Student Spotlight: How a Student-Run STEAM School Adapted to the Pandemic

One of the most frequent questions the Moon Prep counselors receive from families is, “Everything is shut down right now – what can students be doing to adapt their downtime in the pandemic to make it worthwhile for college later?”

To answer this question, we thought we would share what one Moon Prep underclassmen student is doing to maximize his time during the pandemic and also continue to build a competitive resume for his future college applications. In Dhruv’s case, he started a non-profit organization, Spectrum Robotics, to help students on the autism spectrum develop an interest in STEAM through classes. During the pandemic, he showed leadership and adaptability by moving those classes to a virtual setting. He built and actively maintains his website. Oh, and let’s not forget, he wrote an article about his experience moving his Spectrum classes online, which was just published on the major higher education website, Niche.com. 

Read Dhruv’s full article on Niche.com.

Want to know more about Dhruv? He started his organization after developing a heart for children with autism when he volunteered at a local tennis club, teaching lessons to children with autism. He knew there were classes in his area for developing an interest in STEAM subjects, but none that were specifically designed to cater to students on the autism spectrum. So he created his own classes. He enlisted other students to be volunteer tutors and help him develop curriculum, then built a website and launched his student-run organization. In spring 2020, they went all-virtual to adapt to the pandemic. Together, Dhruv’s team have allowed many young students experience and cultivate an interest in STEAM subjects.

Read more about Spectrum Robotics on their website.