Teaching is a big part of how we try to help connect students to STEM and nurture their passion for it. However, our impact extends beyond just education. Outside of teaching, we also try to connect ourselves and our students with the rest of the STEM community. We spread STEM through outreach events, volunteering, and fundraisers, which encompasses a major part of our STEM initiative. The money we earn from teaching and fundraisers goes only to maintaining and supporting the organization, and helping to uplift the STEM community, whether by charity or partnerships.
OUR IMPACT
Staff Spotlight
Here is what the staff have been up to the past few weeks!
4/27/25: STEM SURGE & Hitaji Stem Seminar: Introduction to Chemistry and Chemical Reactions
Staff member Rishi Shah pioneered the first STEM SURGE and Hitaji Seminar with the help of Claire Cheng, Wesley Yang, and Kailin Kang. The STEM SURGE events committee created the material to present, and Kailin presented it to the girls. The first seminar was a massive success and is available on YouTube!
STEM SURGE partnered with the Eastern Chinese American Community Society (ECACS) and the Chinese American Entrepreneur Society to co-host an exciting STEM fair filled with hands-on activities.
Thanks to the leadership of Claire Cheng, and help of Rishi Shah, Annie Jiang, Andrew Zhou, Nishka Bansal, Jessica Hao, and Claire Wang, we were able to hold this successful community event which earned STEM SURGE the Youth Innovation and Leadership Award, recognizing our team's commitment to accessible STEM education.
8/2/25: STEM SURGE x ECACS Youth Science Fair
8/10/25: STEM SURGE @IndiaFest
At IndiaFest, STEM SURGE brought hands-on science into the heart of cultural celebration, engaging students and families with interactive experiments like Squid Game Cookies, Salt Conductivity, and the always-exciting Elephant Toothpaste. Thanks to Rishi Shah's leadership with Annie Jiang, Nishka Bansal, and Andrew Zhou helping, the event was thoughtfully integrated into the festive atmosphere, helping ensure that STEM learning felt natural, fun, and accessible to all.
Our Collab with Hitaji
Because of your support, we were able to partner with Hitaji to help girls in Kenya gain access to STEM education! We hosted informative Seminars to introduce STEM to the girls in Middle School so they would be interested in doing STEM in the future!
What is their Impact?
They have helped ~750 girls and allowed them to gain access to a better future
What is Hitaji Development Initiative?
Hitaji Development Initiative is a nongovernmental, nonpolitical, and nonreligious national organization registered in Kenya under National NGOs Coordination Act. They were founded in the 2011 to address the challenges and needs that women and girls face in Kenya, particularly those in Migori County.
Our Previous Mentorships
OneSky
OneSky is a non-profit organization that aims to provide access to education and language learning for underprivileged children around the world. At STEM SURGE, we believe in the power of education and are proud to support OneSky's mission. By donating to OneSky, we can help make a positive impact on the lives of children in need and contribute to a better future for all. OneSky has a team of 100,000+ caregivers and have changed the lives of 350,000+ children. We want to do our part in the cause to help underprivileged kids.
Thank you to Rishi Shah for creating and maintaining the Website