Within the bright, colorful walls of Lemon Street Gallery, Islands of Brilliance, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit, held a workshop for neurodiverse people and their families titled Sandbox@.
The workshop, which is making its way to different cities within Wisconsin, hit the road for the first time this year, and it features different aspects of programming offered at Islands of Brilliance.
Angela Ruesch attended the workshop along with her children after learning of the event at an autism conference.
"I think it (Sandbox@) is amazing," Ruesch said. " Especially because you can bring siblings ."
The workshop began with an activity called Natterdays, which is designed to help people with storytelling skills. Participants filled out a Mad Libs-style worksheet and an "about me" worksheet and shared their work with the rest of the group.
The next part of the workshop was the Doodle Lab, in which participants created different works of art on iPads via procreate and traditional paper and pencil.
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The workshop concluded with Smactivities, in which participants constructed object out of popsicle sticks, paper, pipe cleaners, googly eyes and more. Some creations included an origami dinosaur and a monster truck made from foam circles and pipe cleaners.
"It's been really exciting to be in difference areas of Wisconsin," said Natalie Derr, a creative technologist for Islands of Brilliance. "And I think the more we can get out there and get our word out, the more that we can spread this and have more people participate."
Islands of Brilliance was founded by Mark and Margaret Fairbanks, who have a son on the autism spectrum, in 2012.
When their son was younger, he noticed Mark using a digital illustration software and asked to try. After minimal instruction, he drew his favorite character at the time-- Percy from Thomas the Tank Engine.
"And that's when we were like, 'oh my gosh, area of interest, technology and a little bit on instruction-- what's gonna happen?" Margaret said.
Margaret and Mark tested their idea of including art, design and STEM-based teaching at Discovery World in Milwaukee and their programs, which are all based around those principles, have grown ever since.
Today, their organization still aims to teach an art, design and STEM-based curriculum to help people on the spectrum gain technical skills and practice social and emotional learning.
"I think it's great that they're bringing awareness for kids with disabilities or autism," Ruesch said. " I think that's so great."
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