High school students work together over six weeks to design and propose a physical neurodiversity affinity space that builds belonging, friendship, advocacy, and positive change at Georgetown Day School. Through collaborative discussion, space planning, writing, visual design, and presentation, they connect the school’s mission and origin story to concrete features such as sensory-friendly areas, signage, quiet-corner mockups, and communication supports. Students gather feedback from counselors, learning specialists, neurodiverse alumni, and affinity leaders during prototype testing and a mid-project gallery walk, then revise their plans for Neurodiversity Night at GDS and the Roots to Respect Reveal. By the end of the project, they present a student-led vision for a welcoming physical space and a clear next-step proposal for sustaining the group’s work.

Students will collaborate in inclusive discussions, listening circles, and design meetings to clearly express ideas, build on others’ thinking, and make shared decisions about a physical neurodiversity affinity space for high school students at GDS over six weeks. They will strengthen speaking, writing, and presentation skills by creating labels, scripts, signage, and advocacy pitches that explain the space’s purpose, connect it to Georgetown Day School’s mission and origin story, and propose next steps for student-led change. They will apply critical thinking, visual design, and problem-solving skills to plan, prototype, test, and revise sensory-friendly features, communication supports, room layout, and display elements based on feedback from peers, alumni, counselors, learning specialists, and affinity leaders. They will reflect on identity, belonging, and community through critique, revision, and exhibition so they can help shape a welcoming, respectful space where neurodiverse high school students feel seen, heard, and connected.

Students create a physical prototype for a student-led neurodiversity affinity space at GDS, including a scaled floor plan, furniture layout, quiet-corner setup, sensory-friendly lighting or sound choices, signage, and communication tools connected to the school’s mission, history, and values. Across the 6 weeks, they also produce listening-circle notes, design sketches, material boards, gallery-walk feedback trackers, exhibit labels, short scripts, posters, and one-page or recorded advocacy pitches that explain the space’s purpose, student leadership plan, and next steps. For public sharing, students build Neurodiversity Night at GDS and the Roots to Respect Reveal with interactive prototype stations, skits, short videos, and small-group presentations that invite classmates, staff, counselors, the DEI team, and alumni to respond to the design. By the end, the class leaves behind a refined physical space proposal, a polished display of student work, and a student-generated action plan for opening or strengthening a lasting neurodiversity affinity space at the school.

Start with a Mission Map Meetup where high school students examine Georgetown Day School’s origin story, mission, and artifacts, then map ideas for a physical neurodiversity affinity space that reflects belonging, advocacy, and student leadership. Next, launch a Comfort Zone Jam with hands-on testing stations for seating, lighting, sound, signage, and communication supports, with counselors and learning specialists helping students identify which design choices make a dedicated space feel welcoming and usable. Close with a Respect Reveal Preview in which students build quick physical mockups of quiet corners, wall displays, and meeting areas, then present how their designs connect to the school’s values and could grow over the 6-week project.

Students can culminate the 6-week project with a Neurodiversity Night at GDS that unveils a physical affinity space designed by high school students, featuring installed signs, a quiet corner, sensory-friendly seating and lighting choices, and communication supports visitors can experience firsthand. Classmates, families, staff, alumni, the counseling team, learning specialists, the DEI office, and affinity group leaders can move through the space, hear short student-led advocacy pitches, and give feedback on how the space supports belonging and positive change. A second exhibition, the Roots to Respect Reveal, can spotlight how the physical space connects to Georgetown Day School’s mission, origin story, and values through display labels, before-and-after design plans, and small-group presentations. To close, students can name one need they addressed, one design choice they made, and one next step for sustaining the student-led neurodiversity community at GDS.