AV巴士

NeuroVivid Pathways is a STEM maker camp and educator training initiative for neurodivergent middle schoolers in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Alaska. This program provides training, materials, and support to meet the needs of neurodivergent middle schoolers nationwide, and spark their interest in and prepare them to enter careers in the STEM field.

NeuroVivid Pathways builds on the NSF ITEST-funded NeuroVivid project to expand access to meaningful STEM experiences for neurodivergent middle school youth. The project brings the NeuroVivid model to new sites and communities while laying the groundwork for a sustainable and expandable approach that can reach students across the country.

Many neurodivergent learners, including students with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, or similar, have strengths that may be assets in STEM careers. However, they often encounter learning environments that prevent them from effectively learning or identifying viable paths to those careers.

Most programs for neurodivergent youth are remedial in nature, despite strong demand for enrichment opportunities. Many schools and informal science spaces do not offer programs designed to meet their needs. NeuroVivid was created to address this gap.

NeuroVivid is a maker camp where middle school students create a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) while developing coding and circuit-building skills.

Participants engage in:

• Hands-on maker activities

• Interactive demonstrations

• Circuitry and coding projects

• Brainwave-powered headsets that allow them to control objects with their minds

The program materials and trainings were developed with the help of neurodivergent youth.

NeuroVivid Pathways focuses on scaling this model by providing training, materials, and support to additional sites and communities.

The program is designed for middle school-aged youth 鈥� a stage when students are beginning to consider future careers and still have flexibility in their academic paths to pursue STEM opportunities.

By expanding access at this critical age, the project aims to increase excitement about and preparation for STEM careers.

NeuroVivid Pathways extends AV巴士鈥檚 broader efforts to broaden participation in STEM.

The project is guided by the ethos 鈥淣othing about us without us.鈥� The team includes staff members who identify as neurodivergent and centers co-design with youth as a core element of its work.

The project will also collect data on the intersectionality of participant identities 鈥� including race, gender, and neurodiversity status 鈥� to better understand how these factors interact in shaping students鈥� pursuit of STEM careers.