In an effort to transform education through after-school programs, Los Altos resident Ryan Kim has co-founded a student-led organization that aims to bridge the educational gap through a customized STEM curriculum.
The junior launched STEM for Others two years ago with his Bellarmine College Preparatory classmate Marc Pashin. The nonprofit primarily caters to students in grades four through eight.
“We’ve seen that right now, education is failing for many students, especially for those in disadvantaged communities,” Kim said. “We essentially provide after-school opportunities to engage students in STEM topics and give them a basic level of understanding they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
STEM for Others initially began as a Bellarmine charter club in 2023 and expanded to 18 chapters across California and globally in locations such as Oregon, Washington and Brazil. According to Kim, the Bellarmine team aims to meet bi-weekly with its partner locations to ensure they run smoothly.
“Since we’re all chapters, we essentially give everyone their freedom to run their own place,” Kim said. “We’re not control freaks, but we also make sure that each chapter checks in with us.”
The organization has also partnered up with the local community, such as Oak Avenue School and Egan Junior High School, to teach various STEM subjects ranging from Python to engineering. Coordinating through online tools such as Slack, STEM for Others recruited a team of software developers to create its own third-party app, STEMplore.com, which offers online courses. Kim said the app now has more than 1,000 monthly users.
As for the classroom, volunteers are assigned to work with the students based on their curriculum of interest. Each month, the chapters follow a theme, such as AI technology or the scientific method. From there, lesson plans are customized based on the student’s interests or need for extra assistance.
According to Mountain View High School senior Naisha John, the Mountain View chapter president leading Oak, STEM for Others has helped her cultivate a love for teaching and the ability to develop her own curriculum and form strong relationships with her students.
“The students want to ask questions and get involved in every activity we do,” John said. “There’s always a way to share your love of a subject, so it’s nice knowing these kids really want to be there and engage with the lessons.”
In just under two years, Kim said STEM for Others has mentored more than 11,500 students and recruited roughly 500 volunteers. To keep inspiring others, the organization posts weekly news updates on its website, which its chapter presidents and writers publish.
“Our weekly reports really do reaffirm that education should be shared and that stories should be spread around to encourage others,” Kim said. “I’ve learned that it’s always possible to make change no matter who you are. The first step is the most important step, and as long as you stay passionate, you can make it work.”
To volunteer, make a donation or for more information, visit stemforothers.org.
