Meet A Contributor: Ojas P.
My name is Ojas Parekh, and I’m from Mason, Ohio. I’m an aspiring engineer, I run cross country and track for my high school, and I’ve been folding origami since I was six years old. I’m excited to share my story because origami has been such a big part of my life. It’s helped me develop my geometry and visuospatial skills, and I wanted to give kids in my community a chance to experience the same thing.
I led two weeklong VisMO camps for kids going into grades 4–6, with about 25 kids in each session. The camps were based on the VisMO curriculum, which was developed by professors at the University of San Diego to help students build visuospatial and geometry skills through origami.
Since I’ve been folding origami for so long, I immediately connected with the VisMO project when I came across it. I thought it would be a perfect way to share my love of origami while also showing kids that it can be used for learning, not just art.
I wanted the kids to enjoy origami, but also to walk away with skills that aren’t always taught directly in school. My hope was that some of them would see math and problem-solving in a new light.
I worked closely with the professors who developed the VisMO curriculum, especially Dr. Perla Meyers, to learn how the program was designed and how to teach it effectively. They guided me on how to present the material to younger students, and I collaborated with them to adjust parts of the curriculum to fit my camps' needs. I also partnered with my local library to host the sessions and organize registration.
The Contribution Project grant made it possible to fully stock my camps with the supplies I needed.
In fact, I was able to purchase a 100-pack of origami paper for every one of the kids, along with other teaching materials, which helped make the experience hands-on and fun for everyone. I also had two amazing helpers, Nashwa Fazlani and Emily Yuan, who supported the students during the activities. Their help made it easier to give kids one-on-one attention and keep everyone engaged.
Overcoming Challenges
One challenge was that the kids had different skill levels - some picked up the folds right away, while others needed more time. To handle that, I slowed down when needed and gave extra challenges to the faster learners.
Another challenge was keeping the lessons feeling fun instead of like regular schoolwork. I solved that by mixing in games and free time for them to try their own designs and experiment with the paper.
Impact and Lessons Learned
I learned that I enjoy teaching more than I expected, and I’m better at connecting with younger students than I originally thought. I also found how rewarding it feels to see kids light up when they master something new.
One outcome I’m especially proud of is that after the camps, the librarian told me every single origami book in the library had been checked out, and they even had to order more. That showed me the kids were genuinely inspired to keep exploring.
My advice would be to take something you’re already passionate about and try sharing it with others. It doesn’t have to be huge; you just need to start somewhere, and you never know how far it can go.
If you’re looking for support, reach out to local places like libraries, schools, or community groups. They’re often happy to help. Once you see people enjoying what you’re doing, it’s easy to stay motivated.
What’s Next for Ojas & VisMo?
I’d like to keep teaching the VisMO curriculum during the school year and next summer, and I also want to run origami workshops outside of VisMO. Long-term, I’d like to combine my interest in engineering and teaching by making STEM more hands-on and creative.
One goal I’m excited about right now is building ways to share origami-based learning more widely, not just in my own community but eventually online too.
