Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to think about all the things we’re grateful for. At Starkloff Disability Institute, we’re especially thankful for the amazing volunteers who make our Dream Big Career Exploration Camp possible.

These volunteers don’t just help out—they change lives by giving kids with disabilities the chance to explore careers, build confidence, and dream big about their futures.

Dream Big Career Exploration Camp is a transformative program for middle and high school students with disabilities. Over four weeks every summer, campers visit top St. Louis companies like Bayer, Nestlé Purina, and Wells Fargo to learn about different careers. They get to try hands-on activities, meet professionals with disabilities, and experience inclusive workplaces. It’s all about helping them see what’s possible for their future.

But none of this would happen without our volunteers. They’re the ones who make sure every camper feels welcome and supported. Whether they’re supporting logistics, mentoring students, or providing communication access, volunteers are the reason Dream Big is such a success.

Katja, a Deaf high school freshman, is one of the campers who had an unforgettable experience at Dream Big. During her time at Camp, Katja visited BJC HealthCare, where she learned about the effects of smoking by examining preserved organs. She was so struck by what she learned that she made a promise to herself never to smoke.

At a leading life science research company, Katja got to be a scientist for the day. She learned how Artificial Intelligence helps with drug discovery and even created her own medication idea to help people with stomach cancer. She designed a label for her medicine and shared her idea with the group. Katja’s excitement was contagious, and she left camp with big plans for her future.

One of the best parts of camp for Katja was making friends. Our Deaf and hearing students built connections that are often cut off by language barriers that exclude Deaf kids. Thanks to our interpreters, Katja was able to fully join in every activity (and helped bestow special sign names for her hearing peers). Over the days spent on company visits, learning critical soft skills, and many rounds of Uno, our hearing students became advocates for learning ASL and asked for more Deaf history and culture in the curriculum.

Katja’s mom said the camp helped Katja see new possibilities for her future, and she’s already looking forward to coming back next summer!

Katja (left) laughs with fellow Campers during an ice breaker game at Purina

This summer Emma Turek joined us as our lead Camp counselor. Her grandfather, Tony, also joined us as a driver for company visits. Together they worked to make sure all of our students felt welcome, included, and safe (reliable accessible transportation is rare). As a college student, Emma provided more peer-adjacent mentorship than our seasoned staff who have been out of the teen world a bit longer.

Emma supported students in advocating for the accommodations they needed to participate fully in all activities, kept the students engaged through some long days, and shared her insights from college.

Dream Big Camp was a huge success this summer and we wouldn’t have been able to make the same impact without Emma and Tony on our team!

Emma (in yellow) and Tony (in blue) joined students to extract DNA from strawberries at Bayer.

The truth is, Dream Big wouldn’t happen without volunteers.

They’re the ones who make sure campers have everything they need to succeed. They help kids try new things, meet new people, and see that their disability doesn’t have to hold them back.

Volunteers are the reason campers leave Dream Big with new skills, new friends, and big dreams for their future.

At SDI, we’re so grateful for the volunteers who make Dream Big possible. You’re helping kids with disabilities see their potential and take steps toward their dreams.

This Thanksgiving, we want to say thank you for everything you do.

You’re making a real difference in their lives—and we couldn’t do it without you.

Whether you want to mentor students, help with activities, or support our programs in other ways, we’d love to have you join our team: email info@starkloff.org or call 314-588-7090.

Here are some of our current opportunities:

• The Starkloff Network: A community of young leaders under 40 in the St. Louis area who are passionate about building disability inclusion. Together, members build connections, share experiences, and create opportunities for advocacy, professional growth, and community impact. This group had its first event earlier this month and is ready to welcome more students and emerging professionals!

Contact Alli Beard to join the Starkloff Network email list: abeard@starkloff.org

• Committee service: Our Board of Directors lead several committees of fellow volunteers to support our work—everything from finance oversight to community outreach.

If you have time and talent to share and want to build inclusion in our community, contact Aimee Wehmeier at awehmeier@starkloff.org