Society for Science & the Public Awards $30,000 to Community-Driven STEM organizations

Through Electric Girls programming, girls develop code and other technology. Photo courtesy of Electric Girls.

Grants Demonstrate Deep Commitment to Improving Science Literacy

WASHINGTON, DC (July 10, 2018) — The Society for Science & the Public today announced that $30,000 in grants have been given to seven exceptional organizations supporting STEM education and science literacy.  

The STEM Action Grant Program seeks to encourage community-driven organizations that advocate for the general public’s understanding of science and work to increase participation of underrepresented populations in STEM fields through unique programming. Last year, the Society gave $55,000 to 13 organizations seeking to improve access to STEM education.

“The Society for Science & the Public is committed to helping innovative nonprofits dedicated to improving STEM literacy and expanding the STEM talent pipeline,” said Maya Ajmera, President & CEO of the Society for Science & the Public. “We are thrilled to provide funding to organizations that are working to engage young people in STEM in new ways.” 

The following organizations are awardees of the 2018 STEM Action Grants Program:

  • Congressional App Challenge (Washington, DC), a project of the Internet Education Foundation, will receive $5,000 from the Society to support their mission to encourage young students to learn how to code, through annual district-wide competitions hosted by Members of Congress for their district. The funding will be used to augment outreach to new locations, increase student and Member of Congress engagement and improve educational materials.
  • Electric Girls (New Orleans, LA) will receive $5,000 from the Society to support the group’s mission to transform girls into technology leaders during summer camps, after school programs, in-school programs, one-day workshops and continuous weekend programs. The funding will be used to purchase supplies, tools and equipment for Fall 2018 programming and to fund comprehensive training for additional Electric Girls’ instructors. Electric Girls received a STEM action grant in 2017.
  • Girls Computing League (Herndon, VA) will receive $3,000 from the Society to support its mission to empower young women and underrepresented groups in computer science, artificial intelligence and technology. Through workshop programs, an Artificial Intelligence Summit, and online programming, this nonprofit is working to close the STEM gender gap. Girls Computing League founder, Kavya Kopparapu, is a 2018 alumna of the Science Talent Search and a 2017-2018 alumna of the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). She also competed in the 2013 Broadcom MASTERS, the Society’s middle school competition.
  • Lower Brule Research (Lower Brule, SD) based on the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation will receive $5,000 to dedicate more time, training and resources to encourage Native American students to enter STEM fields. By pairing middle and high school students with a college mentor in South Dakota State University’s BIOL 494 Internship-Mentoring Course, Lower Brule is working on lessening the STEM racial gap. The students are using scientific concepts and inquiry to solve problems the tribal elders identify in their community. This mentoring research experience focuses on supporting younger students in STEM subjects while simultaneously building the cultural competence of college students.
  • March for Science (New York, NY) will receive $2,000 to support Students for Science, the March for Science’s youth outreach team, an offshoot working to empower young people to discuss issues and important topics at the juncture of science and advocacy. The funds were used to support the Student Advocacy Summit in Chicago from July 6 to July 8. Several Society alumni are involved in this project: Sophia Swartz, who also competed in the 2018 Science Talent Search and the 2016 and 2018 ISEF, and sisters Adhya and Shriya Beesam, who competed in ISEF in 2016 and 2017.
  • ProjectCSGirls (Potomac Falls, VA) will receive $5,000 from the Society to support the organization’s high school and college national and international chapters, and the local communities they serve. ProjectCSGirls seeks to close the gender gap in computer science and technology through a national computer science competition for middle school girls. The organization is headed by Pooja Chandrashekar, a 2015 alumna of the Science Talent Search, and this is the fourth grant ProjectCSGirls has received from the Society.
  • SAFE Alternative Foundation for Education (Baltimore, MD) will receive $5,000 to support its mission to provide diverse educational programming and vocational exposure to inner city youth. The SAFE Foundation will use the funds to expand STEM learning for 12-18 middle school students in after-school programs in geographic regions that are underserved and plagued by poverty, violent crimes and drug activity. The students will learn about STEM and the various careers that science has to offer.

​About Society for Science & the Public

Society for Science & the Public is dedicated to the achievement of young scientists in independent research and to public engagement in science. Established in 1921, the Society is a nonprofit whose vision is to promote the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Through its world-class competitions, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, and the Broadcom MASTERS, and its award-winning magazines, Science News and Science News for Students, Society for Science & the Public is committed to inform, educate, and inspire. Learn more at www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).