South Bay STEM Organizations Receive Society for Science Grants

PALO ALTO, CA — Two South Bay-based STEM organizations received grants from the nonprofit group Society for Science.

Future Advancers of Science and Technology (FAST) in Palo Alto and Opportunity X in Cupertino were among 38 recipients around the country.

FAST is a program where Stanford University graduate students mentor local high school students in science and engineering, is planning to expand in the Bay Area to the East Bay.

“The support of the Society for Science through the STEM Action grant will be instrumental in enabling passionate students and mentors to embark on projects that inspire lifelong mentorship and set foundations that change the course of students lives, supporting expansion of a brand new FAST program in the East San Francisco Bay Area at schools we would otherwise be unable to support,” the organization said in a statement. “The impact of this support is a huge enabler for the program and will spread outwards well beyond the students and mentors who will be able to take part thanks to the Society this next year and over many years to come.”

Opportunity X has research programs in 18 schools across seven states, mentoring 200 students through research projects and offering more than 850 workshops. They hope to be in 50 additional schools and work with over 1,000 students in their own STEM research projects by 2023.

"Receiving the Society s STEM Action Grant means a lot to our team, as it will enable us to open up more Opportunity X research programs at Title 1 schools across the country and continue to work towards our mission," the organization said in a statement.

Through the program, students from predominantly low-income high schools visit professional scientist and engineer mentors. They brainstorm projects and carry out experiments, eventually presenting them at local science fairs, according to FAST’s website.

The grant is part of a $165,000 commitment by the Society for Science to fund 38 STEM organizations throughout the country. Three other Bay Area-based organizations received grants.

“If the United States is going to stand as a world leader in science and technology and keep pace in innovation with the rest of the world, we must prioritize investing in grassroots organizations that are doing the hard work on the ground, to engage and educate science learners of all backgrounds,” said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO of the Society for Science and Publisher of Science News. “What’s most inspiring to me about these organizations is that they are identifying growth areas in their local communities and enacting real change.”

Click here to view the full list of recipients.