Tracy Hastings and Samantha Hastings

The Hastings’ innovative teaching project, “FIELD: STEM Education for Students with Learning Differences,” is designed for Spring Valley School’s middle and high school students, an independent school dedicated to serving students with diverse learning differences where each of the 129 students has at least one diagnosis of dyslexia, dysgraphia or dyscalculia. With the school’s mission to empower neurodiverse learners with the tools, strategies and confidence to achieve their full potential and thrive, the Hastings teaching duo will, with the Voya grant, expand the school’s successful science fair and expand their student support system with FIELD, a yearlong program designed to foster scientific literacy, experimentation skills and communication. Through workshops, expert mentorship, and scaffolded checkpoints, FIELD provides meaningful, accessible STEM experiences that meet the needs of the school’s unique learners and culminates in a science fair that showcases their growth and discovery.