Press Releases
Providing pathways to possibilities for students in STEM
New York, NY – MƒA is proud to announce the launch of the MƒA STEM Futures Cohort, a five-year initiative designed to encourage students from low-income families in New York City to pursue STEM majors in college. This new project, officially beginning in Fall 2025, will build on the foundation of outstanding MƒA mathematics and science teachers in New York City high schools.
After partnering with Leaders High School in Brooklyn and Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) in Washington Heights, MƒA will offer STEM enrichment activities to ninth grade students and collaborate closely with MƒA teachers to identify students with strong potential for a paid summer program. The summer program will then focus on collaborative projects in math and computer science, nurturing both technical skills and a culture of peer support within an estimated 40 student cohort. In addition to building STEM interest and skills, the program will promote a culture in which it is every student’s responsibility to help every other student succeed.
“We believe that access to STEM success shouldn’t depend on zip code or income level. The MƒA STEM Futures Cohort allows us to complement the incredible work MƒA teachers are already doing in classrooms by creating STEM pathways for students that extend beyond the school day and into real-world experiences.”
- MƒA President Maria Klawe
In Year 2, the project will expand to include 10th grade students, with returning participants mentoring incoming ninth graders. Over time, cohort members through grade 12 will be offered internships with industry partners such as Google and other technology firms. Each summer, a new cohort of ninth grade students will be chosen while existing participants will continue to receive support through mentoring, enrichment, college advising, and additional internship opportunities.
After meeting with several New York City high schools, Leaders High School and WHEELS were chosen for the project due to the fact they each:
- Comprise a presence of MƒA teachers
- Cultivate a school culture that values collaboration among educators and students
- Consist of a student body composed primarily of students from low-income families
“We are so excited to take our partnership with MƒA to the next level by providing our students with opportunities to see how math and science can be empowering tools to help shape their futures."
- Tom Mullen, Principal, Leaders High School
"Having served as an MƒA Master Teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how deeply MƒA invests in New York City educators—and how that investment expands what’s possible for students. We’re thrilled to partner with MƒA through the STEM Futures Cohort to open doors to enrichment, mentorship, and paid summer learning so more of our students can envision—and pursue—STEM pathways in college and beyond.”
- Jon Koenig, Assistant Principal, Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School
Each school is located in a district overseen by Alan Cheng, superintendent for 51 NYC high schools, including schools in the Consortium, the Internationals Network, and NYC Outward Bound. Cheng has 20 years of experience in New York City schools and also serves on the MƒA Board of Directors.
“This initiative builds on the extraordinary work of MƒA teachers in our classrooms and extends it into multi-year, real-world opportunities for students. By combining enrichment, mentorship, and pathways to internships, the STEM Futures Cohort not only prepares our students for success in college and careers—it empowers them to envision themselves as the next generation of innovators and problem-solvers.”
- Alan Cheng, High School Superintendent, NYC Public Schools
A central goal of the MƒA STEM Futures Cohort is to learn how comprehensive, multi-year support—grounded in excellent teaching—can help more students from historically underrepresented backgrounds thrive in STEM fields. The MƒA Board of Directors will review the project’s progress in December 2027, with the goal of informing future efforts and broader policy conversations about equity in STEM education. The MƒA STEM Futures Cohort is made possible with financial support from the Simons Foundation, Gotham Gives, the Overdeck Foundation, Liz Simons, and an anonymous donor.
At MƒA, we’ve created fellowships for accomplished mathematics and science teachers. Our model is based on the belief that collaboration, continued learning, and genuine respect enables teachers to grow professionally and provides long-term career satisfaction. This is a remarkable community of teachers who stay in the profession longer and define what teaching excellence means. These are teachers who inspire and motivate their colleagues. They change the lives of their students.