Livingston Student Starts Nonprofit to Bring STEM Courses to Underfunded Districts
LIVINGSTON, NJ — In order to help bring STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) courses to underfunded school districts, Livingston High School (LHS) rising senior Eric Jing recently founded a nonprofit called “The STEM Generation" that is now helping districts across several states.
After initially launching the organization to help promote STEM education in the immediate area, Jing worked with a nonprofit attorney to incorporate the organization and attain tax-exempt status. Now a recognized 501©3 organization, STEM Generation is eligible for corporate grants and authorized to help school districts nationwide.
Jing, whose interest in STEM began in elementary school, said he was inspired to start STEM Generation during the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Protests.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily suspended donations, books have previously been sent to Reading Senior High School in Pennsylvania, Central High School in Tennessee, North Crowley High School in Texas, and more. The next donation is headed to Trenton Central High School in New Jersey.
Books are typically shipped to the more distant destinations, but Jing and fellow organization members enjoy personally delivering the book donations to schools within a one-hour radius.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily suspended donations, books have previously been sent to Reading Senior High School in Pennsylvania, Central High School in Tennessee, North Crowley High School in Texas, and more. The next donation is headed to Trenton Central High School in New Jersey.
Books are typically shipped to the more distant destinations, but Jing and fellow organization members enjoy personally delivering the book donations to schools within a one-hour radius.
“I read an article in which one teacher told a reporter that he ‘didn’t realize that people had textbooks with covers on them’ because his school hadn’t had the budget to replace their coverless and very outdated textbooks,” said Jing.
A couple months later, when Jing’s advanced placement (AP) biology teacher returned from a New Jersey teacher conference, Jing recalled her commenting on how lucky Livingston Public Schools students are.
“She said there were so many other school districts in New Jersey—which is an already pretty well-funded state in terms of education—depend on textbook donations to sustain their schools because they don’t even have the budget to afford to buy new books,” he said.
According to Jing, this not only saves shipping costs but also allows them to witness the recipients’ reactions to receiving the donations.
To date, STEM Generation has:
Aided more than 15,000 students and 23 public school districts;
Raised more than $10,000;
Received more than $175,000 in grants;
Donated more than 2,100 textbooks;
Served 36 states and Puerto Rico;
Hosted 10 science workshops;
Partnered with 23 organizations; and
Donated $15,000 worth of equipment to schools in need.