Scholars Share About DO-IT Summer Study 2025
This year, DO‑IT Phase I Scholars participated in a Summer Study with the first half online and the second half in person. They learned about college life; explored campus resources; interacted with peers, staff, and mentors; and had fun. The DO‑IT Scholars program started in 1993 as an experimental project for teens with disabilities nationwide. It is currently open to Washington State teens and is supported by the State of Washington. The DO-IT Scholars program is supported by all DO-IT staff and led by Tami Tidwell, Kayla Brown, and Andrea Mano.
My Favorites From the DO-IT Scholars Program
By Damon, 2025 Scholar
During the Scholars program, we got to experience a variety of engaging science and math-related classes on the University of Washington campus. My top favorite was getting to tour the UW seismology lab. I really liked this class because I got to learn about the “behind the scenes” of the Pacific Northwest’s earthquake early warning system. I think this class helps students with disabilities because the tour guides were great at explaining these complex topics and used a lot of hands-on activities and demonstrations. I also really enjoyed many of the other classes during Summer Study; these include learning about triangular numbers (they’re really cool!), how to build a tetrahedral kite (and subsequently crash it in a ditch), and about the hero’s journey story archetype.
Other than classes, if I was going to give advice for future Scholars, I’d recommend exploring all your food options each meal! Most of your meals include a variety of stations and dishes, and if you grab the first thing that looks good, you’ll end up missing out on a number of delicious choices!
Connecting Over Number Patterns and Kites
By Kai, 2025 Scholar
Having the Math Guy, Art Mabbot, join us at Summer Study was quite the ride! I really enjoyed learning about number patterns and how they can be used to build kites. I worked with my fellow Scholars Regan and Juniper to build the bulk of our kite, with Damon popping in to help with an integral part of getting the kite together. A highlight was that we also got to fly the kites outside with all the Scholars and Interns present.
Enjoying STEM Classes on Campus
By Juniper, 2025 Scholar
I love that Summer Study provided a cool sampling of different subjects we might want to pursue in college and beyond. My favorite was our class on geometry with “The Math Guy.” I really liked this class because it was very hands-on and interesting; it provided higher level math concepts that we were immediately able to apply to real life by building kites. This class was particularly accessible because the teacher was engaging, offering multiple prompts and problem-solving methods, as well as encouraging us to work in teams.
I also really enjoyed these other classes:
- Seismology Lab Tour, where we learned how earthquakes are detected
- Technology Accommodations, where we were shown a variety of software and hardware that can help our computers be more functional for us
- Biology in the Greenhouse, where I discovered a bunch of cool facts about plants
- Storytelling and Writing, where I learned how to use a structured outline to build a captivating story
I recommend this program for any students interested in attending college and getting ahead in learning about accommodations, technology, and a wide variety of other topics. My biggest advice for other Scholars is to have fun while also being respectful and paying attention. Take care of yourself and your needs while you are on campus.
Accessible Data Science
By Samuel, 2025 Scholar
The DO-IT Scholars program offered many great classes; my favorite was Accessible Data Science, where I also got to learn more about penguins! I really liked this class because I like coding and using technology, and I learned how I could use data science skills and different software options to build upon those topics. We also learned about technology that can make these subjects more accessible to students with a wide variety of abilities.
My advice for other Scholars is to push through it even if you are scared and worried at the start. Things get easier once you get over the first anxieties!
Connecting and Creating at Summer Study
By Addy, 2025 Scholar
When I first came to the DO-IT Scholars Summer Study program, I was nervous; however, as time went on, I met nice people who made me feel welcomed. From other Scholars to staff to instructors, the more people I connected with, the more I felt comfortable.
During the week, we had many great classes, but the one that stood out to me was visiting the makerspace on campus. We got to move around a big workshop, explore a variety of different tools and machines, and create bracelets and stickers. It was exciting to learn all the different crafts that could be made in one room!
I enjoyed my time at Summer Study, especially making new friends and learning about all the different technologies available that help people.
Making Friends and Learning at Summer Study
By Chloe, 2025 Scholar
The best part of Summer Study was the connections and memories I got to make. My favorite part was meeting new people and making new friends, such as Addy and Meklit. We three clicked instantly and got along the whole week we were on campus.
I also enjoyed learning from the Phase II Scholars. Each of them had a presentation on a topic of their choice. It was cool to learn more about their interests and learn more about their hobbies and activities beyond Summer Study. It also got me started thinking about what I would want to present on for my second year on campus.
Lastly, my favorite class to attend was the Seismology Lab with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. We got to see how the technology they use works and learned how the devices spread out across Washington State detect earthquakes. It showcased a topic I hadn’t thought about studying before!
Overall, it has been a great experience, and I can’t wait to see what next school year holds!
Architecture on Campus
By Nick, 2025 Scholar
This summer, I was a Phase One Scholar at DO-IT Summer Study. We got to tour a variety of areas on campus, including the Suzzallo and Allen libraries, the seismology lab, and the UW greenhouse. It was cool to see the different architecture around campus.
My favorite activity was touring the Suzzallo and Allen library because the building designs were over a hundred years old. The architecture of the buildings is based on older European designs and follows the collegiate gothic style. The best part of the tour was visiting the Suzallo Reading Room, which is colloquially known as the Harry Potter room. It looks like it was designed for the movie, with beautiful tall architecture and hanging décor that almost looks like it is floating. The tour guide led such an informative and educational tour. The tour taught me so much about the library that I didn’t know about before.
I hope future Scholars will enjoy exploring the campus; my advice is to spend time enjoying all the fun moments of Summer Study and really take everything in so that you can go to college with a confident mindset.
A Phase I Perspective on the DO-IT Scholars Summer Study Program
By Boon, 2025 Scholar
The DO-IT Scholars (also known as DO-IT Summer Study) program was, from the perspective of one first-year participant, not nearly as scary as it might appear based on the introductory meetings. These meetings offer a distilled taste of the program's ideology, but they are only a small fraction of what the program offers. The vast majority of the in-person portion, the meat and inner-sauce of the program, is far more open to explore a variety of topics in classes and dorm life. In addition, although there are several restrictions on student activities, students do not appear to be constantly managed; there can be plenty of opportunities for one to exercise high-level cognitive processing, such as daily-planning, task prioritization, and health management; for example, we managed our own morning and evening routines, chose between some activities, had options for what we ate at each meal, and could advocate for more breaks or classroom accommodations.
The enjoyable aspects of the program mainly center around the activities. Although we shared long days (needing to be ready by 8:30am and sometimes not back to the dorms until after 9:00pm) that can be tiring, there were only three full days and thus not that much time to accumulate too much tiredness, assuming sleep is at least almost enough. These activities are meant to cater to a variety of interests (as well as the overarching one of educating people about skills important for college), with subject-matters including assistive technology, basic computer maintenance, life and earth sciences, exercise and movement, physical and electronic game-playing, singing and dancing, and mathematics. There was something for everyone, and we were provided with opportunities to explore some activities we hadn’t ever done before. In addition, you will likely have a close-to-authentic college dining experience, as at least two dining facilities are used, complete with college staff that work there and with whom one may need to interact.
For those who have not lived in dormitories before, the program also offers a somewhat life-like, though safer, more comfortable, and more managed, living experience at night. One may either stay alone or with a roommate, and roommates must share their room and negotiate how they will occupy it together. Roommates are matched by interests, which is similar to how colleges try to determine roommates.
Hopefully, this gives a more helpful idea of what the DO-IT Scholars program is like. To learn more about Summer Study, I encourage you to read some of the other newsletter articles or visit the Scholars website.
My Great Experiences at Summer Study
By Regan, 2025 Scholar
The DO-IT Scholars Summer Study for Phase 1 Scholars had several classes and activities with a variety of topics provided, ranging from disability to technology to science.
My favorite class was called The Math Guy. In this class, we learned about the math behind tetrahedrons and tetrahedron numbers. After this we built and flew a tetrahedron kite as a class. I enjoyed this class because I like math and numbers and because it was a group activity where we got to work together and create something. I learned about tetrahedrons and how to fly a kite in the same class!
My favorite daytime activity was called Living the Life: College Life! In this activity, a group of Ambassadors (former Scholars), came into the classroom and we got the opportunity to talk to them and ask questions about college life and accommodations, as well as any other questions we had. I learned a lot about college from people who have personal experience navigating college with similar needs as me. It was also great to discuss some shared experiences that people in the group had!
My favorite evening activity was Bowling and Game Night in the HUB. There was a bowling alley and video games, as well as games such as air hockey! I enjoyed this activity the most because it was the last night of Summer Study and there were so many options to choose from. I played a game of bowling, a few rounds of air hockey and foosball, and even sat down to play Uno with my friends.
Overall, Phase 1 Summer Study was a very fun experience where I got the opportunity to meet new people and learn a lot about college and other topics.
