Sensory experiences
Activities designed to support regulation and well-being for children with specific sensory needs.
Flagship program
MAREA: when contact with water becomes a tool for calm and inclusion
What MAREA is
The first full application of the Motor del Cambio™ (our Change Engine)
MAREA is a space designed so that low-income children and families can find tools and spaces for regulation, well-being and inclusion through sensory experiences and connection with nature.
Discover the model behind MAREA
Three pillars
How MAREA works
Family inclusion
Spaces where the whole family feels welcome, included and supported.
Nature
Contact with water and the natural environment as a strategy for regulation and connection.
Why MAREA
Change starts with one person, but it never ends there
A family
Discovers new possibilities for their child.
A child
Develops their own regulation tools.
A community
Learns to include others and to see its surroundings differently.
A company
Finds an authentic way to create impact.
Who it serves
Designed for those who need it most
MAREA is designed for children across a wide age range and their families, with a focus on sensory regulation needs (for example, those related to Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down syndrome with ADHD), prioritizing low-stimulation spaces and strategies such as contact with water and sensory activities.
Support MAREA
Make the next MAREA experience possible
Every MAREA experience requires space, sensory equipment and water activities led by instructors. Companies, Founding Partners and donors can sponsor entire experiences or contribute specific resources.
The program is free for families: it is sustained by those who choose to join in.
Frequently asked questions
What families and companies ask us about MAREA
What is MAREA?
It is The Change Machine's flagship program: a space for sensory regulation and family well-being that uses meaningful experiences, mainly contact with water and sensory activities, to strengthen development, inclusion and the connection between people and their environment.
Who is MAREA for?
For children and their families, with a focus on sensory regulation needs (for example, those related to Autism Spectrum Disorder or Down syndrome with ADHD), prioritizing low-income families who usually have no access to this kind of experience.
Does MAREA replace clinical therapy?
No. MAREA is a complementary regulation and well-being experience, not a clinical treatment or a substitute for occupational, psychological or medical therapy. We work alongside the tools the family already has, not in place of them.
Why contact with water?
Because for many children with sensory needs, water offers a predictable, calming stimulus that makes self-regulation easier, reduces hypersensitivity (to noise, for example) and opens a path to connect with the natural environment.
Where does MAREA take place?
Sessions take place in confined water, that is, in a swimming pool, so that children and their families have a safe space. Our dream is to take them to discover the ocean and the cenotes.
How do you measure whether MAREA really helps?
With the Family Well-being Index (IBF), a short survey given at the end of each experience that assesses the well-being of the child and the caregiver, the experience shared as a family, and the perceived sense of inclusion and safety.
Which families can take part?
For now, the participating families belong to the community of the school El Amor Te Elige a Ti - IAP, which serves 20 to 25 low-income children, 5 of whom are part of this flagship program of The Change Machine.
Does MAREA cost anything for families?
No. The program is designed to remove financial barriers; it is sustained by Founding Partners, companies and donors, not by fees paid by families.
How can my company support MAREA?
Through tiered sponsorship (see Partners), corporate volunteering, or by contributing specific resources such as space, sensory equipment or instructors for the water activities.
How do I know my contribution is used well?
Every MAREA experience is documented and measured with the IBF; partners receive impact reports, and The Change Machine is committed to never communicating results it cannot prove (see Impact & Transparency).
Every contribution makes an experience happen
A family discovers new possibilities. A child develops their own tools. A community learns to include.