PIE (Peer Inclusion Empowerment) wins Rep. Bradley Schneider’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Illinois’ 10th District

When asked what inspired the creation of PIE (Peer Inclusion Empowerment), the student said, “The inspiration for the PIE (Peer Inclusion Empowerment) app came from my personal experiences with my brother, who has autism. I’ve observed the challenges he faced in accessing inclusive environments at school. This  made me realize how critical it is to teach all the students how to support their peers with disabilities or learning differences. I saw firsthand that while students with disabilities often receive education on how to adapt to neurotypical environments through social stories, the reverse—teaching neurotypical students how to be inclusive—was rarely addressed. 

When I was in middle school, we were never taught how to make space for or include students with disabilities, while my brother spent hours each day learning how to ‘fit in.’ I’ve seen how he forces himself to make eye contact, something that doesn’t come naturally to him, just to meet others’ expectations. If we had been taught that things like avoiding eye contact are okay, it would have made inclusion so much easier. Realizing this gap in awareness and understanding is what inspired me to create PIE.
 

Through my involvement in STEM competitions and school activities, I also noticed a significant lack of diversity, particularly among students with disabilities even though they had the skills and talents. Students with disabilities were often unintentionally excluded from these kinds of opportunities simply because their peers were not equipped with the knowledge and tools to support them. I wanted to change that by creating a solution that could be easily implemented in classrooms and schools that can help students and teachers create a more inclusive culture.
I talked to special education teachers in my community and also other parents and students with disabilities to understand the gap and needs. I also volunteer at NWSRA and CEL where I work with students and adults with disabilities.These experiences inspired and motivated me to do something about this gap.

The idea of using scenario-based learning came from the thought that students learn best by doing. I wanted to provide real-life examples where the students could actively practice inclusivity in situations they come across every day. The point system, which rewards positive behavior, was added to motivate students to engage consistently

The app is a reflection of my passion for promoting disability awareness and to make inclusion something that all students feel responsible for.”