Empowering Minds, Building Futures
Greetings, NexGen STEM enthusiasts! It's time to celebrate our non-profit organization's incredible journey and accomplishments over the past few months. NexGen STEM has achieved significant milestones that reflect our commitment to fostering STEM education and community development. Let's dive into the details!
Before we sculpted this non-profit into a fully-fledged organization, our first steps were successfully registering for 501(c)3 status, our first step into positively impacting the next generation of scientists. In addition to this, we qualified for PVSA status. This allowed us to distribute volunteer hours eligible for the prestigious PVSA awards. With our volunteers, we can accomplish what we have.
Shortly after, social media accounts were created. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn help us build community outreach and recognition. As a result of these platforms and connecting with various locals, we’ve funded over 750 dollars! This money allowed us to order the materials needed for the kits and school expos. Thank you to all of the people who donated! We’ve implemented a banking system that manages and tracks the organization’s transactions to manage our funds.
Using our funds and resources, we’ve been able to work with Green Brook Education and Athletics Foundation. Before that, however, we conducted test trials at a local tutoring center. We acquired data from our participants through Google Forms and survey questions. We have secured a STEM Expo at Green Brook Middle School, NJ, through local connections. At this Expo, we will conduct hands-on lab sessions explaining the water purification process through 3 lab steps: coagulation, sedimentation, and disinfection. As a result of this significant event, we will give the next generation its first taste of scientific experimentation.
The primary outcome of this event will be for students to see how water purification works. To allow this, we’ve ordered Foldscope microscopes. These unique, innovative microscopes are made of paper that combines economic resources with pinpoint optics. These microscopes have a fantastic range of magnification (50x - 340x). Inside the microscope, the illumination and optic stages are in sync, which ensures proper visibility. On higher magnifications, we can see microorganisms present in water before purification. After purification, we would use foldscope microscopes to show students how effective water filtration is.
As we look back and reflect on what NexGen Stem has done in the past months, it is exciting to envision the organization’s future. It has evolved from the simple question of why STEM education isn’t easily accessible to the world to a grounded reality. We have grown tremendously with the help of our volunteers, donors, and the overall community. As we continue to inspire young minds, we thank you for participating in this journey. Together, let's continue to inspire the next generation of scientists!
Written by: Vaibhav Vujjini
