Our Future is Science

🌱 Meet Adrianna, Helena, and Suzi from Team 8!

For their OFIS Science Engagement Project, this team combined environmental science with community outreach to promote equal access to recycling education and inspire sustainable habits among youth. After noticing that many students lacked basic recycling knowledge—leading to contamination in local recycling streams—they took action.

They partnered with Yonkers Partners in Education (YPIE) to install a new recycling bin in their community and designed clear, engaging infographics to teach proper recycling practices. To expand their impact, they launched an Instagram account, , where they share NY-specific recycling tips and visuals to help others make informed, sustainable choices.

Their project shows how science and local action can work hand in hand to build a greener future. 🌍💬

Meet Sophia and Lana from Team 7! ⚙️

For their OFIS Science Engagement Project, they set out to address the income-education gap by creating accessible, hands-on STEM experiences for low-income students in their home state of California. Guided by the question: “How does STEM education help bridge the income-education gap and impact the academic interest, self-efficacy, and career aspirations of elementary students from low-income backgrounds?”—they organized a STEM fair and classroom demonstrations using fun, cost-effective experiments.

Their event reached nearly 200 students, parents, and teachers—sparking curiosity, critical thinking, and early career exploration. Feedback from educators and families was overwhelmingly positive, with students showing renewed excitement and interest in science.

Sophia and Lana’s project shows how accessible, community-based STEM engagement can inspire future changemakers—and how their model can be easily replicated in schools across cities like Los Angeles and beyond. 💡📚

Meet Allen from Team 3! Allen is using data-driven research and advocacy to address income-based inequities in education. He found that students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds are more likely to attend schools with larger budgets, which provide better access to resources such as advanced technology, extracurricular programs, and qualified teachers.

To spread the word about these disparities, Allen wrote an article that he shared to 1056 students and faculty members in his school’s daily email and newspaper. Through his project, Allen advocates for education as a fundamental right, not an income-based privilege. 🗣️📢

Meet John Nguyen from Team 1! John’s taking action against environmental racism in his home state of California, where communities in Carson, Wilmington, and Long Beach face high rates of asthma due to air pollution caused by nearby refineries, ports, and freeways. 🛢️🚛💨 Through interviews with peers and community leaders, John explored how low-cost solutions like DIY air purifiers and simple cleaning habits can help protect marginalized communities from air pollution He even turned his findings into a classroom lesson that he presented to his peers and is working to publish his article to raise awareness nationwide. 🙌🌎

Meet Muhssina & Nyla from Team 4! 🌍 Through their project, 'Just Breathe,' they’re tackling air pollution with a focus on PM2.5, a dangerous pollutant found in NYC and D.C. subway systems. Their research reveals that Black and Hispanic/Latino/a/x communities in urban areas face higher exposure to harmful air quality due to long-standing inequalities and overlooked environmental policies. 🏙️⚠️

To spread awareness, they launched an Instagram page and website dedicated to educating the public on PM2.5 and its disproportionate impact on low-income and POC communities. They strive to consistently update and improve their pages as they continue their research on air pollution. 💨📱