Ma’ayanot’s groundbreaking STEAM program does far more than teach design, coding and fabrication skills to Ma’ayanot’s freshmen and sophomores as part of their core curriculum. Ma’ayanot’s “Making a Difference” initiative, designed by Director of STEAM Curriculum Reyce Krause, also helps visually-impaired students at one of three partner schools. Sophomore STEAM students apply all their skills, as well as their outstanding creativity and empathy, to design a personalized device for a visually impaired student.

Mrs. Krause has built relationships with three inclusive schools: The School for Children with Hidden Intelligence (SCHI) in Lakewood; JEWELS in Pikesville, Maryland, and Elmwood School in Rockland County. On November 7, sophomores visited the two local partner schools, accompanied by Mrs. Krause and STEAM instructor Esther Brodsky (a 2018 Ma’ayanot graduate!). Ma’ayanot students met the children for whom they will design the device, along with their teachers and therapists, in order to learn about each student’s unique skills, interests and challenges.

Ma’ayanot sophomores appreciate the impact that “Making a Difference” has on both the students at Ma’ayanot and the schools they visited. Alyssa Billauer explained, “It was so special for me to see how SCHI makes a warm and welcoming environment for their students. They put in so much effort to help their abilities shine through.” Added classmate Avigayil Alter, “When I saw the smiles on the kids’ faces I immediately realized that all the hard work we are putting into our project is worth it.” Gabriella Davidovitch summed up what she learned: “Through our visit to SCHI, we were able to understand the happiness we will bring to the children when delivering their device. Connecting to the children added so much meaning to our project and will enable us to truly make a difference.” Ma’ayanot’s unique STEAM program combines academic rigor, community service and student creativity—the perfect Ma’ayanot combination!