Our Mission:
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing people make 2% of the student population, but constitute <0.1% of STEM professionals.
While 69% of blind students are interested in STEM, only 8% pursue a career in STEM.
We want deaf, blind, and hard-of-hearing students to feel supported and confident to pursue STEM, without the barriers of limited representation, negative stigma, lack of resources, and more.
We are bridging the gap in STEM education by designing content with accessibility at the forefront, providing inclusivity training to educators, and much more.
impact:
1000+
visually accessible STEM Kits
3000+
students impacted
$10K
fundraised
what do we do?
recommendations
"I believe that these science activities have become a core memory for a lot of our
students. While doing the experiments some students were saying things like, ‘this is so cool’ and others were so into the activity that they became focused and determined to complete the tasks. I can tell the students were into the activities because how engaged they were."
Ms. Socorro, Social Worker from Title 1 School
"Science is an intriguing and complex subject. DNA is one such concept that is difficult to get across to students. Shireen did a fantastic job walking the student step by step through the experiment. She provided enough background knowledge for the students to be able to build on so that they could understand the concept of DNA and start to visualize it on their own. It opened up their awareness of their own DNA and what that would physically look like in their own bodies. As a classroom teacher, I'm not always able to provide such hands-on instruction in the field of science. I'm very grateful that Shireen was able to come and present this STEM project to my students."
Ms. Melissa, 4th grade teacher at Title 1 School
Shireen is mature
beyond her age. Last summer, she successfully led a summer camp where she taught kids calligraphy. Shireen was our best instructor and
handled all the kids in a productive and professional manner, keeping them focused on the learning
while also creating activities where they can bond and have fun in each session. What helps her is her
ability to understand others’ struggles and helping them in a way that uniquely works for them. Her willingness to go above and beyond in every endeavor
demonstrates not only her commitment but also her ability to inspire others to make a difference.
Ms. Smita, Phoenix Coordinator of Akshaya Patra
recognized by:
