Cossitt's STEMpathy club was invited to IDEAcon 2023, the annual conference for the Illinois Digital Educators Alliance.
Alexander Parker is the leader of a group of 6th graders at Cossitt involved in the STEMpathy club, a lunch club sponsored by The Nora Project. Within this club, students are able to learn more about disability awareness and activism, looking for ways to promulgate accessibility and inclusivity in all spaces.
While at the IDEAcon the 6th graders had three tables, each with a different theme related to accessibility. Attendees of the event were able to engage with the students to learn more about the ideals and values of the STEMpathy Club and The Nora Project.
The first group prompted attendees to think about accessibility at the actual event space, the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, while the second group asked those who work in education to think about their school settings. The Cossitt STEMpathy club members asked education professionals to reflect on the accessibility of their teaching styles, curricula, games, or overall learning spaces. Finally, the last group created a "make and take" activity where they spoke to attendees about anti-ableism and invited them to make a button that stated "I promote anti-ableism by..." where participants could apply their learning and proudly sport their button for the rest of the day!