On Friday, April 10, the lower level of the Lexington Community Center was alive with the sounds of excited children completing fun science experiments and developing their robotics skills. This event, titled the Inclusive STEM Expo, was hosted by AllStars Learning, a local nonprofit whose mission is to support students and young adults with special needs.
The Inclusive STEM Expo was designed to provide a safe environment where all students, including those with special needs, could come together and learn about science.
“I myself have a kid who is actually on the spectrum. Sometimes [STEM classes] can be very hard to follow, or the environment is a little bit distracting for them,” Qian Zhuang, president of AllStars Learning, said. “We want to bring technology and hands-on activities to everyone’s life, especially to kids with special needs.”
Students could try activities like building marshmallow towers, making lava lamps, guiding robots with remote controllers, coding, and even learning about AI, all with an emphasis on hands-on learning over direct instruction or lecturing.
“We’re really encouraging every child that comes to our station to engage in the experiment themselves to learn more about the different reactions that can occur,” Arezoo Ghazagh, president of Harvard Undergraduates Raising Autism Acceptance, said.
The event also included accommodations designed for kids with special needs.
“We booked a sensory room for special needs kids to use when they need a quiet place, and we have headsets if it’s too overwhelming,” Zhuang stated. “There is also a block that’s specifically designed to be sensory friendly. It’s quieter and has much fewer people than the rest of the day.”
More than 100 students participated. An almost equal number of volunteers in brightly colored purple vests were seen guiding parents and their children.
“With students of special needs, some of them might need more support,” said Mira Xu, the student volunteer coordinator for the event. “It was good to have three or more volunteers placed at each booth, so there could be a more one-on-one interaction.”
“My son has autism, and that was actually one of the reasons I got him in because it said that it would be a sensory friendly environment,” Vihangi Thakore, one of the parents present at the event, said. “I don’t take him to [STEM events] because I’m not sure if they’re going to be sensory friendly. Because this event specified it was for special needs, it motivated me to register.”
By the time the event was over, the tables were messy with oobleck, spilled liquids, and small bits of marshmallows, yet everyone had big smiles on their faces.
“This event created a more inclusive environment for all types of children. I think this was amazing, and I really think they should do more of these events, knowing that a lot more people are getting diagnosed with special needs every year,” Thakore said.
This year’s Inclusive STEM Expo was the first of what AllStars Learning hopes will be many.
“I’m very touched that we got so much support and great feedback. It’s just so wonderful to see. We hope to do this again,” Zhuang said.