ROOTSS (Reaching Out to Our Talented Scholars in STEM)

Project Focus: Academic support and community for Black students enrolling and persisting in Advanced Placement and college-level STEM Courses.

Target Audience and Location: Black students in grades 9-12 at John Bowne High School, in Flushing, Queens, NY.  

Vision: A school culture where Black students feel confident and supported to enroll in advanced placement, College Now, and Ed Equity S.T.E.M. related courses at John Bowne High School.  

Mission: Our mission is to provide a student-led mentorship program that increases Black student enrollment in Advanced Placement, College Now, and Ed Equity STEM courses.

Project Description: Scholar Sally Awuku and her educator, Felicia Bifulco, co-founded ROOTSS, a mentorship initiative designed around peer connection, academic support, and community building. The project pairs upperclassmen enrolled in advanced STEM coursework with younger Black students who have not yet engaged in advanced classes, creating structured opportunities for mentorship, relationship-building, and shared learning. Supported by school leaders and community partners such as It Takes a Village and district equity leaders, the team is recruiting and matching mentors and mentees, hosting orientation and bonding events, and facilitating ongoing gatherings, while incorporating reflection and feedback to strengthen relationships and guide future programming.

As a student leader, Sally is most proud of “my team for their advocacy on behalf of R.O.O.T.S.S. within our school community and for their consistent efforts to uplift and share the impacts of our work.”