Mental Health
During our years of hosting in-person Minecraft Nights, I can’t help but reflect on the several experiences, where parents would come up to us coaches at the end of the event and are just amazed at how well their children engaged in the program and in particular with other children. A number of parents shared that their child was on the autism spectrum and didn’t typically engage socially and had significant challenges in communicating. But in this program the kids came to the table with a skill (they were Minecraft experts) and they had the opportunity to show other kids their skills, solving a goal the team had taken. Some were masters of intricate builds (artistic, math/geometry-coordinates), while others excelled at designing complex redstone contraptions (Minecraft’s version of electrical circuits that control in-game mechanics),
To summarize, even if mental health challenges may inhibit communications, providing an environment where those people can showcase their special skills can be an opening for them to open up and communicate.
We can see this also in our jobs, where we have people (i.e. engineers) who tend to not want to open up, but helping them find a way to share a special skill with others, even just one person, can really open up communication and build trust.
first-generation STEM student/professional
As a first-generation STEM student, they are navigating uncharted territory, considering a field that offers new opportunities beyond the jobs their family has traditionally held. In this situation, they probably did not have had much push from family members to pursue this path.
We can help break down these barriers, by helping them find fun in STEAM (games, Legos, artwork) or helping them start to understaning math/science principals behind things that they already love or see in their day to day. i.e.
- football flying,airplanes->physics;
- computer games->programming & hardware;
- natural disasters->civil engineering,etc
Incorporate play-based learning and tech engagement in teaching lessons
Another way to break down this barrier, attempt to identify famous STEAM people who they might know from their background
