Creator Spotlight: Ava The S.T.E.M. Princess

Eight-year-old Kidpreneur and Global S.T.E.M. ambassador, Ava the S.T.E.M. Princess®, has the methodical world of S.T.E.M. at her feet, and she’s just getting started. Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Ava found her love of the field through learning about her visual learning style, which helped make day-to-day activities easier to understand, while promoting fun and engaging learning.

“Cooking food is Science, riding in a car is Engineering and Technology, and playing video games is Technology and Math”, Ava expresses. Through S.T.E.M., one can easily link the scientific fields with visual activities to improve reading and math literacy.

When she was in first grade, Ava began having problems with her school work, taking a longer time to comprehend material and provide answers in the classroom. Because of this, her teachers mistook her personal learning process as her not paying attention in class, and some of her classmates teased her for it. Sad and discouraged, Ava’s mom and one of her biggest motivators, assured the kidpreneur of her Genius talent and suggested she improve her learning abilities through performing hands-on activities in S.T.E.M. Owing to her love of YouTube, her mom recommended finding kid-friendly S.T.E.M. experiment videos Ava could redesign to strengthen her skills and confidence. With the support of her family, Ava would then write her own scripts, film the completed experiments, and post it to her own personal YouTube channel to inspire other visual learners like herself. In June 2020, Ava’s first conducted experiment was making an at-home hand sanitizer for her grandmother, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, beginning the Team Genius Squad, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization to help others, like Ava, overcome personal and educational challenges through the field of S.T.E.M by unlocking their inner Genius to pursue their goals.

Soon, Ava’s videos became an online success, garnering public attention from all over the world, inspiring kids like her, with features on CBS News, Fox, and NBC. “I felt happy and proud that people were interested in viewing my S.T.E.M. experiments even though I wasn’t the best reader”, the third-grade kidpreneur gushes. “They connected with me visually and were able to understand the information that I was sharing.” It confirmed that there is a place for everyone to be impactful and make their mark on the world no matter their challenges.

Some of Ava’s biggest inspirations include her mom, her big sister, and her grandmother, because of their S.T.E.M. Leadership and the positive impacts they continue to make on Ava and the world around them. Ava also finds optimism and encouragement through the loads of fan mail she receives from kids and their parents, curious about starting their own impactful journey as a Kidpreneur or Global S.T.E.M Ambassador. Their kind and uplifting words serve as a motivational reminder to Ava about her perseverance, despite the negative interactions she encountered throughout her journey to believing in herself and her unique abilities.

The Kidpreneur has many hopes for herself and in her artistry of S.T.E.M in the future. She aspires to reach millions of individuals to globally increase awareness in S.T.E.M, through the performance of fun-based educational activities to demonstrate its importance and impact on our everyday lives. Ava also dreams of one-day collaborating with American Engineer and former NASA astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, whom she admires as one of her role models, so much so, Ava dedicated a Black History Month video to her communal influences in S.T.E.M. Like Jemison, Ava, too, wants to use her influence to ensure those like her, to remember that they are intelligent, talented, creative, and innovative. She envisions individuals actively engaging in S.T.E.M. activities, identifying their inner Genius and making their unique imprint on the world.

As a plan to expand her personal brand and the Team Genius Squad, Ava continues to educate global audiences through performing DIY experiments and developing S.T.E.M. inspired products such as apparel, jewelry, vegan lip gloss, lab coats, and lab kits. The third-grader also strives to expand her global reach through impactful brand collaborations with large retail outlets such as Target, Kohl’s, and Walmart; additionally, she wants to expand her brand into the footwear space.

In November, Ava will be posting new, engaging experiments and entrepreneurial videos to her YouTube channel, with the launch of her new eCommerce website, and collaboration with KidPreneurs Academy on a monthly video series focused upon the benefits of Kidpreneurship.

To follow and support Ava’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AvaTheSTEMPrincess

To follow and engage with Ava on Social Media:

Instagram: @AvaTheSTEMPrincess

Twitter: @AvaTheSTEMPrin1

Facebook: @AvaTheSTEMPrincess

Team Genius Squad Website: https://www.teamgeniussquad.com/index.html

Ava’s Merch: https://shop.teamgeniussquad.com/

KidPreneurs Academy: https://kidpreneursacademy.com/welcome2