{"id":152607,"date":"2026-03-30T20:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/152607\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T20:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T20:01:12","slug":"where-everyone-is-welcome-to-learn-3-moonshot-projects-connect-underrepresented-students-with-career-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/152607\/","title":{"rendered":"Where everyone is welcome to learn: 3 Moonshot projects connect underrepresented students with career learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students were busy concentrating during the Unified eSports Invitational at Fox Chapel School District<\/a> last May, hoping to earn victories for their teams. Dr. Megan Collett was equally busy, ensuring that the multiple school districts that had gathered for this competitive event had everything they needed.<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t mind, though, that parents kept stopping her to marvel at this inaugural competition, dreamed up by the school district with help from a slew of partners including the Special Olympics and local tech companies.<\/p>\n

Thank you for finding a way for my child to shine, they each told Collett, who serves as executive director of instructional and innovative leadership at Fox Chapel.<\/p>\n

One father, in particular, was full of emotion: \u201cMy son is a loner,\u201d he explained. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t like to work with other people. That\u2019s just a piece of his personality. But being on this new team is the first time that he\u2019s really thriving in a collaborative way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Often, groups of students are unable to participate in meaningful learning opportunities because of limitations that might be physical, neurological or financial. These young people miss out on vital skill-building in areas like social development and career preparation.<\/p>\n

To help close this opportunity gap, Remake Learning has awarded Moonshot Grants<\/a> to three new programs designed to increase access to these kinds of real-world learning experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy creating interconnected and inclusive learning environments that enable students of all backgrounds and abilities to collaborate, build essential skills, and envision new career pathways, these innovative projects promote mutual encouragement, empowerment, and empathy, as well as practical career-readiness,\u201d said Tyler Samstag, executive director at Remake Learning.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Unified eSports photos by Ben Filio courtesy of Remake Learning.<\/p>\n

Unified Esports for All<\/p>\n

In many Pittsburgh-area school districts, Unified Bocce teams bring together students with and without intellectual disabilities to promote friendship and welcome more students into the fun of athletic competition.<\/p>\n

Often, though, the dynamic is one of neurotypical students mentoring special education students. But what if there was a Unified league where all students had a chance to excel for their team \u2014 and neurodiverse students might take the lead?<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we started thinking about ways that we see our students who are neurally diverse really thrive,\u201d Collett says, \u201cwe knew one of the things they thrive at often was gaming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collett and her colleagues began researching by reaching out to the Special Olympics, which connected them with a company called\u00a0Play VS<\/a>. \u201cWe asked which games students have the most success playing in a collaborative way,\u201d Collett says, \u201cbecause gaming can also be really isolating, and we wanted to make sure that didn\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then they reached out to other school districts: Were they interested? What might they need in order to get involved?<\/p>\n

\u201cSome districts needed screens and everyone needed Switches,\u201d she says. \u201cWe really wanted to make sure that we were approaching it in an individual way.\u201d<\/p>\n

As enthusiasm grew, the league was launched with weekly scrimmages, then weekly games against one another. Neurodiverse and neurotypical students were soon having fun and connecting in new ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were seeing the students who are neurally diverse beating the students who are not. And so while all unified sports are really special because they provide this beautiful collaboration, I feel like this unified sport is probably my personal favorite,\u201d Collett says. \u201cIt is sort of flipping the script on who\u2019s helping who.\u201d<\/p>\n

She has also been delighted to see so many local tech companies stepping up to offer gaming gear and other kinds of support. Local restaurants have even donated pizza and other refreshments for the players.<\/p>\n

It was more than just \u201cthe monetary support, which was lovely,\u201d she says, \u201cbut also they were really genuinely so excited about this opportunity. They were just fully on board.\u201d<\/p>\n

With so much community support, the league is planning to host another in-person invitational tournament this spring \u2014 something the students and teachers are excited about.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes it only takes one experience to change the trajectory or to open a door or to give someone confidence,\u201d Collett says. \u201cIf this is that one experience, that\u2019s just one more reason to keep doing it and to reach other students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Transforming Butler Main Street photos by Ben Filio for Remake Learning.<\/p>\n

Transforming Butler Main Street into a Classroom<\/p>\n

In school districts throughout the Pittsburgh area, you\u2019ll find many kids who know the joy of taking afterschool dance, voice or music lessons that include public performances where family and neighbors can applaud their hard work. Other kids take art classes culminating in gallery showings that the entire community is welcome to attend.<\/p>\n

These students learn discipline and project management skills while preparing for these events. They build confidence outside of their classrooms. And as they dip their toes in the experience of appearing publicly in these creative roles, they begin to explore the possibilities and challenges of creative careers.<\/p>\n

But for every child who grows through these experiences, there are others whose families can\u2019t afford to pay for lessons or can\u2019t logistically get their kids to creative learning programs outside of school. Despite their desire to showcase their talents, many children don\u2019t get these formative experiences.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s changing at\u00a0Butler Area School District<\/a>, which aims to bring the talents of local students to an indoor farmers\u2019 marketplace that\u2019s currently only used when crops are blooming. The district\u2019s vision is that once a month from November through May, they will fill this centrally located venue with a celebration of the talents of local students.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you host a concert at your school, those students will be performing only for their parents,\u201d says Kara Droney, communications director for Butler Area. \u201cBut if you bring your singers, your musicians, your artists out into the community, they can perform and share their skills with everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

This project will enable parents to see even more of what their children are doing at school, while connecting non-parents with the school community. Students will be inspired to elevate their creative work and challenge themselves to share it in this public venue.<\/p>\n

This initiative is just one of multiple projects happening through the district\u2019s Moonshot-funded partnership with the city of Butler, which is slowly transforming the city\u2019s Main Street into an immersive learning environment.<\/p>\n

During the current school year, students\u00a0continue to expand on their interactive Youth Arts Alley<\/a>\u00a0and are making further progress with projection mapping technology, among other projects happening under the umbrella of this Moonshot Grant. Mobile carts filled with personalized learning resources are also bringing new experiences to Butler Area\u2019s students. These Popup Maker Spaces have already begun visiting district classrooms and plans are being made to bring these mobile carts to community events, as well.<\/p>\n

All of this is designed to offer diverse and inclusive opportunities for all students, especially those from underrepresented groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many levels to what our students are learning, how they\u2019re increasingly able to share that learning with their parents and neighbors, and how these experiences are helping them learn to be better community members,\u201d Droney says.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Bringing the spirit of the Special Olympics to Robotics. Photo by. Ben Filio for Remake Learning.<\/p>\n

Bringing the spirit of the Special Olympics to Robotics<\/p>\n

From the first days of pre-K all the way through the end of sixth grade, robotics and computer science are woven through daily life for every student at\u00a0Woodland Hills School District<\/a>. And from seventh grade through senior year of high school, these learners can take multiple robotics-related electives.<\/p>\n

But until recently, only a fraction of those students got involved in robotics competitions.<\/p>\n

The kids who went out for the district\u2019s robotics team \u201cwere mostly our high-achieving regular ed students, who didn\u2019t have IEPs and didn\u2019t have any kind of learning disabilities,\u201d says Dr. Eddie Willson, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Woodland Hills. \u201cThey were kind of our traditional high-achieving scholars.\u201d<\/p>\n

The districts leaders didn\u2019t want any of their students to be left out.<\/p>\n

\u201c100% of our kids are getting robotics and computer science, but only a small amount were able to access the competition side,\u201d Willson says. \u201cSo we wrote the Moonshot grant to offer Unified Robotics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teams of students with and without disabilities now work together to demonstrate their learning, while building collaboration and communication skills.<\/p>\n

As with Collett\u2019s Unified eSports league, Willson and his colleagues started by reaching out to the Special Olympics for help envisioning what Unified Robotics might look like. They also collaborated with the Pittsburgh-based tech company\u00a0Vex Robotics<\/a>, which was already working with Woodland Hills on their in-school curriculum.<\/p>\n

The league began with nine districts. Kids soon were thriving and embracing STEM learning in new ways.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of our kids are really passionate about the robotics piece,\u201d Willson says. \u201cA lot are passionate about the video game aspect of driving a robot. A lot are passionate about the coding. And a lot are just passionate about the social aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The league quickly blossomed from nine districts to 12 last year. This school year, it has grown to include 16 districts. Willson expects that number to keep rising.<\/p>\n

Districts throughout the region are finding that the league \u201callows for everybody to feel accepted and welcomed,\u201d he says. And now that the Moonshot Grant from Remake Learning has covered startup costs for equipment and game fields, \u201cevery district is saying, \u2018Absolutely, we\u2019re going to continue this.\u2019 Because now the costs are just maintenance costs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kids are creating new friendships within their own districts, but the league offers more than that: It\u2019s common for districts to form alliances with teams from other schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019ve got kids who have not necessarily felt welcome or included in school, let alone in afterschool and extracurricular activities, who are forming bonds and relationships with kids from all over Southwestern Pennsylvania, around computer science and robotics,\u201d Willson says.<\/p>\n

Best of all, \u201cscholars who traditionally might not have thought of engineering or robotic computer science as a career path are now thinking of it as something that they are successful in.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Students were busy concentrating during the Unified eSports Invitational at Fox Chapel School District last May, hoping to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":152608,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[69350,69349,73,75,74,28560,54380],"class_list":{"0":"post-152607","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh","8":"tag-butler-area-school-district","9":"tag-fox-chapel-area-school-district","10":"tag-pittsburgh","11":"tag-pittsburgh-headlines","12":"tag-pittsburgh-news","13":"tag-remake-learning","14":"tag-woodland-hills-school-district"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}