RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. (October 22, 2024) — The Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of its Student STEM Enrichment Program (SSEP) grants. These awards will provide over $1.8 million in funding to 11 organizations across North Carolina that aim to engage students in hands-on, informal STEM education experiences outside the classroom. The selected programs focus on diverse and innovative approaches to nurturing a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in K-12 students, particularly those from underrepresented and underserved groups.
The SSEP grants, a cornerstone of BWF’s commitment to fostering STEM education since 1996, continue to provide students with opportunities to explore the wonders of STEM through after-school programs, summer camps, and community initiatives. The projects supported various topics this year, including environmental science, robotics, coding, and biotechnology.
“Informal STEM education is essential to nurturing the next generation of innovators,” said Alfred Mays, Senior Program Officer at the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. “By providing students with enriching, hands-on experiences outside of the traditional classroom setting, we allow them to discover and pursue their passion for STEM in ways that inspire creativity and critical thinking. These programs are often the spark that ignites lifelong learning and careers in STEM fields.”
This year’s recipients are:
American Chemical Society North Carolina Section
Anibal Lopes
Project SEED- Addition of Supplemental Fall and Spring Programs to research “A New Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease”
Boys & Girls Club of Henderson Co. / Hendersonville, Inc.
William Horn
Seeds2STEMs
Duke University
Megan Madonna
Ignite: Human-centered engineering design to cultivate STEM identity and build community identity
Girls Make Games Scholarship Fund
Laila Shabir
Girls Make Games Summer Camps: Providing High-Quality STEM Education for Low-Income Girls through Video Game Development
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
Robert Cobb Jr
eLevating the Underrepresented and Marginalized using Experiences iN STEAgM (LUMENS)
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation
Jamie Lathan
Step Up To STEM – A Catalyst For The Future of STEM Education in Eastern North Carolina
OpenDoors of Asheville, Inc.
Katie Valeika
STEAM Afterschool Enrichment for OpenDoors Students, partnered with RiverLink, Swift App and UNCA STEAM Studio
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
Wendy Cox
Promoting Innovation and Lifelong Learning in STEM (PILLS) Academy
University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
LeRhonda Manigault-Bryant
Communiversity STEM Enrichment
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Stanford Hill
iSTEM: A Piedmont Triad Initiative
Western Carolina University
Sarah Pedonti
Our Natural World/Nuestro Mundo Natural: Enhancing Summer STEM learning for Diverse Early Elementary Students in Rural Jackson County
BWF’s SSEP encourages collaborative partnerships between schools, universities, and community organizations, ensuring that students from all backgrounds can access quality STEM learning experiences.
For more information about the Student STEM Enrichment Program and this year’s recipients, visit the Burroughs Wellcome Fund website at www.bwfund.org.
About the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
The Burroughs Wellcome Fund is an independent private foundation dedicated to advancing the biomedical sciences by supporting research and education. Through programs like the Student STEM Enrichment Program, BWF seeks to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals and researchers by fostering an early interest in science and innovation.
Published 30 October 2024
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