STEM NOLA

What STEM NOLA does

STEM NOLA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 2013 by Dr. Calvin Mackie and Tracy Mackie in New Orleans, Louisiana. The organization designs and delivers free, hands-on STEM education programs to K-12 students, families, and communities, with a specific focus on under-resourced and underrepresented populations. Its core programmatic offerings include STEM Fests (community festivals featuring up to 60 hands-on stations), STEM Saturdays (monthly events across Louisiana), STEM Fellows (a grades 9-12 program with innovation competitions, internships, and college-application support), STEM NOLA@Home (weekly virtual live sessions with downloadable STEM cards, including bilingual Spanish content), School Programs, Summer Camps, Rocket Day, and Professional Development for educators. All programming is offered at no cost to participants, and curriculum is described as standards-aligned, culturally competent, and developmentally appropriate.

The organization operates a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model with no fee-based revenue stream. Programs are funded through individual donations (including the "10 for 10" monthly recurring campaign), corporate sponsorships (Boeing, Chevron, Entergy, Ochsner Health, AT&T), foundation grants (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Fund II Foundation, NBA Foundation), and federal appropriations (U.S. Department of Defense, congressional grants). National scale is delivered through STEM Global Action, an affiliate network launched in July 2021 that replicates the New Orleans model across the U.S., with international expansion via partnerships with the U.S. Embassy Tanzania and Projekt Inspire.

STEM NOLA has reached over 250,000 K-12 students across 47 states and 5 countries since founding. In 2024, programs engaged 40,961 participants across 14 states; in the first half of 2025, 18,995 students were engaged across 7 states. The organization is investing in significant physical infrastructure, including a planned ~$10 million, 40,000-square-foot STEM Innovation Hub for Black Excellence in New Orleans East (funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ochsner Health, and a $2M federal grant via Congressman Troy Carter) and an embedded STEM District within Bayou Phoenix LLC's $100 million redevelopment of the former Six Flags/Jazzland site. Leadership includes Founder/CEO Dr. Calvin Mackie (former tenured Tulane engineering professor), Co-founder Tracy Mackie, Chief of Staff Angèle McClain, Chief Administrative Officer Lawrence Jackson, Chief Communications Officer Jim Pittman, and Chief Development Officer Marcel McGee.

Name

STEM NOLA

Legal name

STEM NOLA

Website

https://stemnola.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

STEM NOLA is a 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2013 that delivers free, hands-on STEM education programs to K-12 students, families, and communities, with a focus on under-resourced populations across 47 states and 5 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEM Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Maker Education (Makerspaces, Coding Clubs, Robotics) (EDAAAFAL), Science & STEM Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAH), STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

Keywords

• K-12 stem education
• Out-of-school learning
• Community-based education
• Teacher professional development
• Stem curriculum services

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: STEM NOLA accepts individual donations through its website, monthly recurring gifts (10 for 10 campaign at $10/month), corporate matching gifts, and memorial/tribute gifts. All donors receive a tax-deductible acknowledgment letter.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Major corporations (Entergy, Chevron, Boeing, Ochsner, AT&T, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Fund II Foundation) provide sponsorship and grants to fund programs, events, and the STEM Innovation Hub.
3. Foundation and Government Grants: STEM NOLA receives grant funding from government agencies and foundations including the U.S. Department of Defense ($2.79 million grant for Gulf South military families), W.K. Kellogg Foundation ($1.25 million), and federal congressional appropriations ($2 million grant via Congressman Troy Carter). Programs are free to participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

STEM NOLA designs and delivers free, hands-on, community-based STEM education programs to K-12 students, families, and educators through flagship offerings such as STEM Fests, STEM Saturdays, Summer Camps, in-school STEM Programs, the STEM Fellows high-school program, STEMNOLA@Home virtual sessions, and Professional Development for teachers. All programming is provided at no cost to participants and is funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and federal grants.

Product overview

STEM NOLA is a national leader in the design and delivery of STEM-based activities, programs and events to K-12 students, families and communities. The organization operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture with its flagship programs (STEM Fests, STEM Saturdays, STEM Camps, STEM Fellows, Professional Development, and STEM NOLA @Home) forming the core educational offerings. These programs are designed to expose, inspire, and engage students through hands-on learning experiences. The organization has expanded nationally through STEM Global Action (SGA), an affiliate network launched in 2021, and is developing major physical infrastructure including a STEM Innovation Hub and a broader STEM District in New Orleans East. Programs focus particularly on underserved communities and emphasize 21st-century skills including communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEM Fests Community-based STEM exploration events where youth interact with over 60 hands-on STEM stations, keynote speeches, demonstrations, experiments, and live guidance from college student and professional volunteers. Delivered free of charge to K-12 students and families.
• STEM Saturdays Monthly STEM events held across Louisiana that engage hundreds of students and their families using hands-on projects to deepen engagement with specific STEM themes.
• Advanced STEM Immersion Camp Intensive in-person and virtual camps for 3rd through 12th grade students that develop advanced science, engineering, technology and mathematics skills with real-world applications and mentoring from STEM professionals. Includes Hands-On Summer Camps and Technology Camps.
• School Programs Hands-on, inquiry-based activities and events designed to supplement STEM curriculum requirements at every grade level, including teacher development packages. Students learn through asking questions, observing demonstrations, completing experiments, building kits, and collaborative projects.
• STEM Fellows Program A high school student program (grades 9-12) with strong STEM interest that provides hands-on learning, internships, innovation competitions, professional mentorships, college application assistance, and recommendation letters. Fellows engage in eight-month long mini-courses addressing real-world STEM challenges.
• Professional Development Curriculum, professional development, and materials for educators providing training and support in integrating culturally-competent, developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned STEM learning into classrooms, working directly with thousands of educators annually.
• STEM NOLA @Home Virtual live STEM sessions held every Thursday at 4:00 PM CST, allowing students to engage in hands-on STEM activities from home. Includes live session registration, past session downloads (STEM cards), and downloadable STEM activities for K-2 and 3-12 age groups.
• Rocket Day An annual event where students in grades K-12 engage in rocketry and aerospace engineering activities including assembling pop rockets, straw rockets, paper cup rockets, rolled rockets, learning about rocket propulsion and trajectory, and building and launching model rockets. Over 450-550 participants attend annually.
• STEM Innovation Hub for Black Excellence A 40,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in New Orleans East serving as headquarters for STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action. Features specialized laboratory space, classrooms, and meeting spaces for teaching coastal restoration, wind energy, robotics, and other STEM topics.
• Tanzania STEM Program International STEM education initiative in partnership with the US Embassy and Projekt Inspire, providing teacher-training, science kits, and resources for hands-on STEM activities in Tanzania. Includes virtual STEM@Home sessions, science fairs, and virtual reality workshops.

Quantifiable outcome

• 69% of K-12 students improved performance in math, science, and reading after one year in the afterschool program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMicrosoft partnered with STEM NOLA and the NFL to host an educational STEM event at Dillard University, donating 50 Laptop Go 3 computers to students and supporting an interactive course on generative AI.
• NFL (National Football League)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe NFL partnered with Microsoft and STEM NOLA for an educational event at Dillard University, with New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan serving as special guest.
• US Embassy TanzaniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe U.S. Embassy in Tanzania supported STEM Global Action's partnership with Tanzanian organizations to bring STEM education to children in Tanzania, providing teacher training, science kits, and resources.
• Projekt Inspire (Tanzania)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProjekt Inspire is STEM Global Action's Tanzanian partner, delivering STEM NOLA-style programming through teacher training, science fairs, virtual reality workshops, and Africa Science Week events across Tanzania.
• National Medical AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM NOLA partnered with the National Medical Association (NMA) to host a STEM Fest during the NMA 2023 Annual Convention and Scientific Assembly in New Orleans, engaging over 600 people in healthcare-themed STEM activities.
• Xavier University of LouisianaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerXavier University of Louisiana hosted the 34th Annual National Urban League's Youth Leadership Summit 2024, during which STEM NOLA conducted STEM engagement programming. Dr. Mackie delivered a commencement address and received an honorary doctorate from Xavier.
• Next Einstein Forum / Africa Science WeekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProjekt Inspire participated in Africa Science Week, an initiative of the Next Einstein Forum celebrated across Africa, with support from STEM Global Action and STEM NOLA.
• TechMGM / I-85 STEM Learning EcosystemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM Global Action partnered with TechMGM to launch the I-85 STEM Learning Ecosystem in Montgomery, Alabama, bringing STEM activities to over 850 kids and creating a regional STEM ecosystem affiliated with the Alabama STEM Council.
• Dillard UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDillard University partnered with Microsoft, NFL, and STEM NOLA to host an educational STEM event where 50 students received laptops and participated in a generative AI course taught by STEM NOLA.
• Bayou Phoenix LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEM NOLA partnered with Bayou Phoenix LLC as part of a $100 million development project reviving the former Six Flags/Jazzland site in New Orleans East. The STEM District will be a centerpiece of this development, alongside hotels, water parks, and sports complexes.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Project Lead the Way (PLTW): PLTW is a nonprofit that delivers K-12 STEM curriculum, teacher professional development, and school-based programming. Like STEM NOLA, PLTW focuses on hands-on, standards-aligned STEM learning for underserved students, making it the closest direct peer in school-delivered K-12 STEM instruction.
• FIRST: FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) is a youth-serving nonprofit offering K-12 STEM engagement programs including robotics competitions, mentorship, and after-school programming. Its community-event-driven model and corporate-sponsor funding closely parallel STEM NOLA's STEM Fests, STEM Saturdays, and STEM Fellows structure.
• MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement): MESA is a national nonprofit delivering K-12 STEM enrichment programs, with a particular focus on underrepresented minority and first-generation college students. Its hands-on, community-based model and metrics-driven outcomes (similar to STEM NOLA's 69% improvement claim) position it as a direct comparable.
• National STEM Festival / USA Science & Engineering Festival: The USA Science & Engineering Festival / National STEM Festival organizes large-scale public STEM events, exhibits, and competitions engaging K-12 students nationwide. It mirrors STEM NOLA's STEM Fests (60+ hands-on stations) and National STEM Challenge pipeline for high school Fellows.
• Iridescent (Technovation): Iridescent runs Technovation, a global nonprofit that mentors underrepresented youth (especially girls) through hands-on technology and entrepreneurship programs. Its mission, community delivery model, and outcomes focus on closing the STEM equity gap closely mirror STEM NOLA's underrepresented-minority focus and STEM Fellows competitions.
• Citizen Schools: Citizen Schools is a national nonprofit providing extended learning time, career exposure, and STEM apprenticeships for middle school students in under-resourced communities. Its apprenticeship and volunteer-mentor model closely parallels STEM NOLA's STEM Fellows program and after-school community-based delivery.

Emerging players

• Code.org: Code.org is a nonprofit focused on expanding access to computer science education in K-12 schools. While STEM NOLA's curriculum is broader (science, engineering, math, technology), both share the mission of bringing hands-on STEM/CS learning to under-resourced communities and rely on major corporate and foundation partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is an established K-12 EdTech provider offering digital STEM curricula, virtual labs, and teacher professional development. It serves similar school-buyer customers as STEM NOLA's School Programs and Professional Development offerings, but with a much larger commercial footprint and digital-platform orientation.
• National Geographic Society Education: National Geographic Society's education division delivers K-12 STEM and science programming, with substantial reach into schools and grant-funded community programs. Like STEM NOLA, it emphasizes hands-on inquiry-based learning and underrepresented communities, but operates at a substantially larger institutional scale.

Others

• STEMfinity: STEMfinity is a commercial distributor of STEM kits, hands-on activity materials, and curricula to schools, teachers, and community programs. It is an ecosystem supplier to STEM NOLA-style programs rather than a direct competitor, providing a useful comparison for activity-kit-driven engagement models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/STEMNOLA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMCUxMOz2Dvvc2GoVIFYc7A
• Facebookfacebook.com/stemnola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stem-nola
• Instagraminstagram.com/stemnola

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STEM NOLA