Poor literacy skills have long challenged the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, with median literacy rates among deaf high school graduates stuck at a fourth-grade level for over a century, according to the National Center for Special Education Research. This gap becomes even more pronounced when tackling STEM subjects, as American Sign Language (ASL) lacks extensive STEM-specific vocabulary.
Illinois-based startup ASL Aspire aims to address this barrier through a game-based approach to STEM education. The company, which presented at TechCrunch Disrupt’s Startup Battlefield 200, collaborates with deaf scientists and mathematicians to standardize STEM vocabulary in ASL. These efforts feed into the development of STEM curricula that teachers can seamlessly integrate into their lesson plans.
Launched officially in 2022, ASL Aspire initially focuses on middle school students but has developed curricula spanning kindergarten to 12th grade. High schoolers are also benefiting, as many fall behind their hearing peers in STEM proficiency.
Co-founders Ayesha Kazi and Mona Jawad, both University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign students, founded the company in 2021. Jawad, a doctoral candidate in speech and hearing science, observed a disconnect between academic research on teaching STEM to deaf students and its practical application in schools. With support from the university, the duo piloted their web app and curricula in local schools, gaining crucial early feedback.
In 2023, ASL Aspire completed pilots in five schools, reaching 200 students, primarily in California. The startup’s ultimate goal is to sell directly to school districts, though the process is complex, as Kazi noted the challenges of navigating tight budget windows and securing buy-in from decision-makers.
Beyond schools, ASL Aspire partners with institutions like the Houston Space Center and the St. Louis Zoo. For 2024, the company plans to expand its reach to deaf residential schools in Fremont and Riverside, depending on budget outcomes. In the long term, the team envisions expanding its game-based learning model to subjects beyond STEM.
“It’s an uphill battle,” Kazi remarked, “but it’s worth it at the end because you’re not just helping one kid. At the end of the day, I’m gonna get 2,000 students who will be able to use our app.”
Featured image courtesy of TechCrunch
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