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Live discussion panel at the New York Hall of Science. John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant" Recipients & National Girls Collaborative Project student moderators. Why do some species evolve faster than others? What can ancient societies teach us about adapting to climate change? How can technology be designed to better protect and support vulnerable communities? These questions lie at the heart of research conducted by MacArthur "Genius Grant" recipient

Watch Alyssa Huang's TEDx Talk Here. AspireED's Alyssa Huang recently spoke at TEDx Youth. In her TEDx talk, "Where the Real STEM Gap Begins," Alyssa reflects on her middle school Math Team experience, which sparked her interest in understanding why girls often lose confidence in math and science. She explores research showing that gender and socioeconomic STEM gaps arise from similar barriers, including limited early exposure, lack of encouragement, stereotypes, and a shorta

AspireED teaches students chemistry - by making ice cream in a bag. "Delicious ice cream is based on chemistry," said Alyssa. "Food science was my first introduction to chemistry, which I learned in the kitchen starting in middle school." Alyssa started baking very seriously in 5th grade, when COVID hit and she was looking for a new hobby. She began taking French pastry classes and food science courses online, got hooked, and soon launched her own baking business, which she

After three and half weeks of patient waiting, the butterflies have emerged! The students have been writing their observations in journals, documenting how caterpillars ate and grew continuously, then climbed to the top of their cup, created a silk button, hung upside down, and transformed into chrysalids. We transferred the chrysalids into a butterfly pavillion. The chrysalids quivered from time to time when touched or if the pavillion shook gently, but were otherwise quiet

Alyssa Huang from AspireED's summer team introduces 1st and 2nd graders to insects by building live ant hills. "Ants are cool!" the kids exclaim. One thing we've learned: kids love live creatures :) Alyssa Huang, Jasmine Angulo, and Meerab Irfan introduced students to what makes up an insect: 6 legs, 3 segments (head, thorax, abdomen), and an exoskeleton. "What's an exoskeleton?" they asked. "Ants don't have bones like us," we responded, "Instead, they have exoskeletons, or h

The 2026 National STEM Festival in Washington D.C. took place on June 25-27. Sponsored by EXPLR in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education, the National STEM Festival spotlights top high school and middle school innovators (ages 13-18) from across the United States. AspireED felt privileged to exhibit on both VIP Day (June 25) and Open Build Day (June 27) - a free public exposition with 20+ hands-on STEM experiences and teen innovation showcases. 3,000 attendees r

Alyssa Huang (right), Jasmine Angulo (bottom left), and Meerab Irfan (top left) teach 1st grade and 2nd grade Little Scholars. (San Rafael, CA) Our AspireED summer teaching team - Alyssa Huang (The Branson School), Jasmine Angulo (Novato High School), and Meerab Irfan (Novato High School) are teaching rising 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade first generation students, who are interactive, attentive learners! 1st grade boys learn to keep a scientific journal. 3rd grade students documen

2026 AspireED STEM Scholarship winners: Migdalia Rodas, Yasmin Mejia, and Kayla Mazariegos Congratulations to Yasmin Mejia (Davidson MS), Kayla Mazariegos (MCDS), and Migdalia Rodas (Hamilton Meadow Park School) for winning 2026 AspireED STEM Scholarships! All three girls have earned full scholarships to attend free STEM summer enrichment programs. They were selected based on academic achievements and essay response. Kayla and Migdalia will learn computer science through a Un

Alyssa Huang, Jasmine Angulo, Li Clayton, Nick Boas, and Marie Brodt teach students of all ages about brine shrimp, how to use a microscope, the science behind UV beads, the protective effects of sunscreen, and how invisible ink works. How does AspireED's student team describe their experience at the North Bay Science Discovery Day on Saturday March 7, 2026? "Fun!" exclaimed Nick Boas. "Fun and BUSY," added Alyssa Huang. Festival managers documented 11,000 attendees at the e

On Sun, Feb 22nd, students from 3 Marin County high schools - Novato High School, San Marin High School, and Branson School came together to assemble 500 STEM kits for the upcoming North Bay Science Discovery Day. "It was fun meeting other students who also believe in supporting STEM education," said Alyssa Huang from AspireED. "Many thanks to Li, Nick, Leila, Elena, Ellie, Paola, Jasmine, Meerab, and Sophia for donating their time. It was a lot of fun, and everyone worked to

AspireED was one of 30 organizations exhibiting at the Canal Alliance Fair this past weekend. The Canal Alliance, a San Rafael-based social services nonprofit supporting Latino immigrant families, hosts a community fair highlighting local resources each year. AspireED student teachers Alyssa Huang, Kimberly De Leon, and Riley Gu engaged the youngest attendees, ages 3-15 years old, with six hands-on science activities: live butterfly lifecycle exhibit, a live ant colony exhibi

In March 2025, AspireED initiated its first STEM scholarship program. The scholarships are designed to encourage middle school girls to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The scholarship was founded by high school student Alyssa Huang, in partnership with the Branson School. This year, three girls (two 7th grade students and one 6th grade student) - Anavictoria Aban Conrado, Tania Gutierrez, and Sophie Cruz Diaz - were selected as recipients. All three