Our Mission
REEL is a Bay Area Peninsula organization that strives to ensure that twice-exceptional students thrive in school by raising parent and educator awareness and understanding through resources, tools, events, and services. Twice exceptional, or 2e, students have both high ability and potential as well as complex challenges such as learning differences, autism, ADHD, and anxiety. REEL hosts a parent speaker series, publishes resources, and partners with school districts to offer professional development to educators.
For educators: raising awareness and understanding of 2e kids and providing resources and educator training to make school a place they can be successful.
For parents: disseminating and creating 2e resources, both online and in person, for advocating for and supporting 2e kids at school. Hosting parent support meetings and speaker series.
Callie Turk, Co-Founder
Callie is the mom of three teens, one of whom is 2e. Callie draws on her 15-plus year career working with ed tech companies and school districts at the cutting edge of educator professional learning. Callie received her MBA from Stanford University and BS from Miami University (Ohio). She is also a doctoral student with the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education. She can be reached at callie@reelpaloalto.org.
Yael Valek, Co-Founder
Yael has two 2e sons in elementary and middle school. Yael co-founded start-ups in the parenting community and children's creativity spaces. She has served on the board and advisory committees for several education-based non-profits. Yael received her BS and MS in Computer Science from Stanford University. She can be reached at yael@reelpaloalto.org.