Teen Trailblazer Amritha Praveen: Making STEM Accessible for Every Student

What happens when a 17-year-old decides STEM should work for everyone—not just some students? In Episode 191, Dr. Diane talks with Amritha Praveen, founder of Amethyst Changemakers, about creating inclusive STEM kits using Universal Design for Learning, distributing over 250 kits to Title 1 schools, placing third at the International Science and Engineering Fair, and why resilience and empathy drive real change.

Summary:

In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Diane welcomes Amritha Praveen, a rising high school senior and founder of Amethyst Changemakers, an organization creating accessible STEM kits for learners of all abilities. Amritha explains how her volunteer work in special education revealed that many students interested in STEM couldn't fully participate because resources weren't designed for them. She shares how competition math in fifth grade sparked her STEM journey, leading to science fair projects on autism prediction, music therapy frameworks, and genetics research that earned her third place at ISEF and a scholarship to ASU. Amritha discusses the Universal Design for Learning framework that guides her STEM kits, embedding accessibility from the start rather than retrofitting later, and how her team of high school students, mentors, and volunteers has distributed over 250 kits to Chicago Public Schools and Peoria classrooms. She reflects on resilience as the foundation of good science, why STEM teaching needs more hands-on variety, and what brings her hope: watching young students discover their passion for STEM.

Chapters & Timestamps:

[00:00] Meet Teen Trailblazer Amritha Praveen – High school senior making STEM accessible for all

[01:23] Amethyst Changemakers and Universal Design for Learning – STEM kits built with accessibility from the start

[02:16] What's in the Kits? – Ice cream chemistry, catapults, magnets, math bingo, and more

04:16] Why Inclusive STEM Matters – Seeing passionate students without equal access

[05:29] Competition Math to Autism Research – Amritha's STEM journey from fifth grade to ISEF

[06:38] Third Place at International Science Fair – Autism genetics, phenotypes, and an ASU scholarship

[08:49] Building the Team – Student designers, mentors, and 30 volunteers assembling kits

[11:46] Applied Math and Expanding the Mission – College plans and beyond

[13:03] Advice for Young Scientists – Keep pushing through—resilience matters more than perfection

[16:21] What Schools Get Wrong About STEM – Moving beyond lectures to differentiated, hands-on learning

[17:22] What Brings You Hope? – Students discovering their passion for STEM

Links & Resources:

• Amethyst Changemakers
• PIE (Peer Inclusion Empowerment) App
• Society for Science
• iBio Champion
• Illinois Junior Academy of Science

Call to Action:

Inspired by Amritha's work? Listen to Episode 191 of Adventures in Learning with Dr. Diane, then visit amethystchangemakers.org to support inclusive STEM kits, donate to Title 1 schools, or bring these resources into your classroom. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or student, join the movement to make STEM accessible for everyone.

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