Hannah Lee and Heather Belfort, rising seniors at rising seniors at Lake Braddock Secondary School share their passion for STEM education with youngsters in the area. Photo contributed
STEM to Inspire is a student-run nonprofit aimed to bridge the income gap in the STEM field. Lake Braddock Secondary School rising seniors, Hannah Lee and Heather Belfort, started this organization because they both have passion for STEM subjects and felt there was disparity for those who don't have that same opportunity.
They began reaching out to do workshops at St. Stephen's Methodist Church Grace Ministries event where they feed the homeless people in the community. When they gained momentum, they began to reach out to Title I schools, schools that receive extra funding from Fairfax County Public Schools. After a year of work, they've reached out to more than 50 kids and have more than 10 chapters nationwide. They are grateful to have the opportunity to give others a chance to seek passion in astronomy, physics, or computer design. Even through Covid-19 circumstances, they were able to host summer online workshops with Mount Eagle Elementary School. Not only have they encouraged young minds to pursue the STEM field, they also showed the power of youth. Although a student-run organization, they seek to aid the issues in their community one step at a time.