The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM

What The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM does

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at 420 20th Street North, Suite 2200, Birmingham, Alabama, that operates a portfolio of programs designed to broaden STEM participation among underserved and marginalized populations across the Southern United States. Its core programs span K-12 enrichment (STEM Enrichment Experience, STEAM Saturdays, Bridge to STEM, STEM College Bridge), undergraduate support (STEM Scholar Learning Community), medical-pathway preparation (STEM Pathways into Medicine, SEE Medical Pathways Scholarship with UAB), HBCU capacity-building (Digital Learning Innovation co-design with Complete College America), and specialized offerings including the Dr. Thomas W. Cole, Jr. Research Fellowship and the HELLO TANA cultural exchange with Arusha, Tanzania.

The organization's underlying technology is its culturally responsive STEM curriculum and institutional relationships rather than proprietary software platforms. Distribution channels are direct-to-institution (HBCU and MSI partnerships), direct-to-community (STEAM Saturdays at venues such as the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and Bessemer Housing Authority), and self-serve through tiered membership subscriptions. The digital footprint is built on a WordPress website plus Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and a Spotify podcast.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid nonprofit model: tax-exempt donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations as the primary funding source, tiered membership subscriptions ranging from free student/community tiers to $5-$10/month paid memberships, and program-specific grants supporting scholarships such as the $30,000 Beta Kappa Boule' STEM Medical Scholarship. The organization is founder-led by Calvin Briggs, Ed.D., and governed by a board including Chairman Dr. Anthony DePass, with no parent company, no venture investment, and no public funding rounds disclosed.

Name

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM

Legal name

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM

Website

https://southernstemcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM is a Birmingham, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating K-12, undergraduate, and medical-pathway STEM programs for underserved students in partnership with HBCUs and minority-serving institutions across the Southern United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

STEM Education and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM & Polytechnic-Focused HBCUs (EDAHAMAH), Health Sciences & Medical-Serving HBCUs (Nursing/Allied Health/Public Health) (EDAHAMAI)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• HBCU capacity building
• K-12 STEM enrichment
• Workforce development initiatives
• Culturally responsive STEM

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies heavily on tax-exempt donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations to fund its programs and activities. The website features multiple donation options and sponsorship packages for the Thomas W. Cole, Jr. Fellowship.
2. Membership Fees: The organization offers tiered membership levels including Silver ($5/month), Gold ($20 initial + $10/month), and free Partnership/Platinum Partnership levels, providing members with access to programs and community involvement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers educational programs, fellowships, and capacity-building support to broaden STEM participation among underserved and marginalized populations. Its portfolio spans K-12 enrichment, undergraduate learning communities, medical school pipeline programs, research fellowships, cultural exchange initiatives, and institutional co-design partnerships with HBCUs and minority-serving institutions across the Southern United States.

Product overview

The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs focused on broadening participation in STEM for underserved and marginalized populations. The core offerings include STEM Enrichment Experience (SEE), STEM Scholar Learning Community, STEM Pathways into Medicine, STEM College Bridge, and STEAM Saturdays, which work together to support students from K-12 through undergraduate completion. Additional specialized programs include the Dr. Thomas W. Cole, Jr. Fellowship for HBCU students, Bridge to STEM for middle/high school students, HELLO TANA cultural exchange, and the SEE Medical Pathways Scholarship. The organization primarily serves HBCUs, minority-serving institutions, and K-12 communities across the southern United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STEM Enrichment Experience (SEE): Program that increases K-12 student interest and academic performance in STEM academic and career pathways year-round.
• STEM Scholar Learning Community
• STEM Pathways into Medicine
• STEM College Bridge
• STEAM Saturdays
• Dr. Thomas W. Cole, Jr. Innovative Leadership, Education and Science Research Fellowship Award
• HELLO TANA

Products and services

• STEM Enrichment Experience (SEE) Year-round program that increases K-12 student interest and academic performance in STEM courses and activities, both in and out of school settings.
• STEM Scholar Learning Community Provides undergraduate STEM majors the academic support and career exploration needed to persist and complete a STEM degree.
• STEM Pathways into Medicine Introduces students to career pathways in the medical field through mentorship, academic support, and hands-on learning activities, preparing them for medical school admission.
• STEM College Bridge Program Provides high school seniors and recent high school graduates with academic support and advisement to launch their college journeys in STEM.
• STEAM Saturdays Community-based educational outreach providing hands-on and inquiry-based STEAM learning activities in a culturally responsive way for students of all ages, parents, and stakeholders.
• HELLO TANA Cultural exchange program connecting communities in Alabama and Arusha, Tanzania, focused on education, art, and community building to address systemic and institutional oppression.
• Dr. Thomas W. Cole, Jr. Innovative Leadership, Education and Science Research Fellowship Award Fellowship awarded to a deserving student attending an HBCU who seeks to engage in STEM research and demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities, including a summer research experience with STEM industry partners or national research laboratories and STEM mentorship.
• Bridge to STEM Middle and high school student program providing opportunities to explore STEM college and career pathways and develop skills needed to persist and complete STEM degrees.
• SEE Medical Pathways Scholarship Full tuition and book scholarship for eligible students pursuing health professions and medical degrees at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Quantifiable outcome

• HBCUs produce 20% of African American graduates while representing only 3% of institutions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Complete College AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComplete College America partnered with The Southern Center to gain a comprehensive view of the digital learning infrastructure landscape among HBCUs. The Southern Center assisted in building a co-design partnership, exposing opportunities for investment, and scaling up the DLI Body of Work. Through this partnership, six HBCU DLI Co-Design partners were selected.
• AAAS IUSEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Southern Center participates as guest editors in the AAAS IUSE Disruptor Blog, authoring posts and leading discussions around strategies that empower students from underrepresented communities to participate and succeed in STEM fields.
• Birmingham Civil Rights InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for STEAM Saturday events, Cocktails & Conversation series, and collaborative programming connecting civil rights history with STEM education and opportunities.
• Bessemer Housing AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the STEM Enrichment Experience (SEE) program and community STEAM enrichment events, bringing hands-on learning to underserved communities in Bessemer, Alabama.
• Clinical Diversity Solutions, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Stone and Clinical Diversity Solutions are changing the narrative around communities of color's participation in medical trials, increasing ethical and impactful participation in clinical trials and their impact on drug and treatment creation.
• NASAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cocktails & Conversation event series exploring the Long Civil Rights Movement in STEM, leveraging NASA's James Webb telescope launch as an opportunity for community engagement.
• Alabama State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization with logo displayed on the What Matters in STEM page, indicating collaborative relationship.
• Clark Atlanta UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization with logo displayed on the What Matters in STEM page, indicating collaborative relationship.
• Tuskegee UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization with logo displayed on the What Matters in STEM page, indicating collaborative relationship.
• HELLO TANAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural exchange program partnership with Tuskegee (Alabama) and Arusha (Tanzania) communities, focused on education, art, and community building across regions facing similar systemic challenges.
• KRU Hip-HopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural partner featured at STEAM Saturday events, bringing hip-hop culture to community STEM programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU): HACU advocates for and builds capacity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions, including STEM programs and federal funding access. Comparable as an MSI-focused capacity-building nonprofit, though serving a different minority constituency.
• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS): SACNAS broadens STEM participation for Chicanos, Hispanics, and Native Americans through mentorship, research opportunities, and conferences. Directly comparable as a STEM-equity nonprofit serving underrepresented minority students along the education-to-career pathway.
• Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF): TMCF supports HBCUs and other MSIs through scholarships, capacity building, and STEM pipeline programs with corporate partners. Its mission of resourcing minority-serving institutions through public-private partnerships is structurally aligned with the Center's HBCU DLI co-design role.
• National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME): NACME is a long-standing nonprofit increasing minority representation in engineering through scholarships, university partnerships, and K-12 interventions. Closely comparable as a STEM-equity nonprofit leveraging institutional partnerships to broaden minority participation.
• National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE): NSBE is the largest student-governed STEM organization dedicated to Black engineers, running K-12 through professional programs that mirror the Center's pipeline approach. Comparable in serving the same demographic for STEM persistence, but focused on engineering and with a national member-driven structure.
• Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network: QEM works to improve education for African American and other minority students via STEM capacity building at MSIs and K-12 schools. Directly comparable as a nonprofit focused on MSI STEM capacity and underrepresented minority student outcomes.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): UNCF is the largest private scholarship provider to HBCUs and MSIs, raising donations and operating STEM-focused programmatic support. It is the closest scale peer to the Southern Center's HBCU-focused STEM broadening mission, although it operates nationally and at materially larger scale.
• American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES): AISES supports Indigenous STEM students from K-12 through career with scholarships, conferences, and professional development. Comparable as a culturally-rooted minority STEM broadening organization with scholarship, K-12, and professional pipeline components.

Broad incumbents

• National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): NMSI scales STEM teaching and learning programs in K-12 and college with corporate and federal partners. Comparable as a STEM-education nonprofit that drives student outcomes through institutional partnerships, though its focus is broader than minority-serving institutions specifically.
• Complete College America: Complete College America is a national nonprofit working on college completion and equity, including the HBCU Digital Learning Innovation initiative in which the Center was a co-design partner. Comparable mission in HBCU/Minority-serving college completion, but operating at a broader, national policy level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SouthernSTEMctr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@thesoutherncenterforstem606/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/southernstemctr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-southern-center-for-broadening-participation-in-stem
• Instagraminstagram.com/southernstemcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Southern Center for Broadening Participation in STEM