It resembles a giant hairbrush, only the pink bristles are a good eight inches long and supple. Additionally, the square patch of bristles is mounted alongside a field of shorter wooden dowels and a beach of colorful glass ovals glued to a board.

This is not a classic Eagle Scout community service project, but then it is designed to serve a community of handicapped students often overlooked. The board and ones mounted are in a Hendricken High School classroom that is home of the school’s Options Program.

The program, started by former Hendricken president Br. Thomas R. Leo, is rooted in the belief that all young men, including those with mild to moderate disabilities, should have the choice of a Hendricken education. The program not only serves those with disabilities but also engages other students who act as mentors.

Massimo Papa, a senior interested in a career in acting, is an Options Program mentor. He is a member of Boy Scouts Troop 4 Gaspee as well.

Massimo mentors Options Program student, Asher.

“He is the kindest soul I have ever met,” Massimo said Oct. 13 as troop members, Hendricken students and family and friends gathered for the unveiling of the sensory tiles he created as his Eagle service project. Massimo helps Asher with literature and, as he put it, “general understanding.”

He is hopeful his project, providing a range of tactile experiences from rough to smooth to soft and hard will bring peace at times when frustration, anxiety and disappointment can be consuming. The boards may also serve as a diversion or a familiar place offering comfort.

Massimo considered a series of six small libraries as a service project. The plan was to erect boxes so could pick up and leave off books throughout his neighborhood. Then the thought of a project to help the disabled came to him.

Max Mihalos had a big part in that decision. Max and his younger brother Joshua are longtime friends. Max has multiple disabilities. He is a student at the Pathways Strategic Teaching Center run by the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center.

“Max has always been a part of my life,” said Massimo. He recognized traits between Max and Asher. When Asher gets anxious and troubled, they take deep breaths together. It’s a moment of release and comfort.

Massimo learned of sensory boards and how they could have a similar effect.

“It helps their mental health…a tool to help them not get worked up,” he said.

Massimo researched sensory boards and started gathering materials to make them. He got some help from his mother, Katy.

“My mom’s artful mind was a perfect asset,” he said. She envisioned the star attraction of the boards, the silky array of pink pointy plastic strips that flow under hand and are hard not to stroke. They are zip ties that Massimo with help from troop members affixed to 600 holes drilled in the board.

Massimo wants to pursue a career in acting. He knows that much now. He’s exploring colleges.

Of all the performances he’s been a part of at Hendricken – perhaps a dozen, he’s lost count - his last where he played Shakespeare in Something Rotten is his favorite.

The sensory boards, like his acting, looks to bring people to places they haven’t thought of and peace of mind.