What started out as one Academy student wanting to bring hands-on science to an APS elementary school has grown into EFFECTS, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that aims to bring inquiry-based science education to underserved elementary school students in Albuquerque. It currently serves more than 500 students at eight schools with 20+ staff members.
Based on a need recognized by Co-Founder Quinn Ennis ’22, EFFECTS has been turned over to Director and Co-Founder Neil Mahto ’23 to continue the mission of bringing science, technology, engineering, art, and math to elementary students in Title I schools. Its legacy will be continued in the hands of Sydney Marks ’24, a current vice-president and web editor, in the 2023-24 school year.
Supported by a team of dedicated volunteers, mostly Academy juniors and seniors, they bring science experiments into the classroom at schools that do not have the resources to provide the teaching or materials. In fact, at one school they work with, science is optional. “It’s heartbreaking,” says Neil, “that they are not getting an opportunity to have fun doing science.”
A handful of Academy students are assigned to each school to accommodate everybody’s schedules. The student volunteers develop the experiment, buy or borrow the necessary materials, travel to and from the school, and guide their elementary school students through the activity. Each staff member dedicates about three hours per week to EFFECTS, with the more-senior members with administrative responsibilities spending closer to five hours per week.
“The teachers we work with love us,” says Vice President Henry Wesevich ’23. “It’s really nice for them to have teaching assistance and a chance to do experiments.”
With a budget of $20 per experiment per school, the students tap the modest funds EFFECTS has raised so far. With a succession plan in place, five schools wanting to join the program, and ambitious goals, the future will depend on student volunteers and funding. They project growing to 50 staff members serving 15 elementary schools, over three years, requiring a minimum budget of $27,500.
Click here to learn more about EFFECTS and follow their work on Instagram.
