Designing Pathways to Belonging

This three-year project, led by Islands of Brilliance (IOB) in partnership with TransCenter for Youth (TCY) high schools, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), aims to implement and evaluate a continuum of three creative technology programs that foster social connection, belonging, and quality of life into TCY high schools.

Made possible by the Wisconsin Partnership Program

The project aims to promote social cohesion, a key social determinant of health that affects both mental and physical well-being. Autistic youth face disproportionately high rates of social isolation, anxiety, and exclusion in educational environments. This initiative focuses on connection with others and belonging as protective health factors, utilizing collaborative art and technology-based experiences to foster inclusive school communities and reduce disparities in emotional well-being and life satisfaction. 

The initiative's overarching goal is to implement and evaluate three school-based creative technology programs to enhance social inclusion and advance the health equity of autistic high school students. These programs catalyze systemic change within educational environments by embedding enduring credit-earning programs within schools that foster connections and collaboration across neurocognitive variations, promoting a sense of belonging and an improved quality of life (QoL) among autistic students. 

The project is a collaborative effort between IOB and academic partner Dr. Jeana Holt, Assistant Professor at the UWM School of Nursing. Dr. Holt co-leads the mixed-methods evaluation and brings deep expertise in health equity24–26 and autism-focused13,22,23 research. This partnership builds on their joint work in the Autism Brilliance Lab for Entrepreneurship,27 a Research Lab funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. It is grounded in a shared commitment to community-engaged, strength-based approaches that uplift autistic voices.

The Team