Spring & Summer program registation is open and filling up fast! View our 2025 schedule!

 

Creative Programs for Neurodivergent Students

Pioneering the use of art, creativity, and creative technologies to spark self-confidence, encourage independence, and build pathways to employment for neurodivergent individuals.

 

Islands of Brilliance…a Place to Thrive

By engaging students in a creative project celebrating their interests, we build:

  • Self-confidence

  • Self-advocacy

  • Self-determination

  • Connection to a vibrant, welcoming community

Building independence changes self-perceptions of ability and expectations of what is possible. At Islands of Brilliance, we witness our students’ brilliance becoming unlocked.

IOB's program offerings are student-centered solutions that provides a mix of opportunities spanning different skill sets, needs, and objectives.

🧡 Your Gift = Double the Impact 🧡

This April, in honor of Autism Acceptance & Action Month, an anonymous donor will match every dollar you give, up to $25,000!

That means together, we can unlock $50,000 to power the creative programs that help neurodivergent youth build skills, confidence, and connection.

Please help us reach our goal by April 30. Because action creates access, and every gift brings us closer to a future where every mind has the opportunity to thrive.

 

Spring 2025 Digital Academy CollabQuest

From Sketch to 3D: Craft Your Ultimate Toy Monster!

Saturdays, April 26 - May 17 | 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

CollabQuest is a project-based design experience for neurodivergent individuals (14+) in the IOB community. In partnership with leading organizations, participants tackle real-world design challenges with guidance from experienced mentors.

 
  • Spring & Summer 2025 Program Registration

    Warmer seasons are all about growth—and what better way to grow than through creativity? Islands of Brilliance is offering a fresh lineup of workshops designed to help students explore, learn, and connect in a fun, engaging environment. With something foreveryone, now’s the time to jump in and register for a season of brilliance!

  • IOB@…Taking Creativity to the Streets!

    With IOB@, we take the Islands of Brilliance experience beyond the studio classroom and into some of Milwaukee’s most exciting spaces. Each workshop immerses students in a unique environment…whether it’s a museum, zoo, or innovation lab…where they’ll explore, learn, and then create using creative programs like Procreate or Stop Motion Studio on an iPad. 

  • Blog: What We've Built Together

    In 2001, our journey began with a question: how do we help our son—and others like him—feel truly seen? That spark became Islands of Brilliance, a community rooted in creativity, connection, and compassion.

    Over a decade later, IOB is a national model for what’s possible when neurodivergent youth are celebrated. As we face new challenges, we invite you to reflect on how far we’ve come—and what we can build together next.

  • Blog: The Brilliance of Vulnerability

    In this heartfelt reflection, Kadijiha shares their journey of finding belonging, purpose, and personal growth working with Islands of Brilliance.

  • New in 2025! Animation & Media Foundation Workshops!

    Unlock the magic of movement in Animation & Media! This workshop allows students to work 1:1 with a mentor or in small pods of 2:1, learning animation basics in Procreate, Adobe Express, and Adobe Photoshop to tell their own unique stories.

  • A FREE morning meetup for parents and caregivers

    Join us on Saturday, April 19 for:

    A Plan For Two Generations:
    Planning for the Future: Financial Strategies for Families with Special Needs

    TIME: 9:00 - 10:30 am CST
    LOCATION: UWM’s Lubar Entrepreneurship Center

What Are People Saying?

  • Newsletter

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  • Donate

    Make the magic happen with your donation to support staffing, program development, and technology.

  • Register

    Links to this season’s programs all in one place. Registration couldn’t be easier!