Our Mission
Why STEM_Lens exists, who we're here for, and what we've been working on.
Why we started STEM_Lens
STEM_Lens started with a simple observation: a lot of great STEM content assumes you already know where to look. Good explainers, real competitions, useful scholarships — they all exist, but they're scattered, and often written for people who already have a head start. We wanted a single, friendly place where any student could land, understand something new, and find a next step.
Our goal
We want to make STEM education and STEM opportunities more accessible — not just information about science, but the doors that come with it: competitions, scholarships, research programs, and community. Understanding how a cell repairs itself is worthwhile on its own. Knowing that a scholarship or competition exists for you, and how to apply to it, can change what your next few years look like.
Who we focus on
STEM_Lens is run by students, for students — with a particular focus on supporting girls in Afghanistan interested in STEM, who often face far fewer educational resources and opportunities than students elsewhere. We build our articles, workshops, and opportunity listings with that gap in mind, while keeping everything open and free for any student, anywhere, who wants to learn.
Our volunteer team
Everyone at STEM_Lens is a volunteer — students who write, research, design, and reach out in their spare time because they think STEM should be easier to get into. We're organized into a few small teams that work together on everything you see on the site:
Writing & Research
Researches topics and writes the articles, keeping the science accurate and the language simple.
Competitions & Scholarships
Finds and verifies competitions, scholarships, and programs, and tracks deadlines.
Graphic Design
Designs illustrations, workshop materials, and visuals used across the site and social media.
Community & Outreach
Connects with schools and student groups and helps students hear about STEM_Lens in the first place.
Workshops
Plans and runs our competition-preparation workshops, from topic selection to follow-up resources.
Social Media
Shares articles, opportunities, and workshop updates, and answers questions from students day to day.
Interested in joining one of these teams? Find out how on our Join Our Team page →