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2023

IGNITE (Inspiring Growth, Nurturing Innovation, and Teaching Empowerment)

By Rithika Sivapokaran, 2023 Scholar • Estimated reading time:1 min

IGNITE (Inspiring Growth, Nurturing Innovation, and Teaching Empowerment)

IGNITE logo - Rithika

Project Theme: Under-Resourced STEM Access

Years in Existence: 2

Target Audience and Location: Middle school students exhibiting low STEM scores in Patchogue-Medford School District.

Mission: To nurture middle school students’ passion for STEM learning by providing near-peer mentorship and interactive educational activities.

Project Description: Founding Scholar Rithika Sivapokaran and educator scholar Emily Rhome combined their passions for STEM and mental health for middle school students. With their partner middle schools, they developed a peer mentorship program, where high school students mentor middle schoolers on STEM topics while incorporating social-emotional learning strategies to form strong bonds across six afterschool sessions. This year’s student leader, Isabella Katz, is focused on engaging more high school mentors through her team’s partnership with the STEM Honor Society. The team is also working to build a more diverse curriculum for mentors to use that discusses STEM-related opportunities, including academics and career choices.