Robert Frost student Kristin Schuster recently spearheaded the Band-Aid Project, helping to earn her Girl Scout Silver Award while helping her school celebrate autism awareness and acceptance.

A total of 142 students took part in the event on March 23, wearing band-aids across their mouths for the duration of the school day, preventing them from speaking while still participating in all of their classes. In order to communicate, each of these students brought a writing instrument to school, and used whiteboard or paper and pencil to write out responses. At the end of the day, the students reported to the Frost cafeteria to remove their band-aids and share their experiences with the group.    

Working with teacher Tom Locasio and film students, Schuster then created a video presentation on the Band-Aid Project. The resulting film, edited and produced by Locasio, was shown in classrooms on May 6 to coincide with Frost’s first-ever Autism Acceptance Day.

“This project was a labor of love for so many of us and Kristin made it easy,” said speech teacher Stephanie O’Connell. “She is truly a remarkable young woman.”