NEW ORLEANS – Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Society for Science has awarded a $4,000 STEM “action grant” to New Orleans nonprofit Be Loud Studios, which operates a student-run radio station and digital media production program. The funds will support the Be Loud on the Road project, which will help students report on issues in their community.
Be Loud, which had pivoted to virtual education during the pandemic, has been operating an in-person summer camp program at Bricolage Academy.
“Our culture often devalues the voices of youth, especially BIPOC youth,” said Diana Turner, the organization’s co-director, in a press release. “As a result, we work with students not to teach them creativity, but to amplify the creativity that is already within them. We do this by teaching digital media skills, coaching students on script writing, and finding outlets for kids to be louder.”
Society for Science recently announced $165,000 in microgrant funding to 38 “creative, community-driven” organizations across the United States through the STEM Action Grant program. The effort aims to improve outcomes for groups that have been historically left behind in STEM education and careers.
“If the United States is going to stand as a world leader in science and technology and keep pace in innovation with the rest of the world, we must prioritize investing in grassroots organizations that are doing the hard work on the ground, to engage and educate science learners of all backgrounds,” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of the Society for Science and publisher of Science News. “What’s most inspiring to me about these organizations is that they are identifying growth areas in their local communities and enacting real change.”
The group said this was the largest class in the history of the STEM Action Grant program. Since 2016, the program has awarded $410,000 to 64 organizations.
