The Shadow Project

Christy Scattarella, founder and president of The Shadow Project in Portland, OR, has been selected as a winner in Nabisco’s “Celebrating 100 Extraordinary Women” contest. Scattarella was chosen from thousands of nominees for her collaborative work with teachers that has helped thousands of special education students succeed in school.

Scattarella, whose son has learning challenges, started The Shadow Project in 1997 in two classrooms, naming the program after her son’s puppy. Driven by a passionate belief that all children can succeed, she has volunteered 10,000 hours to bring about sustained change in our most vulnerable boys and girls. In classrooms that use The Shadow Project academic achievement, attendance and confidence have increased. The program serves 1,100 students in Portland and Yamhill County and is expanding to Hillsboro. Two-thirds of the participants are from homes at or below the poverty level.

In April the Oregon Education Association named Scattarella its 2008 statewide “Education Citizen of the Year” for her impact on education.

In October, Scattarella and the other Nabisco winners will be featured in national Time Inc. magazines, including People, Entertainment Weekly, InStyle, Real Simple, Cooking Light and Health.

“From helping military widows to raising money in support of ill children, it was amazing to learn what women in this country do to initiate positive changes in their communities and the lives of others,” said Sheldon Cummings, a senior brand manager for Nabisco. "Nabisco is privileged to honor these unique women in a way that will hopefully inspire others.”

“I’m humbled to be included among such dynamic, visionary women,” Scattarella said. “I’m hoping this will bring more attention to special education students. One in three teens with a learning disability drops out of school. But it doesn’t have to be that way. These kids have tremendous potential. We just need to reach them early.”

The 100 Nabisco winners, who represent 80 cities and 30 states, received star treatment last weekend in Los Angeles, including a VIP screening of “Phoebe in Wonderland” at the LA Film Festival where they met the movie’s stars Bill Pullman and Elle Fanning and director/writer Daniel Barnz.