For hearing-impaired children, the world may be quiet, but it has never lacked curiosity and imagination. To enable this group to also feel the joy of science, we held an interesting science activity with the theme of "Hua Hua's Growth Story - NRPS Guardians in Action" at the hearing rehabilitation center. This is not only a practice of "inclusive science outreach" but also a sincere attempt to promote learning and companionship.
The event kicked off with our self-produced animation "Hua Hua's Growth Story," which transformed the complex principles of synthetic biology into a story that children could understand through personified flowers and vivid visuals. To make the interaction more interesting, we prepared customized "Little Flower" and "NRPS" stickers and divided the children into two groups by selecting stickers. In the subsequent "Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom" game, two groups of children quickly formed teams according to the instructions. The little friends held hands and formed a circle. Laughter and playful interaction helped them overcome their initial shyness. In the "Fruit Cutting" game, children exercised their reaction ability, adding a playful atmosphere to the activity. The most touching part was the painting session, the "NRPS Guardians" they depicted were full of childlike innocence and reflected their unique understanding of "protection" and "power."
Through activities, we gained a deeper understanding of the needs of young children for intuitive and engaging content. In the subsequent sessions, the team optimized the design of the presentation slides: simplifying the text, enhancing animations and illustrations, adopting high-contrast color schemes and modular layouts, and integrating interactive segments. These changes significantly improved focus and knowledge retention.
The light of science knows no bounds, and growth requires careful nurturing. For these hearing-impaired children, this was not only their first encounter in synthetic biology, but also a carefully supported journey of exploration. The moments when they actively participate and freely create are both the budding of their curiosity in science, and also the awakening of their vitality. We sow the seeds of science and reap their courage to break through limitations and grow towards the sun.