers can gain access to a variety of rewards including a digital and paper copy of NELSON BEATS THE ODDS, 10-30 minute phone call/Skype/FaceTime, pencil, eCard and post card. The top reward is the author speaking to your agency, school or organization.

For more information, please visit the Kickstarter page here (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/530081902/nelson-bea...) or contact the author below.

Email: ronniesidney@yahoo.com

Contact
Ronnie Sidney II
***@vcu.edu
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