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This describes the work of an NSF funded project that engages a team of young adult neurodivergent co-designers in the creation of a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) maker camp for neurodivergent middle schoolers. The project worked with a team of 6-8 neurodivergent 16-19 year olds participating in an ongoing paid internship to support all aspects of NeuroVivid. Co-designer recruitment, engagement, community formation, reflections, and impacts will be shared.
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Creating a sense of belonging in a maker camp for neurodivergent middle schoolers.
This chapter describes the design and pilot of NeuroVivid: A Maker Camp for All Brains, a weeklong maker program created to engage and support neurodivergent middle schoolers in inclusive, meaningful STEM learning experiences. Grounded in principles of project-based learning (PBL) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), the camp engaged participants in hands-on exploration of brain–computer interface (BCI) technology, allowing them to use their own brain signals with circuits and block coding to power small lights and motors. Through a participatory co-design process, neurodivergent teens and young adults helped create accessible, engaging activities and supports that addressed diverse sensory, executive function, and social-emotional needs. The chapter details how our intentional design of physical and social environments—combined with asset-based facilitation, choice-driven activities, and executive function scaffolds—supported autonomy, confidence, and a sense of belonging among campers. Qualitative data collected through observations, conversations, and daily feedback highlighted strong engagement, emerging STEM identities, and moments of connection and empowerment. Findings from this pilot inform the next phase of design research and contribute to a growing body of work on creating neuroinclusive STEM learning spaces that broaden participation.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2241380
- PAR ID:
- 10677046
- Editor(s):
- Riedinger, K; Ponti, G
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer
- Date Published:
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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