Access
Removing barriers to opportunity, wherever a learner starts.
Our mission
To demystify STEM for the Chicago Metro Area.
We believe that everyone — regardless of background or zip code — should have the opportunity to explore, understand, and contribute to the world of STEM.
Through inclusive education, impactful programs, and strategic partnerships, we break down barriers and build pathways to discovery, innovation, and success.
What guides the work
Four commitments shape every program we run and every grant we award.
Inspiration
Sparking curiosity and the confidence to keep asking questions.
Innovation
Solving today’s challenges with the tools of tomorrow.
Equity
Ensuring everyone has a seat at the table, and a voice at it.
Three focus areas
Everything we do sits in one of three places: teaching people, learning what works, and funding others to do both.
Education
Hands-on programs for learners from grade school to early career — robotics teams, workshops, mentoring, and paid pathways into STEM work. Free to families, run in English and Spanish.
See our programsResearch
Studying what actually moves people into STEM careers in this city — which roles are opening, what they really require, and where the local pipeline breaks. We publish the findings, including the inconvenient ones.
Read our current studyGrants
Funding organizations, educators, and innovators doing this work in their own neighborhoods. We especially welcome first-time applicants and groups without a dedicated grants writer.
Grant opportunitiesSTEM is for everyone. Our mission is to make sure everyone knows it.
Our impact so far
Eight years of programs and partnerships across the Chicago Metro Area.
5,500+
Community members reached
8+
Years serving Chicago
$10K+
In school supplies donated
100%
Of student participants graduated high school
Our impact so far
Donate or signup for our newsletter to follow our impact throughout the year.