For a decade now, we've guided students towards discovering their passions and allowing their most audacious ideas to take flight. Our philosophy revolves around inquiry and curiosity, laying the groundwork for a transformative experience that opens students’ eyes to careers in STEM.
"This is a possibility for me."
It’s a sentiment that has guided us from FirstHand's beginnings. What started as single-day field trips to a real-life biotech lab, is now a nationally recognized, US Department of Education-funded, multi-week STEM education program for middle and high school students.
2.5K middle & high school students served
87 schools
23 middle & high schools partners
37K hours of student engagement
15+ average hours of engagement per student
348 mentors
95 mentor companies
FirstHand isn't a solitary endeavor: it's a collaborative effort involving industry partners, educators, and passionate individuals committed to opening pathways to possibility for students at some of Philadelphia’s most undercapitalized schools.
Our vision extends beyond merely exposing students to the world of science; it's about empowering them to see themselves within it. We want every student to walk away with the realization that a career in STEM is not a distant dream but a tangible reality within their grasp.
With each lab visit, each experiment conducted, and each question asked, we aim to nurture not only STEM skills but also the confidence to pursue them.
As we reflect on a decade of FirstHand, we’re eager to increase our impact and extend our reach (more on that soon) over the next 10 years.
