Science Club for Girls

What an incredible day of community, collaboration, and impact! 🎉

Science Club for Girls is thrilled to be the first place nonprofit partner for this year's Kendall Square Challenge!

As part of the challenge, each team selected a local nonprofit to support throughout the competition, and we're thrilled that so many teams selected SCFG as their nonprofit partner! 🎉

A huge thank you to the Kendall Sqaure Association for organizing such a fun and impactful event. We loved connecting with so many companies and supporters throughout the day and sharing our mission to inspire girls and gender-expansive youth through free, hands-on STEM programs.

Thank you to everyone who chose to support Science Club for Girls. Your enthusiasm and generosity help create more opportunities for the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

Happy Juneteenth! ❤️💚🖤
Today, we celebrate freedom and honor the resilience, and achievements of Black Americans throughout history and today.

At Science Club for Girls, we believe every young person deserves access to high-quality STEM education, and opportunities to explore their potential. As we honor the significance of Juneteenth, we remain committed to expanding access to free, hands-on STEM learning for girls and gender-expansive youth from communities that have been historically underrepresented in STEM.

We're inspired by the power of education, and community to help young people build confidence, discover their passions, and see themselves as future scientists and innovators.

Wishing everyone a joyful Juneteenth as we celebrate progress and continue working toward a more equitable future.

For this week's , we’re spotlighting Audrey Lessing, a graduating senior at Northeastern University, research assistant at Harvard Medical School, and incoming dental student at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.

Audrey’s passion for STEM and healthcare was shaped by her family’s experiences navigating barriers to dental care. Hearing stories of generations of untreated dental issues and witnessing the impact of limited access to care inspired her to pursue a career focused on improving health outcomes for underserved communities.

During her time at Harvard Medical School’s Wu Lab, Audrey contributed to research on inflammation and autoinflammatory disease, helping validate a promising therapeutic approach that could one day improve treatment for Familial Mediterranean Fever.

As President of Northeastern’s Science Club for Girls Mentor chapter, Audrey has also worked to create spaces where students from underrepresented backgrounds can see themselves as future scientists, healthcare professionals, and leaders.

Reflecting on her experience with SCFG, Audrey shared:
“Helping girls who doubted their abilities realize their potential mirrored the lessons I learned from my multi-cultural, multi-national, and all accepting family, where support and acceptance can transform uncertainty into confidence.”

We’re excited to see all that Audrey accomplishes as she begins her next chapter in dentistry! 💜

"If we take advantage of the expertise and momentum SCFG has built over the past few decades, we can train a future generation that will drive innovation for decades to come."

Those words from Dr. Sally Kornbluth, President of MIT, speak to the lasting impact of Science Club for Girls and the importance of investing in young people today.

During a fireside chat with Bonnie Bertolaet, SCFG Executive Director, and Yvonne Hao, COO of Flagship Pioneering at our Catalyst Awards, Dr. Kornbluth reflected on the role that hands-on STEM experiences play in shaping future scientists. She highlighted how SCFG's decades of experience creating opportunities for girls and gender-expansive youth have helped build a strong foundation for the next generation of leaders.

We are honored by Dr. Kornbluth's recognition of SCFG's work and grateful for her support of our mission to inspire curiosity, build confidence, and create pathways into STEM.

This , help curiosity take flight!

A gift of just $20 can provide an E2X or Star Hopper rocket for a participant in Science Club for Girls' Summer Rocketry Programs.

Through hands-on rocketry experiences, girls and gender-expansive youth transform STEM concepts from ideas on a page into real-world learning. As they design, build, test, and launch their rockets, participants explore engineering, physics, problem-solving, and teamwork while developing the confidence to see themselves as future scientists, and innovators.

Each launch is more than an exciting moment—it's an opportunity to build resilience, curiosity, and a sense of possibility. Your support helps ensure every participant has access to the materials they need to learn, experiment, and soar.

Click the link below and help launch the next generation of STEM leaders!
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/scfgcatalyst/page/auction-fundaneed/

This we’re spotlighting Sally Ride, physicist, astronaut, educator, and the first American woman in space.

Sally Ride’s historic journey aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger marked a turning point in representation within STEM and space exploration.

Following her passing in 2012, Sally was also recognized as the first known LGBTQ+ person to travel to space, adding another important dimension to her legacy and the ongoing conversation around visibility and inclusion in STEM.

Her impact continues to serve as a reminder that innovation is strengthened when more voices, perspectives, and experiences are represented in science and exploration.

Looking back on an incredible April Vacation AI & Robotics Club at the MIT Museum! 🤖✨

From programming cutebots and building Scratch games to training AI models, participants gained hands-on experience with the fundamentals of AI and robotics. Along the way, they collaborated with peers, tackled challenges, tested new ideas, and learned that innovation thrives through curiosity and teamwork.

By the end of the week, participants proudly showcased projects that reflected their creativity, perseverance, and growing technical skills.

Thank you to our incredible participants and supporters for making this week of exploration, innovation, and discovery possible.

Special thanks to the Cabot Family Charitable Trust, IF/THEN®, an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies, and the Laboratory Robotics Interest Group, New England for supporting the 2026 AI & Robotics April Vacation Club.

Read the full recap here: https://www.scienceclubforgirls.org/post/curiosity-in-action-highlights-from-scfg-s-april-vacation-ai-robotics-club

This we’re celebrating Nneoma Oji, our 2025-2026 Program Manager Fellow and an incredible member of the Science Club for Girls community.

Nneoma’s passion for science began early, sparked by teachers and mentors who encouraged her curiosity. This support inspired her commitment to using science to give back to her community. That passion first led Nneoma to mentor a Science Club in college and has shaped her journey ever since.

From moderating an “Applying to Medical School” panel for Mentors to helping launch our new Malden club, as our Program Manager Fellow, Nneoma consistently created spaces where young people could build confidence, discover their voices, and see themselves as future leaders in STEM.

This fall, Nneoma will begin medical school at Columbia University, continuing her commitment to uplift and empower others. We are so grateful for everything she has contributed to SCFG and cannot wait to see all she accomplishes in this next chapter.

"The future of innovation will be defined by who we invite in — and how early we start.”

Those words from our 2026 Catalyst Award honoree, Yvonne Hao, COO of Flagship Pioneering and former Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development, capture the heart of Science Club for Girls’ mission.

During a fireside chat with Bonnie Bertolaet, SCFG Executive Director, and Dr. Sally Kornbluth, 18th President of MIT, Yvonne spoke about the importance of creating opportunities for girls and gender-expansive youth to build confidence, access, and a sense of belonging in STEM from an early age.

Yvonne also emphasized the broader impact of investing in STEM equity:

"Programs like Science Club for Girls are addressing these inequities, driving innovation, and fueling economic growth. I'm deeply honored to be recognized alongside leaders who share that commitment, and inspired by the future being shaped by Science Club for Girls."

We are grateful for Yvonne's leadership and commitment to creating a stronger, more inclusive future for our communities and workforce.