ALEXANDRIA, VA (TIP):STEM All Stars, a nonprofit founded by a 16-year old Indian American Sajni Vederey, a high school student at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA, has made a donation of $50,000 to underprivileged kids in India.
The nonprofit donated 25 digital boards and 100 computers to 21 underprivileged schools. Most of these schools (19) are in the state of Andhra Pradesh. One school is in the neighboring Telangana, and one is in Kerala, another southern state.
The organization also constructed a new library in the village of Bhimavaram, Andhra Pradesh. It will stock the library with books in the fields of computer science, math, biology and other fields.
The mission of STEM All Stars is to raise awareness about science, technology, engineering and math subjects, and empower girls around the world to pursue careers in these areas.
“As a girl, learning the magic of science, technology and math empowered me to dream big,” Vederey, 16, said in a press release. “It’s important for children to learn how to use emerging technologies, such as computers, phones and tablets. STEM All Stars believes that it is paramount for girls to receive STEM education to succeed in society.”
Last December, STEM All Stars received a grant of $50,000 from Vetukuri Venkata Siva Rama Raju, a lawmaker from Andhra Pradesh, who donated the amount through a grant in the Corporate Social Responsibility program.
“STEM All Stars is deeply grateful to the important support we have received from Mr. Siva Rama Raju,” Vederey said. “We will be able to directly invest in the futures of young children in Andhra Pradesh by strengthening the curriculum of the schools with more STEM education.”
In less than three years, STEM All Stars has raised a total of $200,000, and impacted more than 15,000 girls worldwide. It provided supplies, books, computers, science lab equipment and digital boards to about 55 schools in India.
The organization has hosted a number of events, including annual galas in the United States, public awareness events and STEM competitions.
Vederey, who wants to be a lawyer, has authored a book, Roo and His New Habitat, a fictional work that about a group of students who builds a home for their new classroom pet bunny using STEM skills. The book, which she wrote while in 9th grade, is available on Amazon.
Her Amazon author bio states that Vederey, who is “extremely passionate about literature and poetry,” started writing stories at the age of 6.
Born in Dallas, Texas, to parents who emigrated from India, Vederey moved to the Washington, DC, area after finishing kindergarten.
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