Given Berkeley’s history of progressivism and organizing, it is not uncommon to encounter students at Berkeley High School who are passionate about activism and social justice. While certain acts of social justice are more pronounced than others, students are constantly integrating their beliefs and skills into impactful school assignments and external actions.
BHS senior Andrew Regan is a powerful example of the latter. In the summer of 2024, Regan began working on creating a website alongside other students as part of the Stanford Neurodiversity Project. The Stanford Neurodiversity Project is a two-week long summer camp for high school students across the United States to learn about neurodiversity advocacy and the science behind neurodiversity.
Neurodiversity is a relatively new concept and term. It regards the range of different brain functions and behavioral traits that people have. Being neurodiverse is extremely common. According to Stanford Medicine, the Neurodiversity movement is about “uncovering the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilizing their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole.”
Regan’s final project at the camp was a website titled The Neuroscope. “It’s meant to serve as a handbook and a resource full of digestible information that kids and adults can use to educate themselves about the complicated topic of neurodiversity,” Regan said. But after the program was complete, Regan chose to make some changes to The Neuroscope. “I decided to completely redesign the handbook by gathering and leading a team of student researchers and programmers to code the website from scratch,” Regan said.
Regan initially got involved with neurodiversity education to learn more about members of his family. This in turn ignited his passion for neuroscience, which started to shape the way Regan viewed his goal in activism. “Often, there are negative stereotypes associated with Special Education and neurodiversity, because certain differences in neurological function can make it more difficult for people to navigate the world we live in,” Regan said.
Regan’s journey in the world of social justice didn’t end with coding an educational website. For the website to have a clear effect at BHS, in his community, and in other people’s lives, he decided to go a step further. “I’m also currently collaborating with members in the district, including the Executive Director of Special Education to distribute the website as the primary neurodiversity resource for BUSD’s second annual Disabilities Awareness Month,” Regan said.
Overall, Regan’s involvement in social justice centers around the action of educating others. “From my point of view, understanding gives rise to connection and respect,” Regan said, “Once BHS begins to understand how people fundamentally experience and interact with the world in different ways, we will become more connected.”
As much as Regan has accomplished, he recognized that there are some challenges involved in activism. “A core part of effecting change is putting yourself out there in front of other people. This is something I definitely struggle with because I prefer to listen rather than speak,” Regan said, “If you’re like me, you’ll be scared in the moment, but proud once you’ve done it.”
His advice for others who are looking to make a difference in their communities is tied to his past experiences and achievements. “The scarier it is, the more people you’ll reach and the bigger impact you’ll create,” Regan said.