Expand our global STEM network by enabling every country to have science fairs, supporting over one million young people each year to become STEM leaders.
Project Locations
Current
Lead Organization
Society for Science & the Public
Washington, D.C., United States
http://www.societyforscience.org
Top Lead Organization Funders:
Take Action
Connect with us
To learn more about – or provide significant funding to – this project, please contact Lever for Change.
Project Summary
There are more than two billion young people in the world today many who will face incredible challenges, but too few of them will ever become tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and innovators. The Society for Science & the Public has built the largest pre-collegiate global STEM network. The focal point of this network is more than 420 science fairs in 80 countries, regions and territories and our science journalism, Science News. Even at this size, our programming reaches fewer than half the countries in the world and only a fraction of our youth. Students competing in science fair break down cultural and economic barriers, create new industries and contribute to our global economy by witnessing problems only they can see inside their communities. This network expansion project will provide opportunities for young people from all countries to find their own solutions to the world’s problems through scientific research and innovation.
Problem Statement
Nearly half of the world’s population is under the age of 25, disproportionately living in the developing world. This “youth bulge” has been viewed as either a demographic dividend or a demographic disaster for our global economy and security. With so many additional people, there is an enormous burden on our planet. We believe that young people are our best hope for a better future. There are thousands of societal challenges, which are both hyper local and global. We need solutions which are often driven by scientific research and its innovations. However, many of the world’s youth are not given opportunities to become scientifically literate and to develop solutions to the problems that surround them. The current scientific elite are not even identifying many important problems plaguing communities because they do not have the local perspective. Whether it is climate change, improved agricultural practices, pandemic disease, tackling poverty or going to Mars, we need all people from across the globe to be prepared to work on inclusive scientific and engineering innovations.
Solution Overview
Since 1950, we have a built a global STEM network in 80 countries, regions and territories with the focal point being science fairs and scientific literacy. During this project, we will add 100 more countries to our network. We believe the science fair method is simple and scalable with an outsized impact on society. Ask a young person to find a problem meaningful to them, use science to better understand it and present their results. We will know we are making progress when the technology platform we plan to build connects us to the millions of more students who are engaging in their local STEM fair and reading science journalism, especially traditionally underserved students. This data will provide us with the ability to demonstrate our impact, make adjustments to our network and provide alumni support across the globe. This will have a broad impact on some of the hardest to reach countries and in some of the STEM deserts in the United States. With the localized nature of science fair projects, the project will also have a deep impact on local communities. The direct beneficiaries of our project will be the millions of additional students, teachers and education systems involved in building the STEM pipeline. The world will be a beneficiary of evidence-based scientific solutions that will solve some of our biggest problems.
There are more than two billion young people in the world today many who will face incredible challenges, but too few of them will ever become tomorrow’s scientists, engineers and innovators. The Society for Science & the Public has built the largest pre-collegiate global STEM network. The focal point of this network is more than 420 science fairs in 80 countries, regions and territories and our science journalism, Science News. Even at this size, our programming reaches fewer than half the countries in the world and only a fraction of our youth. Students competing in science fair break down cultural and economic barriers, create new industries and contribute to our global economy by witnessing problems only they can see inside their communities. This network expansion project will provide opportunities for young people from all countries to find their own solutions to the world’s problems through scientific research and innovation.
Problem Statement
Nearly half of the world’s population is under the age of 25, disproportionately living in the developing world. This “youth bulge” has been viewed as either a demographic dividend or a demographic disaster for our global economy and security. With so many additional people, there is an enormous burden on our planet. We believe that young people are our best hope for a better future. There are thousands of societal challenges, which are both hyper local and global. We need solutions which are often driven by scientific research and its innovations. However, many of the world’s youth are not given opportunities to become scientifically literate and to develop solutions to the problems that surround them. The current scientific elite are not even identifying many important problems plaguing communities because they do not have the local perspective. Whether it is climate change, improved agricultural practices, pandemic disease, tackling poverty or going to Mars, we need all people from across the globe to be prepared to work on inclusive scientific and engineering innovations.
Solution Overview
Since 1950, we have a built a global STEM network in 80 countries, regions and territories with the focal point being science fairs and scientific literacy. During this project, we will add 100 more countries to our network. We believe the science fair method is simple and scalable with an outsized impact on society. Ask a young person to find a problem meaningful to them, use science to better understand it and present their results. We will know we are making progress when the technology platform we plan to build connects us to the millions of more students who are engaging in their local STEM fair and reading science journalism, especially traditionally underserved students. This data will provide us with the ability to demonstrate our impact, make adjustments to our network and provide alumni support across the globe. This will have a broad impact on some of the hardest to reach countries and in some of the STEM deserts in the United States. With the localized nature of science fair projects, the project will also have a deep impact on local communities. The direct beneficiaries of our project will be the millions of additional students, teachers and education systems involved in building the STEM pipeline. The world will be a beneficiary of evidence-based scientific solutions that will solve some of our biggest problems.
Project Funders
-
Regeneron
2020 - 2024
-
Broadcom Foundation
2010 - 2022
-
Intel
1996 - 2019
Related Resources from
Candid
Funding Map
Philanthropy in East Africa: Kenya
More Solutions Like This
STEM education
Fundación Omar Dengo
Digital literacy and computational skills for youth in Central America
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala
STEM education
National Math and Science Initiative
Bringing Opportunity Closer for All Students Through STEM
United States
STEM education
Vanderbilt University
Creating STEM Communities for Underserved Middle Schoolers, Families, and Teachers
United States
STEM education
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scout STEM Pledge: 2.5 Million Girls by 2025
United States
STEM education
North South Foundation
The North South Foundation’s STEMulate Initiative
India, United States
STEM education
Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas
Lead Like a G.I.R.L.: Full STEAM Ahead
United States