Third B2I STEM Fest engaged 600+ K-12th grade students, parents and volunteers with 60+ hands-on activities at Bonnabel High School.

STEM NOLA made history on January 18, 2025, by hosting its first-ever STEM Fest in Jefferson Parish at Bonnabel High School. This exciting event engaged over 600 K-12 students, parents, and volunteers in over 60 hands-on activities. It was a huge milestone for STEM NOLA and the Jefferson Parish community.

Just days before this event, STEM NOLA received the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Mentoring (PAESMEM) from President Joe Biden. This award honors STEM NOLA’s work in mentoring students, especially those from underrepresented groups, and highlights the organization’s impact on STEM education.

A Day of Fun and Learning

The STEM Fest was part of the Bridge 2 Innovation (B2I) series, which encourages students to explore Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through fun, hands-on activities. More than 540 K-12 students participated, and the event included exciting activities like robotics, chemistry experiments, engineering challenges, and the new StarLab experience.

The event attracted students from various backgrounds, with more than 70% of participants coming from families that qualify for free or reduced-price meals. There were 297 boys and 245 girls, with a large number of younger students (K-2nd grade: 220, 3rd-5th grade: 178) and middle school students (6th-8th grade: 91).

Mentors Inspire the Next Generation

In addition to students, 62 college volunteers and 22 professional mentors from fields like engineering, technology, and healthcare helped guide the hands-on activities. They volunteered a total of 252 mentor hours, showing how important mentorship is in inspiring students to explore STEM careers.

STEM NOLA’s Growing Impact

Since its founding in 2013, STEM NOLA | STEM Global Action has worked to provide underrepresented students with access to STEM education and experiences. The organization has already exposed over 200,000 students to STEM, and in 2024, it reached over 40,000 students across 14 U.S. states through programs like STEM Fests, STEM Saturdays, and Tech Camps.



Dr. Calvin Mackie, STEM NOLA’s co-founder and CEO, believes in the power of mentorship to help all students succeed in STEM. He said, “The Presidential Award and events like our B2I STEM Fest show that every child, no matter their background, deserves the chance to succeed in STEM.”

A Vision for the Future

STEM NOLA’s mission is to provide all students, regardless of their background, with access to transformative STEM experiences. In the future, STEM NOLA aims to reach one million students every Saturday through STEM activities, making STEM education a key part of every child’s growth.

Support from Partners

The success of the January 18th B2I STEM Fest was made possible by the generous support of partners like the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee, Dow, Chevron, Ochsner Health, Venture Global, and Entergy. These organizations share STEM NOLA’s commitment to fostering innovation and workforce development in the region.

WHAT'S NEXT: Register today for the February 1st B2I STEM Fest in Orleans Parish

The excitement continues with the next B2I STEM Fest on Saturday, February 1, 2025, at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans from 9 AM to 12 PM. This FREE event is open to all K-12 students and will feature over 60 hands-on STEM activities. The first 100 students to arrive will receive a special FREE gift!

This event is presented by the New Orleans Super Bowl Host Committee and sponsored by Chevron, Ochsner Health, Dow, Entergy, the Scratch Foundation, and Venture Global. Don’t miss this amazing chance to explore STEM, meet mentors, and have fun!

Register today at registration.stemnola.com to secure your spot.

Join The Movement!

STEM NOLA is committed to creating opportunities for students to learn, explore, and succeed in STEM. To get involved or learn more about upcoming events, visit stemnola.com. Together, we can inspire the next generation of STEM leaders!

• STEM NOLA | Global Action offers hands-on activities, inquiry-based learning methodology, standards-based pre and post assessment tools and teacher resource and development packages.

• Students will have the opportunity to learn by asking questions, observing demonstrations, completing experiments, building kits and engaging in exciting group projects. 

• Our programs have been correlated to match curriculum requirements for every grade level and are rich in elementary level science content.

• STEM NOLA offers in-school, after-school, community and family-based programming. 

• The diversely themed inquiry-based hands-on programs can be used as a curriculum enhancement or as an introduction to STEM concepts.

• We offer a hassle-free and convenient way for students to experience culturally and environmentally relevant hands-on STEM!



In the past 11+ years, STEM Global Action has engaged more than

200,000+ K-12 Students

25,000 Families

3,000 College Students

5,500 Community & Professional Volunteers