You can’t just read a book or be told stories and really know what someone else’s life is like. It takes sitting down face-to-face and engaging with another person—learning about them, the way they think, the way they perceive the world, and the way the world perceives them. These types of interactions are how change happens—one person, one experience at a time.

Unified Robotics is a Team-based experience where neurodiverse students work together to build and program a LEGO robot. It is modeled after competitive high school robotics, with a fixed season where Teams have several weeks to imagine and build a robot, culminating in a championship tournament and celebration. All participating students are recognized for their efforts in Unified Robotics.

Unified Robotics introduces STEM concepts to people with intellectual disabilities in a way that will ignite interest and open doors for them in the future. Many of these students have little or no hands-on experience with STEM. Unified Robotics helps them know what they’re capable of. It’s the first building block, put there so that next time someone tells them, “you can’t do that,” they have the confidence (and experience) to know they can.

As the STEM world grows, it will be increasingly important to find leaders who are brave enough to step outside the perceived norm in search of wisdom or perspective that comes from a unique source—people who live and thrive with intellectual disabilities. Unified Robotics introduces people with intellectual disabilities to a population of students who may not otherwise have any exposure to people with special needs. These students learn to overcome their differences and communicate effectively with one another. They gain leadership skills and learn they can find talent where others don’t, putting them leaps and bounds ahead of the average STEM star because of their participation in Unified Robotics.

These students feel a sense of accomplishment as they succeed in this unique environment, they create meaningful relationships, and their experience helps them redefine success—because success looks different for everyone.