I Am a Scientist: Breaking Barriers & Inspiring Students in STEM

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields are increasingly shaping society, yet lack representative leadership and workforces that reflect the diversity of the communities impacted by their progress. Those who are prepared to lead and engage with these fields hold considerable power and influence over our collective lives and futures. To build an equitable future, STEM leadership must represent diverse perspectives, experiences, and insights, and all individuals must have psychological and cultural access to civically-critical STEM ideas. 

At least 10 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals are directly tied to STEM-driven research, strategies, and industries. The decisions and direction of these fields are actively influencing our culture, economy, and innovations. Despite the urgent need for inclusive problem-solving, it is well-established that many of these fields do not proportionately reflect the diversity of the United States. Students who are members of historically and contemporarily marginalized communities are largely underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in leadership roles. 

From a workforce perspective, STEM careers are likely to continue to demand skilled and trained workers in industries around the globe, yet labor shortages in spaces like biotechnology continue to fill the headlines. From an economic equity perspective, these are jobs that are likely to be stable in a changing landscape and produce transferable skills for the next generation. And from a social and environmental impact perspective, uplifting people and ideas from across perspectives is our best hope to solve urgent socioscientific challenges. 

Additionally, science education has historically been treated as the teaching of scientific facts, theories, and processes that prioritize rigorous memorization. With the introduction of NGSS, many lesson plans evolved to also integrate key foundational concepts, inquiry-based activities, and an emphasis on understanding the nature of science. These adaptations are critical to the expansion of science education from a deficit model to an exploratory model, and serve the goal of supporting students in better understanding and operationalizing scientific content.

However, as STEM fields increasingly influence our policies, career options, healthcare, and everyday lives, it's not enough to be taught scientific information, methods, and mindsets. We need to also prioritize scientific representation, access, relevance, purpose, and belonging. It's important for every member of society to have meaningful opportunities to build a socioscientific identity that prepares them to confidently interact with science across real world contexts. It's also essential that individuals from across backgrounds, communities, and lived experiences are provided with psychologically accessible pathways and messaging to support their pursuit of and thriving within STEM fields. If we want the future of science to be more equitable, just, inclusive, and innovative than its past, we need science education to play a more holistic role in shaping students' understanding of the relationships between science, the real world, and themselves.

The I Am a Scientist program’s goal is to ensure that students from across identities and backgrounds are equally represented in the STEM workforce and leadership positions, and that all students are prepared to responsibly engage with civically-critical STEM fields throughout their lives.

Samples:

• Spotlight: https://www.iamascientist.info...
• Spark: https://www.iamascientist.info...
• Slides: https://docs.google.com/presen...
• Poster: https://drive.google.com/file/...
• Illustration: https://drive.google.com/file/...
• Resource Hub: https://www.iamascientist.info...

I Am a Scientist is a flexible, multimedia storytelling program designed to diversify, humanize, and demystify STEM fields. It is a collection of classroom-compatible educational resources that connect STEM subject matter to real world stories, concepts, and careers. The program leverages the reach and power of technology – specifically web, digital environment, and transmedia design – to offer teachers free resources that can be adapted to fill the specific gaps in their STEM classroom. 

In simplest terms, the program includes three core types of resources: (i) Sparks, which feature the stories, career paths, advice, and passions of real world STEM professionals, (ii) Spotlights, which go even deeper into a STEM professionals’ story, career vignettes, and day-to-day life, and (iii) Field Guides, which are highly practical explorations of STEM careers and industries to demystify pathways for students. 

Our team works closely with the featured scientists and engineers to identify stories that are highly inspiring and relevant to students, and that may expand their perceptions of what STEM is, what problems it can address, and who can lead it. We create original photography that captures their personality, custom illustrations inspired by their life and work, visualizations of their workspace, and deep dive interviews to capture the most impactful aspects of their stories for students. We translate these materials into a vibrant and interactive web page that can be accessed directly, or through the QR codes embedded on our physical materials that currently adorn thousands of classrooms around the world.

All of the resources are centralized through an engaging digital resource platform that was designed in collaboration with educators to ensure ease-of-use. Teachers can browse all stories and their companion materials, which include slide decks, custom illustrations, classroom posters featuring real world scientists, and stand-alone QR codes to enable transmedia engagement. All materials are freely available for teachers and students to access and download, so that teachers can easily shift their classroom environment to promote inclusion and belonging across identities, personalities, and interests in STEM. 

The I Am a Scientist initiative is a step towards the science education that society needs. The model is built on a synthesis of research across adolescent development, learning science, and science-in-society studies that point to the critical roles of psychological factors in effective STEM engagement. Informed by 1500 testimonials from active STEM teachers, it fills a critical gap in the humanization and contextualization of science through educator-informed, open access, and adaptable materials that complement rather than compete with existing curricular goals.

Our goal is not merely to bring more students into STEM fields. It is to dismantle inequitable barriers to success, nurture students’ existing STEM-related strengths, and provide roadmaps, community, and training to support their rise. We’re building a bold, multidimensional program that has the potential to shift the narratives and access points in every STEM classroom, preparing the rising generation of students to discover, engineer, and lead a better future for everyone.

I Am a Scientist primarily serves students from middle school through early college, though many educators in classrooms as young as Kindergarten report using our resources. Because the program is designed to be adaptable, educators can tailor materials and depth based on the age group. Specifically, across all classrooms, including those serving younger students, teachers often display posters on the walls to shift the visual messaging and narratives in their classrooms. For middle school students, teachers include slide decks that introduce students to multifaceted STEM professionals, as well as their motivations, career paths, and industries. In high school and early college, teachers assign students to do deep dives into the digital resources of subject-aligned STEM professionals and use our lesson plans to tie their stories into broader classroom themes. For students planning their career, our upcoming Field Guides aim to demystify and amplify high impact and high need STEM careers that may align with their values and interests. 

Demographically, the program is intended to serve two overlapping populations. First, it is intended to fill gaps that are prominent across all communities, regardless of racial or socioeconomic factors, as research suggests that students’ – and in many case teachers’ – perceptions of STEM careers and concepts are limited and inaccurate. To this end, the program focuses on breaking stereotypes by introducing a wide range of multifaceted personalities, centering creative and imaginative skills in STEM, and discussing applied, communal values in the “why” behind STEM industries. The program design aims to cultivate a sense of belonging for all students by illuminating the wide breadth of roles in STEM industries, and supporting an engaged and informed STEM identity regardless of a student’s future profession. 

Additionally, the program aims to specifically serve students in rural communities and members of groups that are often underrepresented in STEM, particularly Black, Latine/x, and Indigenous communities as well as individuals with disabilities and other underrepresented identities. Our team is driven by research across fields on the influence of personal and collective identities, role models, ontological perspectives, shared imaginaries, communal goals, and access to engaging career resources on students’ interest in pursuing STEM fields. These factors have been found to be particularly impactful for students who do not feel represented in pop culture, textbooks, and societal narratives around STEM.

In a world being shaped by science and technology, equitable access must include thoughtful, intentional, and practical STEM concept and career engagement. In the coming decades, leaders in this industry may hold disproportionate influence on our everyday lives, and the workforce trained for these industries is more likely to attain and retain economic stability in a fast-changing labor landscape. This program offers all students the opportunity to discover an expansive range of civically-critical and economically-stable STEM careers, and to connect with relatable individuals who inspire them to explore new possibilities. It also offers teachers the resources they need to create more inclusive and pragmatic STEM classrooms, so that the benefits and promise of STEM careers is equitably accessible to all.

Effectively creating and implementing this program requires several distinct areas of expertise, including: (i) STEM & leadership curriculum development, (ii) creative multimedia production, (iii) digital product management, (iv) community building, and (v) logistics management. Our core team members have a demonstrated track record of originality, leadership, and success across these areas.

Co-creator and Director, Stephanie Fine Sasse, is a developmental neuroscience and psychology researcher by training who has spent the past 10+ years conceptualizing and producing novel educational curriculum, exhibitions, summits, workshops, and digital platforms. The program’s co-creator, Dr. Nabiha Saklayen, is a biophysicist and proven STEM leader experienced in managing fast-growing teams and supporting young women of color in their pursuit of STEM success. Additional key team members include Dr. Crystal Dilworth, who is a public figure, renowned science communicator, and neuroscientist who has helped develop effective leadership in organizations from early-stage start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. The program is also shaped by Maya Bialik, a learning science researcher and 7th grade chemistry teacher, and Maria Osman, who supports digital development. Our digital storytelling lead, Esther Knox, is an imaginative digital designer who can transform code into brilliant digital experiences that students and teachers adore. We also closely collaborate with a circle of diverse and talented contributors and creatives around the world who contribute beautiful illustrations and photography to the program.

As a team, we are uniquely positioned to execute this program, both because of our complementary and relevant expertise, and because we know what it means to carve your own path as women in STEM. 

We also see the educators we work with as an extension of our team. We proactively build relationships with the educators we serve, and host regular workshops and feedback sessions to assess the impact and quality of the program. Guided by our active Educator Ambassador program, we continue to evolve the resources we offer based on our community’s requests. Teachers who use our resources have been a powerful driver of the program’s reach, as they report effusive appreciation of and need for the career insights, flexible design, and psychological access that the program brings their students. As such, our team has built an incredible network of grassroots educators across the US and globally that are deeply invested in and committed to the mission and success of the program.

We recognize the many moving parts necessary to achieve our ambitious mission, and have built the community and foundation to do so effectively. We are an imaginative, nimble, and resourceful team that is deeply committed to this mission; because we have seen firsthand what underrepresented individuals in STEM can do when given a chance to thrive.

We selected the “Growth” stage because we have a strong programmatic foundation, wide reach, a strong network of committed and engaged participants, and an established set of donors and revenue. 

Since launching in 2020, our team has produced and distributed over 80,000 posters to classrooms across the country, with each poster providing a direct access point to its associated digital materials. We donated over 70% of these posters, with over 80% of our donated posters serving Title I schools, and 20% serving rural schools. While the physical components of our program have focused on US classrooms, our digital program reaches classrooms around the world. Based on our download analytics and kit requests, our combined web and physical reach has exceeded one million students across all 50 states and six continents. The program’s distribution has been driven by a combination of our team’s strategy and our community’s support. 

Additionally, we’ve built a network of over 6000 educators who have signed up for regular updates about the program, launched an Educator Ambassador program for partner teachers who want to engage more deeply, and held regular workshops and focus groups to continue to improve the program. 

Whenever funds allow, we host poster giveaways. Past giveaways have ranged from 1000 to 2500 sets of ~15 posters each. All of our giveaways are consistently full, with a current waiting list of over 1000 teachers. Our digital materials are regularly accessed by 10s of thousands of individuals monthly, with teacher planning months often reaching in excess of 100,000 visits. The program itself has also grown, and continues to grow, in line with student, teacher, and societal needs. We began with a collection of 22 Sparks and Spotlights, and by the end of the summer will have launched 70 stories spanning critical industries like biotechnology, robotics, and sustainability. 

We have also received funding from a combination of private foundations, partners, and individual donors. 

While we’re proud of the program’s foundation, we believe that this program can be expanded and integrated into classrooms, community centers, and other student-serving institutions across the US and worldwide. We’re also eager to expand and develop the program into a dynamic and accessible staple to bring inclusive STEM access to every student and classroom. 

Our growth plan includes (i) further developing our program themes and stories around civically-critical STEM industries, particularly artifical intelligence, biotechnology, climate and other green technologies, humanitarian innovations, and robotics, (ii) expanding the program to feature more city-based collections so that students can identify local role models and opportunities, (iii) relaunching and expanding our Field Guides, and (iv) building additional partnerships to exchange resources and collaborate with mission-aligned organizations – for example, all of our resources are freely available on the LabXChange platform, (v) translating our materials into additional languages, and (vi) continuing to evaluate and harness technological tools to further extend the reach and impact of the program.

Our program is at a pivotal point where we need to make thoughtful and intentional decisions in order to scale sustainably, and we believe that Solve could be a transformative partner. 

We feel confident that there is both an intense need and robust demand for the program. We have collected evidence to support that it is one effective tool for addressing an increasingly urgent suite of societal, economic, and scientific problems. Because of this, we feel eager to grow and ensure that it can reach its full potential. In particular, we see tremendous opportunity for partnerships with mission-aligned organizations, particularly through bidrectional integrations with complementary networks, programs, and resources. 

We recognize that this “Growth” stage is both critical and delicate. To accomplish the program’s goals, our team would benefit greatly from strategic guidance, particularly around partnership development, technological investment, scaling, diversification of revenue streams, and building intentional steering and advisory teams. We’ve built a promising framework, program, and foundation of support, and are ready to tranform that into a powerful movement to support an inclusive and inspired generation of STEM leaders. We’ve been successful at securing project-based funding, and would also currently benefit from expert guidance as we work to craft a plan for securing organizational and operational support.

Our program’s mission is to ensure that every student has personally meaningful and relevant access to STEM concepts and careers, particularly those that can bridge gaps in economic equity and societal leadership. We see Solve as an opportunity to refine our strategy across our “Growth” stage dimensions, so that we can translate our program into a systems-level solution that crafts more inclusive and inspiring pathways for students to explore the parts of STEM that could most directly impact their lives.

We recognize that it’s a lofty mission, and we can’t do it alone. Our hope is to work with Solve to identify and strategize mutually beneficial collaborations and partnerships to maximize the program’s development, impact, and reach. We want to co-create an inclusive STEM future, and that means working with others who are serving this mission in complementary ways. Many factors influence STEM access and success, including inequities throughout STEM histories and practices. We recognize that our role is to play one part in a much more complex whole.

To date, we’ve forged our own road, learning from mistakes and successes, and iterating along the way. To ensure that we are successful in our next chapter, we hope to have the opportunity to learn from those who have done work like ours before and who carry insights that we haven’t yet applied. We think Solve can open up entirely new spaces for learning, partnership, peer support, and sustainable strategy that unlock new opportunities and bring us substantially closer to reaching the program’s full potential.

In the past decade, there has been increased public awareness of systemic bias and the ongoing lack of representation across critical sectors. Many important initiatives and organizations now exist to support students' success in STEM. Our priority in designing the program was to ensure that we addressed an important gap to aid, not replicate, existing efforts.

We began with a comprehensive market analysis and series of focus groups with practicing STEM teachers. We found four common categories of initiatives related to our mission: (1) mentorship programs, (2) training experiences, (3) popular media, and (4) storytelling initiatives.

The first two include mentors, internships, scholarships, afterschool clubs, or summer programs. While extremely important, they are also expensive, geographically-limited, and difficult to scale. We were interested in a far-reaching solution that could reach every student, providing them with an accessible on-ramp to pursue relevant career training opportunities.

The last two – pop media and storytelling – can have a wide reach and be fairly inexpensive to produce. However, they often aren't designed with on-the-ground classroom realities or student pathways in mind. The internet is brimming with countless websites with hundreds of scientists' stories and science communication videos that don't get the attention they deserve because they can be difficult to find, difficult to teach, or difficult to navigate. Technology offers so much potential, and we wanted to find ways to leverage it fully.

We learned from these models, listened to educators and students, and landed on four design priorities that collectively differentiate our program: Vibrant Design, Adaptability, Psychological Accessibility, and Classroom-Compatibility. For design, we needed to invest in quality and an engaging student experience, from the visuals to the writing to the interface. For adaptability, the resources needed to be flexible, using technology to build an easy-to-use platform that offers options for every classroom. To ensure psychological accessibility, it needed to be student-centered and prioritize the parts of the scientists' personalities, identities, stories, and work that students would be most likely to connect with. And to ensure classroom-compatibility, it needed to be educator-informed, ensuring that once built, it would be put to good use.

We combined this design framework with our guiding model and theory of change, synthesized from multidisciplinary evidence on the factors that drive openness, connection, and STEM engagement. The result is a transmedia program that is built on a robust foundation of evidence, yet is experienced with ease by teachers and students. 

We believe it fills a large gap in the current landscaoe, as further evidenced by our fast-growing network of teachers and their feedback. We also believe it has the potential to transform the landscape, as our approach is a missing ingredient that fits seamlessly into many exisiting initiatives. It is compatible with a wide range of mentorship programs, career trainings, guidance counselor and librarian resources, community centers, and city government initiatives. In addition to its standalone potential, the program has the potential to bring a critically humanizing and psychologically-informed dimension to the important work that others are pursuing alongside us.

Our approach directly addresses four key blocks that can limit students’ pursuit in STEM, including: (i) pop culture’s damaging stereotypical perception of scientists and STEM professionals, (ii) outdated STEM curricula that emphasizes memorization over real world skills and relevant problem-solving, and (iii) lack of clear and accessible career steps. These factors create persistent and consequential barriers for students, particularly those who are members of communities not represented by these stereotypes.

Our theory of change is built around the concept of “Cultivating an engaged STEM identity”. We’ve crafted a simple framework that guides our actions and expected outcomes. 

The first factor is “People”, or what we call our “I Can” elements. Seeing people we relate to doing work we care about matters. Whether it’s a shared passion, community, life experience, or hobby, that small connection can be a first step towards expanding our visions for what we’re capable of. 

The second factor is “Purpose”, or our “I Care” elements. Science presented in textbooks can be cold, flat, and removed from real world contexts and related ways of knowing. It’s important for us to understand how knowledge building can be a practical tool that positively impacts the issues we care about. 

The third factor is “Practice”, or our “I Know How” elements. Many people who enjoy STEM fields haven’t been introduced to the wide range of career opportunities, often across levels of training. Demystifying practical pathways to and through STEM is an essential part of making these fields more accessible to everyone.

We have two bodies of evidence supporting our program design: (i) multidisciplinary peer-reviewed scholarship and (ii) our pilot program.

Our approach maps directly onto a substantial body of evidence for what’s missing and what works. For example, many studies have found persistent stereotypes in what students think scientists look like and do. However, a recent paper on “Scientist Spotlights” found that pairing diverse scientist stories with reflection questions can effectively shift misconceptions. A related body of work has found that girls and women are more likely to pursue STEM if it is presented as collaborative, creative, and purposeful.

Additionally, connecting with role models that you can relate to is a powerful tool for countering barriers such as stereotype threat. Similarly, studies have found that representation in our environment can shift our sense of belonging, which can increase students' confidence and resilience when overcoming challenges. Finally, there is a growing body of research on the obstacles and untaught skills that influence women’s rise into leadership roles in STEM.

In addition to this evidence, we collect regular feedback on our program through surveys, workshops, and focus groups. Educators report that these resources fill an essential need in a highly effective way. One educator recently shared that she “did not realize what was missing for [her] students until she used this program.” 

We believe that our program is highly likely to deliver measurable, tangible results because of our unique alignment with evidence, practitioner needs, and high-quality creative production.

Our impact goals include:

1. Shift visual messaging and content in classrooms to break STEM stereotypes. We measure this goal based on the number of classrooms that have our posters displayed and the number of students reached. This information is based on self-reported data from teachers who receive our posters.

2. Expand psychological access to STEM in communities with limited representation and access. We measure this goal based on the reach of the program, particularly in low-income, Title I, and rural communities, as well as those that self-report high percentages of students who are members of demographic groups that are currently underrepresented in STEM careers.

3. Increase the number and diversity of students interested in and prepared to pursue civically-critical STEM fields. This is a more difficult impact goal to measure. We use a combination of focus groups and surveys to understand the lasting effects of our program. We are also very interested in more in-depth research programs.

As a team led by scientists and researchers, we are very driven by data and evidence. We also recognize the difficulty of meaningfully measuring impact on systems-level and cultural narrative change. We collect data on all of the teachers, schools, and communities that we send materials to, as well as through in-depth workshops and feedback sessions. We are constantly seeking indicators and feedback that we can use to both understand what is needed and how well we are are addressing those needs in pursuit of the programs mission

I Am a Scientist is a transmedia program. Our resources leverage the internet and web development to create pathways that bridge real world interactions in the classroom with in-depth digital materials, creating a dynamic, multidimensional experience for students and teachers.

Our program is heavily driven by intensive digital design. We do not use out-of-the-box digital resources, and have committed substantial portions of our resources to developing vibrant and high impact digital experiences. We recently launched our third digital iteration, which was anchored in two years of research and hands-on collaborations with teachers. We are constantly researching and integrating the cutting-edge of what’s possible in digital design, with the aim of crafting memorable experiences that keep students connected and engaged. We are equally intentional about building platforms that serve teachers by producing easy-to-navigate databases and resource hubs.

Our core technologies are the internet and web platforms, as well as QR codes that bridge these with the real world. We are constantly on the look out for new ways to leverage technology that increases access and impact. We push our technologies to their limit through the power of carefully crafted and community-informed design.

3 people work full or part-time on the program.

3 people are unpaid but committed volunteers / contributors / advisors, including our co-creator and a Board Member.

We have a number of contractors based on current needs. Typically, we have ~3 contractors working on the project.

We have a large pool of creative contributors working on the program, including photographers and illustrators. 

Stephanie Fine Sasse and Dr. Nabiha Saklayen first started their work on the I Am a Scientist program in 2016, as a side project while both of them had full time jobs in science. It began with an intensive research and development period, with several iterations of the design based on feedback from students and teachers. The program was formally launched in May 2020. Stephanie is now dedicated to I Am a Scientist and the overarching nonprofit, The Plenary, Co., full time.

The “I Am” program exists in direct response to the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM. In 2016, Nabiha Saklayen wrote an essay about what it’s like to be doubted and dismissed by strangers because you “don’t look like a physicist.” Her piece catalyzed our work.

The data are clear. Across the board, women are underrepresented in STEM fields and even further underrepresented in STEM leadership. Women of color, particularly Black, Indigenous, and Latine/a/x women, face disproportionate barriers at every stage, beginning with the messages that society sends about what a scientist looks like. The lack of diversity in leadership fuels professional cultures that often lack inclusivity and accessibility for members of underrepresented groups. If we want equity both within STEM and in its impact on society, we must prioritize diversity -- across race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and lived experiences -- in those who hold power. That’s why our foremost priority is to ensure that the individuals we feature throughout our program are representative of the diversity of the US public and the students we aim to serve. In addition, we serve communities that often lack the resources to prioritize STEM education. Currently, >70% of the schools in our community are Title I and 20% are rural. 

As a team, we are committed to every aspect of this program being produced by diverse staff, scholars, educators, and creatives. We have an established guide on inclusive language, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement, equitable internal practices, and just team processes that are constantly up for revision based on discussions from our team members. 

We believe that diversity is not peripheral; it’s the point, and should be centered in every decision we make.

I Am a Scientist’s business model relies on a combination of sales, memberships, and partnerships, as well as grants. While we provide all of our core resources for free through a Creative Commons License, and donate the majority of our physical materials to teachers that indicate need, we also recognize the need for sustainable revenue streams.

Our first key customer and beneficiary is teachers. Primarily, we sell 18x24” posters and illustrations of the featured scientists, which include a QR code that leads to the companion digital resources. Each time we’ve held a sale, we’ve quickly sold out.

To this point, we’ve been limited by the economics of scale, in that each print run required a substantial investment due to high minimums. To overcome this limitation, we are currently building out an in-house print shop made possible by an individual donor. This will allow us to print on-demand and more intentionally control our production cycles, which we anticipate will increase our revenues from sales of goods. We will continue donating posters to Title I, rural, and low-income schools as resources permit, and all source files will remain free to download digitally.

Our primary revenue stream is through goal-aligned and mutually beneficial partnerships. We judisciously work with three types of partners to develop stories and resources: Organizational, Media, and City / State. Our organizational partners are companies or other nonprofits, such as Society for Science, Bat Conservation International, and Amgen Foundation, fund our work to create new resources that feature STEM professionals from their communities. Our media partners, such as the recently released Superhuman Body film, fund our work to produce collections that extend the themes of their project. And our city or State partners fund collections based on local workforce and opportunities, such as LabCentral Ignite. In 2022 and 2023 we partnered with LabCentral Ignite on our shared Life Sciences in Full Color campaign, for which we produced the educational content, images, and stories that were seen on billboards, buses, and public transit across the Boston area.

Additionally, I Am a Scientist is a program of The Plenary, Co., our parent 501(c)3. Through The Plenary, Co., individuals can sign up to become supporting members, making monthly contributions to support our work. One of our upcoming priorities is to further develop and expand our membership program.

Our plan is to work towards sustainable funding through our sales, memberships, partnerships, and grants efforts. Each of these four primary revenue streams has demonstrated promise, and we are actively working to refine and grow our model. 

To date, we have been particularly successful across sales, grants, and partnerships, with the majority of our funding resulting from word-of-mouth. For example, we were contacted by LabXChange about a project that was originally offered to them, because they believed that our program was the best fit for the job. This resulted in a $100,000 grant from Amgen Foundation, a primary funder of LabXChange, and a three-pronged partnership that led to the creation of 14 new stories now available on both our platform and LabXChange. We remain highly selective in partnership building to ensure that each new resource aligns with our mission and priorities. While we intend for all of our partnerships to be mutually beneficial in service of our shared missions, we retain rights and control in all of our partnerships. In exchange, our partners receive customized collections of stories and educational resources directly connected to their goal locations, industries, or themes. 

Our goal going forward is to shift our emphasis from corporate organizations, to partnerships in Media, City / State, and Nonprofit or Government Organizational partners.

We’ve raised over $600,000 through partnerships, including:

Amgen Foundation (Organizational): $100,000
Bat Conservation International (Organizational): $5000
BIO (Organizational): $10,000
IBM / Open PTECH (Organizational): $25,000
Illumina (Organizational): $25,000
KFF (Unrestricted): $2000
LabCentral Ignite (City): $48,800
Novartis ($2500): $2500
Orange Capital Media, LLC (Media): $285,000
Reshma Kewalramani & Abhijit Kulkarni (Individual): $50,000
Sustainable Ocean Alliance: $4000
Society for Science (Organizational + City): $30,000
Vertex (Unrestricted): $30,000

Since launching, we have been primarily focused on community building and programming, and are currenctly at a pivotal point where we feel excited to focus on operational and organizational building. While much of our revenue to this point has been serendipitous, going forward we will be increasingly focused and directed in developing our four key revenue streams. We are particuarly focused on building a model that supports our operational and organizational needs on an ongoing basis, as many of our funding opportunities to date have been project-based.

We are highly motivated to develop our revenue streams by raising the program’s visibility and partnering with leading institutions that care about an inclusive and equitable STEM workforce, civically-critical fields, and the STEM-related UN Sustainable Development goals. We believe we would benefit greatly from the insights of the Solve network as we think strategically about how to leverage and develop the proven facets of our model to expand beyond project-based funding.