[A Good News UPDATE] to What Happens When Politics Halts a Transformative Student STEM Project?
Celebrate success, continue the work.
A few months back, when the onslaught of executive orders and DOGE's blunt axe were beginning to hack into federally funded programs and pre-approved grants, I shared a story (full text below) about how these cuts were being felt on the ground and impacting the young people I taught and continue to serve in the name of science, the environment, and social justice.
In that post, I detailed how a collaboration between my former school, the non-profit Futures Ignite, and a university partner (Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir) had created programming and research opportunities for students. These opportunities gave students hands-on, experiential, community-based experiences that examined the impact air quality had on the function of their lungs.
The outgrowth of this collaboration was published abstracts (see here and here), conference presentations, and a continuing partnership that is a model and representation of what can happen when schools, CBOs, and researchers come together to serve young people traditionally underrepresented in STEM.
At the time of the post, the student’s participation in the annual Break the Cycle conference, which brings together “student-driven research projects that explore the social, economic, and environmental factors that adversely affect children’s health and well-being,” was in jeopardy due to a university funding freeze.
Today, however, I am pleased to report that thanks to a herculean effort of advocacy, coordination, planning, and philanthropy, one of those students could attend the BTC conference at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, and present their research. Behind the scenes, Dr. Lovinsky-Desir went through multiple letters, emails, and meetings to find a way for Juni to become the only high school student presenter in attendance (the conference is typically reserved for college students). Meanwhile, Futures Ignite dedicated staff members’ time and additional funding to ensure Juni was fully prepared and supported for his presentation.
While Juni crushed his presentation at the BTC conference for those in attendance, I seek to share this story here, hoping it will find a wider audience. As important as it is to make space and take time to dwell on difficult circumstances, it is equally vital to take action and then uplift, celebrate, and spread good news about success. However, while these efforts ultimately did lead to a positive outcome, one must wonder how many other life-changing experiences and possibilities for young people are currently being interrupted.
Watching executive orders and DOGE’s actions take hold nationwide (NIH—800 grants canceled, NSF—up to $9 billion in cuts being considered) has sometimes made me feel helpless. Indeed, it is incredibly challenging to balance the uncertainty of how to advocate for the communities I have spent my career working in and advocating for with my eternally optimistic outlook.
That is why I, like Dr. Lovinsky-Desir, whom I quote at length from one of her many team emails below, continue to look for bright spots and moments when we can feel that the work we are doing—the work that uplifts young people traditionally overlooked and underrepresented—must continue.
One thing that gives me hope and is keeping me afloat is knowing that if we continue to pour into our young people, there is a chance that our work will continue beyond this terrible moment in our country’s history. Perhaps that is why I am choosing to focus on what can we do, like preparing to send these students to this important conference, when it feels like so much else is being taken away. - Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir
So while it is disheartening to know that opportunities for students are systematically and intentionally being dismantled, we must also remember that the work must continue because, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." - MLK Jr.
Dear Readers,
Thank you for being here, reading this post, and perhaps, following my book publishing journey.
While this post focused on the work I do outside of writing a book, I would be remiss if I failed to mention that you can now pre-order a copy of Learning Environment: Inspirational Actions, Approaches, and Stories from the Science Classroom (out 8/26) for yourself (and all your friends!). The book is all about my time in the classroom working with and supporting students like Juni, with the goal of helping them connect what was happening in school to the world around them.
Original post from 2/13/2025
What Happens When Politics Halts a Transformative Student STEM Project?
+ How to "Break the Cycle" & Help Students Fulfill Their STEM Future
Yesterday, I joined a call that was supposed to provide an uplifting update on the progress of a collaboration I helped start in my classroom between the chief of pediatric pulmonology at a major university and Futures Ignite, an organization I support that works to provide students with STEM leadership opportunities.
Our work together, which has seen students become participants in a research study measuring lung function, researchers trained to collect data using advanced scientific tools, and presenters of their research at an upcoming conference, is a living and breathing representation of everything I write about in Learning Environment.
Our collaboration speaks to the power of what can happen when students from underrepresented backgrounds are supported by like-minded partners, provided with opportunities to pursue their interests, collect data from their environment, and advocate for change (in this case, improved air quality conditions) in their community.
The experiences I write about in Learning Environment and the collaboration example described above make learning meaningful for students, providing them with the knowledge and skills they need to be better prepared for college and their careers.
It removes barriers.
It unlocks doors.
It smashes past gatekeepers and provides opportunities that appeared once inaccessible or even unimaginable to become real.
The work represents what it means to create a learning environment that is responsive to young people's (and our society’s) needs.
And sadly, as of this moment, it has come to an abrupt stop.
On our call yesterday, our university partner informed our group that all funding (funding that had already been secured from a Federal grant) could no longer be spent. This is a direct result of the incoming Trump administration's slew of executive orders—a purposeful creation of chaos with real-world consequences for individuals and children.
Because of the funding freeze, two students primed to present their inspiring work at an upcoming conference (they would have been the youngest in attendance as the conference is geared towards college students) are in jeopardy.
Can you imagine having to be the adult who informs these two kids that their trip has been postponed?
Can you imagine their response?
I can because I have experienced similar circumstances in the classroom firsthand.
These students, who have been subconsciously signaled by society that they and their community are less than, will quietly accept this new reality.
Because the air they breathe is polluted more.
Because the schools they attend are crumbling and overcrowded.
Because the blocks they traverse each day are riddled with litter, syringes, and cracked concrete.
Sadly, these students are used to being disappointed and overlooked.
However, we do not need to let this happen.
We can speak out within and outside our networks that what is happening in our government is illegal and unjust.
We can share our personal stories about students, family members, and organizations we are intimately familiar with being harmed. We can resist the rising tide of authoritarianism and threats to the rule of law because the foundation of our country is at risk, and we, as citizens, are obliged to respond.
We can also ensure that the two students at the center of this post can attend their upcoming conference and fulfill their STEM-centric dreams. We can acknowledge them for their hard work and support them on the journey that may yet come.
To do so, please consider donating to Futures Ignite, the organization helping arrange student travel (tag your donation with the aptly named conference title “Break the Cycle”).
Thank you for considering, and in solidarity,
Jared