Nicole Neil didn’t set out to change how we think about inclusion.

She planned to become a biochemist—until a summer job supporting a young child with autism set her on a different path.

“That job is what sent me on this path of seeing there are people who are excluded, who deserve support,” she says. “And I wanted to support that community.”

Now a professor of applied psychology in Western University’s Faculty of Education, Nicole leads the S3 Camp—one of many summer camps on campus, but with a distinct difference. Here, campers include a mix of those with neurodevelopmental challenges, such as autism or Down syndrome, and those without. And that blend is the key to the camp’s mission.  

“We run S3 as a model space to show how inclusion can happen in community settings,” says Nicole, the camp’s founder.  

At the heart of Nicole's work is fostering inclusion for people with disabilities in the broader community.

She says inclusion often means what people typically think – like having a wheelchair ramp into a building. But it’s so much more than that.

“It’s about community participation. Being active and having relationships with people, feeling like you belong.”

Hence, the S3 Camp, where "S3" reflects its dual focus: fostering social skills—helping campers learn about disabilities, empathy, and relationship-building—and STEM education, emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math.  

In inviting kids with disabilities and those without to engage in STEM, Nicole says the camp uses a “low floor and high ceiling” approach.  

“We create an entry point so anybody can learn. If they need to be challenged, the ceiling is limitless. How far can we take your interests and learning? All the children engage in that because we want to show that everybody has skills, and that we can learn together and support one another.”

The camp also serves as a training ground for future educators and psychologists. Staffed by education and child psychology students, it helps them learn inclusive practices they can bring into schools.

Nicole’s team gathers feedback from campers, parents and staff to help shape best practices and advocate for inclusive policies.

Nicole says encouraging society to be more inclusive can feel like an uphill battle. But connecting with kids and their parents inspires her – like the mom who told Nicole how much her son, who is disabled, loves the camp.  

“She told me he doesn't usually say yes to things. But when she asked if he wanted to return to camp, he said, ‘Yes, I want to come again.’”   

For Nicole, that moment affirms the long-term vision: “We know this works,” she says. “Now we need to build systems that let inclusion happen everywhere.”