ASL Aspire wants to gamify STEM education for deaf kids

Dec 1, 2024

ASL Aspire gamifies STEM for deaf students by developing ASL STEM vocab.

ASL Aspire wants to gamify STEM education for deaf kids

: ASL Aspire seeks to boost STEM literacy for deaf students by developing a game-based learning platform that includes a standardized ASL STEM vocabulary. Founded by Ayesha Kazi and Mona Jawad, the startup creates curricula for K-12 using insights from deaf scientists. They raised $400,000 for their initiative and completed pilots with 200 kids, mainly in California. Future plans include targeting deaf residential schools and expanding the curriculum beyond STEM.

ASL Aspire aims to improve literacy among deaf students by introducing a game-based STEM education platform, which incorporates a standardized STEM vocabulary in American Sign Language. The startup, founded by Ayesha Kazi and Mona Jawad from the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, works directly with deaf scientists and mathematicians to create comprehensive curricula for K-12 students.

Initial trials were held in five schools in California, aiding around 200 students. Despite the challenges of school district sales cycles, ASL Aspire has secured $400,000 in research grants and partnerships with educational institutions such as the Houston Space Center and the St. Louis Zoo.

Looking ahead, ASL Aspire plans to engage with deaf residential schools in Fremont and Riverside. They also aim to expand their educational platform to cover all subjects, thereby broadening its impact to a larger student base.