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William K. Sanford Library event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
ALBANY—What if STEM education were accessible to all students, anywhere, with programming designed to fit a young person’s needs—innovated by young people themselves?
The Saturday Scholars, a nonprofit, student-led initiative, aims to make STEM attainable and meaningful for everyone.
Over the past year, the Saturday Scholars program has flourished with its rapidly expanding mentorship programs and hosted events. Their mentorship programs, which allow students to work with STEM professionals, have seen resounding success over the summer.
“We’ve seen a lot of intricate passion projects,” said board member Nguyet-Vien Le. “It’s really great seeing students put 110% into what they’re making and thinking about the impacts of their research on their community.”
From their Cancer Presentation, which discussed cancer prevention in accessible terms, to their Science Fair, which offered a variety of experiments and hands-on participation, to their Live Sound Program, where students creatively learned about the science behind sound, the Saturday Scholars are continuing to look ahead with upcoming events.
“What we try to do with pre-existing programs is focus on getting high school students more experienced, while expanding our program to include a more diverse range of students, from K–5,” said board member Anju Kummetha.
“We try to make a lot of our programs virtual because that means people from all over the country will be able to participate,” she continued. “This virtual aspect is one of the key highlights of our program; not as many people might have access to it otherwise.”
One of these upcoming virtual workshops is their Coding Workshop, an immersive, six-week exploration into the imaginative and problem-solving world of coding.
More than ever, board members are creating new programs based on their passions. Kummetha was one of the initiators of the upcoming coding workshop, alongside fellow board members Sonia Chaugule, Shreya Sajan, Tavish Gupta, and Tian Chen.
“My goal was to have students K–3 see that coding is not just technical but also a way to develop creativity,” she said. “That’s why we wanted to host an in-person event with games and activities for them.”
The upcoming workshops are divided into two grade groups, starting with grades 3-5, with dates to be announced soon. In this workshop, students will learn by example in tangible ways as they create simple story animations and learn binary coding, understanding concepts through storytelling and creative expression.
“Getting a foundation in these concepts is really important because it allows you to start projects on a basic scale and gives you room to improve from there,” said Kummetha. “It also would be helpful if you’re interested in coding in the future; having a foundation in these concepts allows you to build from there.”
For older students, the grades 6–8 workshop, which will run from Thursday, Sept. 14, to Thursday, Oct. 26, offers a structured course on Java, covering variables, data types, loops, functions, and arrays. Students will have the opportunity to create their own Java projects and present them in a showcase at the end of the workshop.
“It’s really important to make coding seem approachable at any age and show that you can start at any time, as long as you have an interest,” said Kummetha.
“Creativity is a big part of computer science that people neglect,” she added. “We want kids to realize that if they have a complex problem, they can break it into smaller parts and tackle each one. We hope the coding workshops help them build logical thinking skills and encourage creative problem-solving.”
Le will bring her own interest in the medical field to the upcoming Teddy Bear Clinic, along with fellow board members Catherine Macassadug, Keemayaa Jeevartham, and Hasini Anireddy. The clinic, an in-person event, aims to teach children about dental hygiene, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), EpiPen use, heat exhaustion, and first aid.
The clinics will be held at the Guilderland Public Library and the William K. Sanford Library, with the date for GPL to be announced shortly on the Saturday Scholars’ social media. The William K. Sanford Library event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 12, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
This clinic will be held in collaboration with another student-led nonprofit, InsightMed, with whom they have been working on volunteer requirements and virtual planning.
“Collaboration in STEM is so important because we at Saturday Scholars believe our greatest strength as scientists comes from innovating together,” said Le.
The inspiration for the Teddy Bear Clinic began as Le worked on her college applications for pre-dental care. She observed how anxiety around treatment prevents people from accessing care. Even from her own experiences watching a child refuse to have their teeth cleaned, she noticed how they were “not getting the care that they need.”
“In reducing anxiety and building trust between a patient and their provider, you make that patient a little more willing to receive the care that they need, fostering healthy habits later on,” said Le.
By using stuffed animals, she aims to create a relaxed environment that minimizes children’s fear of basic medical care. Educating them about these practices could also spark an interest in the medical field.
“This mentally prepares them for an appointment they may be dreading, or shows them it maybe wasn’t worth dreading after all,” she said. “Or if a student is interested in the healthcare field later on, it gives them an early introduction to what they may encounter.”
“As misinformation online about healthcare becomes more prevalent, it’s important to build a foundation that’s steady and accurate, so we can empower kids to make the best medical choices as they get older,” she continued.
As the Saturday Scholars look to the future, they remain focused on their mission of education and empowerment for everyone. “We’re looking to expand the scope,” said Le. “To continue making STEM accessible as both a career path and an interest, emphasizing collaboration across all of it.”
To sign up for a Saturday Scholars program, newsletter, or learn more, visit their website at https://nextgensaturdaysch.wixsite.com/stem and follow them on Instagram @saturdayscholars.
