2023 Annual Report Banner - New Directions

Advocate Program

The Society named 84 educators from 36 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and Mexico to serve in the Advocate Program in the 2022–2023 school year. Advocates spend their one-year terms encouraging at least three to five students to undertake science and engineering research and helping them to enter their projects in competitions. Ninety percent of those students are from low-income households, and 70% are of a race or ethnicity underrepresented in STEM. Advocates have supported more than 5,000 students over the life of the program; of these, over 4,000 have successfully participated in at least one science research competition.

This yearlong professional development program includes an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the Advocate Training Institute in Washington, D.C., and a $3,000 stipend.

The Advocate Program in 2022–2023 was made possible by the Arconic Foundation, Intel Corporation, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, National Geographic Society and Regeneron.

Yari Torres De Jesus, ISEF Advocate highlighted in Science Fair: The Series

FROM THE ADVOCATES

Ramon Benavides

“In the past three years, we have been able to develop an award-winning science fair program at our campus. Our campus went from a six-year science fair hiatus to sending four projects to the Texas Science and Engineering Fair. This success would not have been possible without the help and resources from the Society. We are forever grateful.”

Del Valle High School (El Paso, TX)

Ramon Benavides

Leslie Cannon

“Participation in Society for Science research competitions, to quote one of my students, ‘Lets me get my nerd on.’ This was stated with happiness and pride. For students in underrepresented communities, for students from low socioeconomic status, the ability to compete in a research competition opens them to the possibility of working as professionals in STEM. Having the ability to crowdsource knowledge from peers around the nation is the biggest benefit the Advocate Program is offering to me.”

ATLAS Academy at Tennyson Middle School (Waco, TX)

Headshot of Leslie Cannon

Lalitha Murali

“By participating in the Advocate Program, I have become a leader at my school. Earlier I was working with only gifted students, but now I am able to work with the entire grade level and make an impact on all of our students.”

Glen Hills Middle School (Glendale, WI)

SNHS Teacher Lalitha Murali

SOCIETY BLOG

2022–2023 ADVOCATES

Lead Advocates

  • Ramon Benavides, Del Valle High School (El Paso, TX)
  • Elizabeth Bieri, Cristo Rey Jesuit Houston (Houston, TX)
  • Cameron Cooley, Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering (Memphis, TN)
  • Edwina Kinchington, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • Andrea LaRosa, Westside Middle School Academy (Danbury, CT)
  • Allyson McFalls, Blowing Rock Elementary School (Blowing Rock, NC)
  • Amy Melby, Yuma High School (Yuma, CO)
  • Jessica Menchaca, Del Valle ISD (Del Valle, TX)
  • Jacqueline Nichols, Sunnyside Unified School District (Tucson, AZ)
  • Yajaira Torres-De Jesus, Colegio Rosa Bell (Guaynabo, PR)
  • Joshua Truitt, Clarke County Schools (Athens, GA)

 

Advocates

  • Lance Atkinson, Eisenhower High School (Rialto, CA)
  • Aishat Balogun, Bloomington High School North (Bloomington, IN)
  • Stephen Beall, City High School (Tucson, AZ)
  • Gemma Bognot-Clarke, Chesapeake Math & IT Public Charter (Laurel, MD)
  • Humberto Bracho, Frick United Academy of Language (Oakland, CA)
  • Mary Brown, John Marshall School of Engineering (Cleveland, OH)
  • Denise Caceres, Philadelphia High School for Girls (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Christina Campos, West Oso Junior High (Corpus Christi, TX)
  • Leslie Cannon, ATLAS Academy at Tennyson Middle School (Waco, TX)
  • Renee Cordes, Flathead High School (Kalispell, MT)
  • Norma Cullo, Bronx International High School (Bronx, NY)
  • Rochelle Darville, West St. John High School (Edgard, LA)
  • Alan Daugherty, Melrose Municipal Schools (Melrose, NM)
  • Dannielle Davis, Circle of Excellence Network (St. Louis, MO)
  • Jessica Doiron, Freedom High School (Woodbridge, VA)
  • Michele Drayton, Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory High School (Chicago, IL)
  • Mark Eastburn, Princeton High School (Princeton, NJ)
  • Ryne Emerick, Lebanon High School (Lebanon, MO)
  • Phebe Priscilla Fuentes, Homer Hanna Early College High School (Brownsville, TX)
  • Nancy Gamez, CECyTE Jalisco (Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, Jalisco, Mexico)
  • Eleonor Gómez Rebolledo, Kumutú STEAM (La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico)
  • Jasmin Graham, Minorities in Shark Sciences (Bradenton, FL)
  • John Gresham, Tompkins High School (Katy, TX)
  • Julia Griffith, Red Bird Christian School (Beverly, KY)
  • Marquita Hammock, Southwest Leadership Academy (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Naomi Hampson, YMWIC Foundation, Inc. (Cheyney, PA)
  • Tahnee Harrell, Miramar High School (Miramar, FL)
  • Jennifer Hatch, Medomak Valley High School (Waldoboro, ME)
  • Kristina Hellmich, Two Rivers Middle School Public Charter School (Washington, DC)
  • Dede Henderson, South Hamilton CSD (Jewell, IA)
  • Rebecca Hooper, Laurel School District (Laurel, MS)
  • Todd Ireland, 100 Black Men of Douglasville, Inc. (Douglasville, GA)
  • Sunday Iwalaiye, Prince George’s County Public Schools (Laurel, MD)
  • Ann Jackson, Miller Middle School (Marshalltown, IA)
  • Karen Johnson, Evanston Township High School (Evanston, IL)
  • Patricia Jolliff, Richardson PREP HI Middle School (San Bernadino, CA)
  • Andrea Jydstrup-McKinney, West Career and Technical Academy (Las Vegas, NV)
  • Robert Keeney, Rio Rancho High School (Rio Rancho, NM)
  • Nancy Kincaid, Eastside High School (Gainesville, FL)
  • Elizabeth King, Indiana Math and Science Academy West (Indianapolis, IN)
  • Jeannine Lanphear, North Brunswick Township Public Schools (North Brunswick, NJ)
  • Gaurang Limachia, GoSTEM (Chicago, IL)
  • Amy Mallozzi, Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
  • Ben Martin, St. Clair High School (St. Clair, MO)
  • Maria Martinez, Harmony School of Excellence Laredo (Laredo, TX)
  • Erin Mayer, Casey Middle School (Boulder, CO)
  • Joy Mordica, Equity Research Group, Inc. (Atlanta, GA)
  • Cynthia Moss, Los Angeles Academy Middle School (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Lalitha Murali, Glen Hills Middle School (Glendale, WI)
  • Susana Oliu, John Muir High School Early College Magnet (Pasadena, CA)
  • Eual Phillips, Hill-Freedman World Academy (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Breily Poot Ek, Hunab Proyecto de Vida AC (Nuevo Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico)
  • Tyrikia Porter, Meridian Public School District (Meridian, MS)
  • Cecilie Prine, Lander Middle School (Lander, WY)
  • Mary-Elizabeth Quan, Ontario-Montclair School District (Ontario, CA)
  • Texas Quezada, Travis Early College High School (Austin, TX)
  • Liliana Ramírez Freire, Prepatatoria 16, UANL (San Nicolás de los Garza, N.L., Mexico)
  • Alfred Santos, Harvest Preparatory Academy (Yuma, AZ)
  • Sharon Sapp, Tucson High Magnet School (Tucson, AZ)
  • Alicia Simonti, Forest Grove Middle School (Worcester, MA)
  • Heather Sims, Hobart High School (Hobart, OK)
  • Melissa Sleeper, Storm Grove Middle School (Vero Beach, FL)
  • Bradley Spencer, Weber School District (Roy, UT)
  • Brandy Tanner, Mt. Abram Regional High School (Salem Township, ME)
  • Andy Thompson, Acton-Boxborough Regional School District (Acton, MA)
  • Sergio Torres, Hot Springs High School (Truth or Consequences, NM)
  • Andi Twiss, New Millennium Academy (Brooklyn Center, MN)
  • Kiara T. Vann, Stratford STEM Magnet High School (Nashville, TN)
  • Martha Warren, Jennings Senior High School (Dorsey, MO)
  • John Wiley, Challenge School (Centennial, CO)
  • Laura Wommack, Mansfield High School (Mansfield, WA)
  • Sara Yeh, Dr. Augustine Ramirez Intermediate (Eastvale, CA)
  • Jean Yoo, Almeria Middle School (Fontana, CA)