Stem for All: Bringing STEM Education to the Masses

One of AiGoLearning’s founding goals is to extend STEM education to as many people as possible — especially to the communities who need it the most. As part of this mission, AiGoLearning has established multiple programs targeted towards underrepresented age groups, genders, and localities.

STEM for All is one of AiGoLearning’s premier initiatives, which aims to bring the power of education to everyone — especially underprivileged communities and those underrepresented in STEM — through computer science! The program provides quality coding courses to students at no cost for them, and also partners with local libraries, senior centers, and non-profit organizations to extend the program to new areas. In the time that the program has been active, STEM for All has managed to provide computer science education to dozens of children through the weekly classes being taught through the program.

The initiative was initially founded by Edmond Niu and Satwika Vemuri, and is currently directed by Benjamin Chee alongside leads Daniel Shen and Satwika Vemuri, who are currently working to establish coding programs for younger age groups and senior citizens through in-person and virtual classes!

I had the chance to speak to the STEM for All team at AiGoLearning to answer a couple of questions about the program:

How would you Describe STEM for All?

Benjamin Chee: STEM for All is a nonprofit mission by AiGoLearning to foster a more inclusive coding environment. We do this by providing free, virtual, and high-quality coding classes to underprivileged and underrepresented students in STEM from ages 5–15. We seek to partner with organizations, such as local libraries, senior centers, and non-profit organizations, to reach out to those in need.

Benjamin Chee is the current leader of the STEM for All program at AiGoLearning, as well as one of the program’s student teachers!

When first created, what did the STEM for All set out to accomplish? What was the motive behind starting it?

Satwika Vemuri: We set out to bridge the digital gap between various groups of people by providing accessible coding classes to places lacking these resources. The idea was to use profitable classes to fund non-profitable initiatives and focus on underrepresented or underprivileged groups in STEM.

Satwika Vemuri is a long-time member of the AiGoLearning team, working as both a teacher and lead figure in a number of initiatives such as Stem for All.

What inspired you to join the STEM for All team within AiGoLearning?

Edmond Niu: After joining AiGoLearning and teaching coding classes of my own, I could not forget the joyous looks on students’ faces after they had completed their very own coding projects and I knew that even though they may not have known at the time, that information I taught them would go a long way in their lives. I also realized that I am very fortunate to have started learning code at a young age, and I desperately wanted to help underrepresented populations and low-income students who may not have the same access to coding opportunities receive the preparation for the digital age we are currently immersed in.

Edmond Niu is a core member of AiGoLearning and works as a student-teacher as well as on both our STEM for All and NHS initiatives. Learn more about him at https://aigolearning.org/edmond/.

What are some of the initiatives currently in place to achieve your goals?

Daniel Shen: We have a few initiatives including Libraries, girls for coding, and coding for seniors. Each of these groups targets a different underrepresented group. We’re thinking of also creating more initiatives

Daniel Shen is a core member of the AiGoLearning team, who mainly focuses on developing the Stem For All program!

Satwika Vemuri: One of the initiatives that we have been focusing on is getting our classes into libraries. We’ve been exploring NJ libraries that do not have similar programs but are about to reach out to other states, specifically those that might lack STEM resources. With our coding classes being a free and virtual opportunity, we think we can make a powerful impact in places that might not have as many resources.

Any additional comments, thoughts, or anything you’d like to address about STEM for All?

Benjamin Chee: We are currently undergoing a team expansion so we can better market our initiative! If you or anyone you know are interested in joining us, please contact stemforall@aigolearning.org to learn more!

Daniel Shen: We hope you find this interesting and join our team!

Edmond Niu: We are hard workers and a hard-working team, with bright hopes for the future. We hope you can join our effort to promote equality and coding opportunities for all!

If you’re at all interested in STEM for All and its mission, be sure to check out https://aigolearning.org/stem4all/ for more information!

If you’re interested in becoming a student or teacher for AiGoLearning, head over to https://aigolearning.org/ for more detailed course descriptions and registration for all summer programs.