WEBB CITY, Mo., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kid Spark Education and Special Olympics Washington have partnered to develop a new early childhood STEM, literacy, and sports-themed curriculum for Pre-K through 1st grade learners.

The new curriculum is part of Kid Spark Education's Early Childhood STEM & Literacy Program, which helps young learners build strong foundations in STEM and literacy through hands-on learning, engineering, problem solving, and invention during a critical stage of development.

Designed to support both academic and social-emotional growth, the curriculum integrates literacy, STEM, sport, and inclusion in age-appropriate ways that help children build confidence, communication skills, creativity, and a belief in their ability to learn and solve problems.

Each lesson begins with a sports-themed read-aloud that supports early literacy development. Students then explore how creativity, engineering, and thoughtful design can help make sports more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Lessons conclude with hands-on engineering and invention challenges where students design and build their own solutions using materials from Kid Spark's Early Inventors STEM Lab.

The lessons build on the foundation of Special Olympics Washington's Young Readers program, which uses children's books to promote inclusion and belonging. By extending ideas introduced during the read-aloud into hands-on STEM challenges and design activities, the collaboration helps students connect literacy, engineering, creativity, and inclusive problem solving in meaningful and engaging ways.

"What excites me about this partnership is how intentionally this curriculum brings together STEM, literacy, sport, and inclusion in ways that are meaningful and accessible for young learners.

These lessons encourage students to read, explore, build, communicate, and problem solve while thinking about how creativity, engineering, and thoughtful design can help create more inclusive opportunities for everyone. Early childhood is a critical stage of development, and these are the kinds of learning experiences that help children build confidence, strong foundations in STEM and literacy, and a belief in their ability to learn, create, and solve problems."

- Ryan Neden, Executive Director, Kid Spark Education

The curriculum is grounded in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and aligned with social-emotional learning practices to help support a wide range of learners and learning environments.

Designed for classrooms, afterschool programs, and community settings, the curriculum is supported by a curated collection of children's storybooks, hands-on engineering materials, adaptable lesson plans, and educator training and support.

"Our partnership with Kid Spark Education strengthens Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools by bringing inclusive STEM, literacy, in conjunction with sport to early learners by using adaptable tools to support a wide range of skills. It's another powerful option we can offer schools to create meaningful, accessible, and socially inclusive opportunities for every student."

- Morgan Larche, Director of Unified Schools, Special Olympics Washington

Learn more about the curriculum and explore the new inclusive STEM & literacy lessons here.

About Kid Spark Education

Kid Spark Education is a national nonprofit whose mission is to help ignite a love of STEM and literacy in all young learners. We design hands-on learning solutions that meet today's students' needs and expand access to STEM and literacy learning, especially for underserved communities.

Visit kidsparkeducation.org to learn more about our programs or explore how you can partner with Kid Spark to expand access to STEM and literacy learning for all students.

Media, Partnerships, Program Information, or Funding Inquiries:
Ryan Neden - Executive Director
Kid Spark Education
ryann@kidsparkeducation.org

About Special Olympics Washington

Special Olympics Washington is dedicated to promoting inclusion and respect through sport. By providing year-round training and competition opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics Washington builds communities where everyone belongs.

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SOURCE Kid Spark Education