Around the world, dedicated teachers and caregivers make every effort to meet the needs of students with learning difficulties and special needs. In the United States, there is a system in place to protect the interests of these children, to uphold their right to a quality education, and to ensure that they receive the support they need through an individualized education plan (IEP). In fact, 12.8% [12] of secondary school students enrolled in US public schools have an IEP that guides educators and related service providers in how best to meet the student’s needs. In many countries around the world, learning contracts such as an IEP and other services for students with special needs are neither mandated by law nor widely available.
After witnessing the resources and services available to special needs students in the US, three alumni of the Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program (TEA) [13] have developed initiatives to benefit special needs students in their home communities.
The Resource Room in India
Social Studies teacher and TEA alumane Uzma Aamir from Ahmedabad, India, worked with her colleagues to dedicate one room in her school as a Resource Room for students with special needs. The Resource Room is equipped with games and activities that promote gross and fine motor skill development, 
as well as learning aids and other tools that enhance teachers’ ability to meet students’ needs. Aamir’s long-term vision is to develop “Learning Labs” in her school, in which tactile, hands-on learning projects are available to supplement the conventional classroom setting and, eventually, an IEP for every student with special needs. Aamir also has plans to share the Resource Room with others: “We may have weekend special-education classes that provide services to students with special needs from different schools around this area.”
Guatemelan History Firsthand
In Guatemala, fifty students with various special needs recently took part in a three-day program organized by TEA alumnae Aurelia Satuye. “With this project,” says Satuye, “we intend to give [the students] three days during which they can have fun and participate in social activities. Since most of them come from poor families, this will be their first attendance to historical sites which makes the activity even more productive, as they will learn firsthand about Guatemalan history.” Satuye is an advocate of enhancing programs in Guatemala that provide special needs students with the opportunities and space they need to grow as equal members of society.
Leadership and Handicrafts Workshop in Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, English Teacher and TEA Alumnae Ratbu Satarova partnered with Peace Corps Volunteer Sarah Silverman to coordinate a Leadership and Handicrafts Workshop for students with special needs in Tokotgul. According to Satarova, although the town of Tokotgul keeps records of students who have disabilities and require special services, the town lacks the human and financial resources to give these children the services they require. 
During the five-day workshop, participating children built lasting connections with each other and with members of the community who supported and will continue to support and help them, including heads of local government, four local teachers, the local doctor, and four peer leaders. At the end of the workshop, the participants said that the most valuable things they took from the workshop were making new friends, meeting new people, and learning new things like making bracelets and handicrafts.
These three projects were funded by the TEA Alumni Small Grants Program [14], a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [15] of the US Department of State, and administered by IREX.