When 10-year-old Ava N. Simmons was diagnosed with dyslexia during the COVID-19 pandemic, her parents, Tia and Terrence, and grandmother, Mary Foy, helped her make STEM experiment videos on YouTube.

After seeing an improvement in her math and reading skills and support from her community, Simmons joined forces with her older sister, Chynah Jeter, to launch Team Genius Squad, an educational toy line, at Marbles PlayStore in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Their first in-store launch is the first of many planned in Canada and the U.S. over the next 12 months.

“Once Marbles PlayStore partnered with Team Genius Squad, it paved the way for other retail partnerships. We greatly appreciate Marbles PlayStore for believing in our brand and the quality of our products,” Jeter told Blacknews.com.

Five to 17.5 per cent of children in the U.S. suffer from some form of dyslexia, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine. The news of the launch also comes at a time when 82 per cent of Black fourth graders scored below proficient reading level compared to 66 per cent of all fourth graders, according to the Dyslexia Alliance for Black Children, a non-profit organization focused on improving literacy rates in the Black community.

Team Genius Squad authors books, designs toys, and conducts peer-to-peer experiments in the community to close the gap. To date, their experiment videos have been viewed globally by over 700,000, and they have conducted 3000+ STEM experiments.

The company’s YouTube channel has been instrumental in growing the popularity of the games. Requests for in-person STEM experiments have been pouring in since the company launched, and they designed a STEM Mobile Lab to travel across the country and share the fun of STEM with children in underserved areas. Soon after, they started making their kits to appeal to kids from different backgrounds.

They also partner with community organizations such as PBS North Carolina, The Boys & Girls Club of Durham and Orange counties, Spring Valley Elementary School, and North Carolina libraries.

“The first Team Genius Squad STEM Experiment Kit was developed at our kitchen table with a roll of wire, alligator clips, and plastic pouches,” Jeter told Blacknews.com. “Ava developed the experiment and promotional material, and I developed the packaging and marketed the final product. It is a great synergy that works because we tailor our roles based on our inner strengths and gifts.”

One of its best-selling kits, Lemon Electricity, involves an experiment kit that uses three lemons to make electricity to power a light and a clock. Their complete collection includes 15 STEM toys.

“I am so grateful to be able to design and develop educational toys that positively impact the community,” founder Ava told Blacknewsonline.com. “My goal is to share my learning journey and, through purposeful play, encourage others never to let their challenges define their success or future. I am so thankful for everyone who supports Team Genius Squad!”