Our Future is Science

What Our Future is Science does

Our Future Is Science (OFIS) is a national virtual STEM mentorship program launched in 2021 as an initiative of the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program. It connects U.S. high school students (ages 15–17) with graduate-level STEM mentors in small teams to identify local challenges, apply the scientific method, and develop portfolio-ready Science Engagement Projects. The program follows a structured Explore-Apply-Lead pathway and comprises four interconnected offerings: the Mentorship Program (core year-long cohort, September–May), the Ambassador Program (alumni continuation), the Champions Program (low-barrier access for ages 14–25), and the Ideas to Impact national video contest (ages 14–24). Supporting features include a monthly Community Talk Series, professional development workshops, mentor-led virtual lab tours, and a Social Justice e-Library curriculum covering AI, environmental adaptation, health disparities, and data science.

The underlying technology is straightforward virtual program delivery: a Squarespace-hosted website, JotForm-based online applications, and standard video conferencing for mentorship team meetings, Community Talks, and lab tours. Participants submit short-form videos for the Ideas to Impact contest through online forms. The organization employs approximately 15 staff across program management, instructional design, and postdoc/community engagement roles, supported by a six-member Advisory Group (Jay Flores, Omar Gowayed, Mandë Holford, Gabriel Reyes, Jayshree Seth, Raven Baxter) and alumni advisors.

OFIS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that does not charge participants. It is funded through foundation grants and corporate sponsorships — current supporters include Richard King Mellon Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 3M, and Carson, with Genentech as a founding supporter. It also accepts individual donations through the Aspen Institute giving platform. The organization is explicitly not a venture-backed or revenue-generating entity, and no pricing model, ARR, or commercial revenue is disclosed.

Name

Our Future is Science

Legal name

Our Future Is Science

Website

https://ourfutureisscience.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Our Future Is Science (OFIS) is a nonprofit initiative of the Aspen Institute that runs a national virtual STEM mentorship program connecting U.S. high school students with graduate-level scientist-mentors to develop community-focused science projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth STEM Mentorship Programs

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Advanced Project-Based Learning & Portfolio Mentoring (STEM/arts portfolios, maker projects) (EDANAKAI)

Keywords

• STEM education programs
• Youth mentorship services
• Science engagement projects
• Near-peer mentorship
• Virtual learning communities

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorship: OFIS receives funding from foundations and corporations including current supporters (Richard King Mellon Foundation, Burroughs Wellcome Fund, 3M, Carson) and past supporters (Amgen Foundation, LEAP, Rita Allen, Lylie Hill Philanthropies, Samueli). The program also has founding support from Genentech.
2. Individual Donations: The organization accepts individual donations through the Aspen Institute giving platform to support program operations and expansion.
3. Participant Honoraria and Awards: While participants receive $1,000 honoraria for full participation in the Mentorship and Ambassador programs, this represents program expense rather than revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Our Future Is Science operates a national virtual STEM mentorship program that connects high school students (ages 15-17) with graduate-level STEM mentors to develop evidence-based Science Engagement Projects addressing community challenges. The initiative, run by the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program, delivers free programming including a year-long Mentorship Program, an alumni Ambassador Program, a Champions Program for open access, and the Ideas to Impact national video contest. Participants receive $1,000 honoraria for full participation in the Mentorship and Ambassador programs.

Product overview

Our Future is Science (OFIS) is a multi-component national virtual informal STEM learning program operated by the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program. The platform consists of four interconnected programs: the Mentorship Program (core experience pairing high school students with graduate STEM mentors in small teams to develop Science Engagement Projects), the Ambassador Program (alumni continuation offering leadership and multimedia content creation opportunities), the Champions Program (entry-level access to events and newsletters), and the Ideas to Impact Contest (national video competition). Supporting features include Community Talk Series, Professional Development Workshops, Mentor Lab Tours, and access to the Social Justice e-Library curriculum. The full OFIS Pathway moves participants through Explore, Apply, and Lead stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OFIS Mentorship Program Near-peer mentorship program pairing U.S. high school students (ages 15-17) with graduate-level STEM mentors in small teams. Participants explore community challenges, apply the scientific method, engage stakeholders, and develop evidence-based Science Engagement Projects over the academic year (September-May) through weekly mentorship team meetings, monthly Community Talks, professional development workshops, and mentor-led virtual lab tours. Both mentees and mentors receive a $1,000 honorarium for full participation.
• OFIS Ambassador Program Alumni continuation program for former OFIS mentees and mentors. Participants engage in bi-monthly meetings on topics such as climate change and mental health, create 2-3 multimedia outputs, contribute to workshops, and develop community-focused projects. Participants receive a $1,000 honorarium for full participation.
• OFIS Champions Program Open-access program for students ages 14-25 offering flexible virtual participation through Community Talks, workshops, campaign opportunities, and newsletters. No application is required beyond joining; participants explore STEM pathways and engage with science and community issues at their own pace.
• Ideas to Impact Contest Annual national educational video contest for U.S. youth ages 14-24 inviting short-form video submissions on how science can address community challenges. Winners receive cash prizes (Tier 1: $1,000, Tier 2: $500, Tier 3: $250). The contest is sponsored by the Aspen Institute on behalf of its Science & Society Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants receive $1,000 honoraria for full participation in Mentorship and Ambassador Programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and past.

• Coda SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Coda Societies, a citizen-centered design firm, collaborated with the Aspen Institute Science & Society Program in 2020 to conceptualize Our Future Is Science in response to major societal shifts around youth engagement in science-related challenges.
• LEAP Center (Columbia University)pastStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics (LEAP) Center at Columbia University has collaborated on Community Talks and programming around climate science and AI.
• Schools and Youth-Serving OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOFIS collaborates with schools and youth-serving organizations to expand campaign reach and elevate youth voices across the country.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Million Girls Moonshot: An initiative of STEM Next focused on engaging girls in STEM through out-of-school time programming — overlapping OFIS's equity-focused STEM pipeline mission with a much larger institutional footprint.
• MIND Research Institute: MIND Research delivers math-and-reasoning programs at scale to K-12 schools, competing for the same supplemental STEM enrichment budget lines that OFIS occupies in district partnerships.
• STEM Next Opportunity Fund: STEM Next funds and disseminates high-quality informal STEM learning programs nationally, making it both a potential partner and a competitor for the same funder relationships and recognition as a field-builder.
• National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI): NMSI operates national STEM college-readiness programs with a far larger footprint and foundation funding base; it competes with OFIS for the same philanthropic and CSR dollars targeting underserved youth STEM access.
• FIRST Robotics: FIRST operates large-scale, mentor-driven K-12 STEM competitions globally; it draws the same mentor volunteers and competes for visibility in the youth STEM engagement space that OFIS targets.

Emerging players

• Science Olympiad: Science Olympiad runs team-based STEM competitions for K-12 students nationwide, intersecting with OFIS's contest and project-based learning approach for high-achieving youth.
• Science Club for Girls: A nonprofit running mentor-led STEM clubs for underserved youth; smaller scale than OFIS but pursues the same near-peer mentorship and identity-affirming STEM pathway mission.

Direct peers

• Iridescent: Iridescent operates the Curiosity Machine program, pairing youth with STEM mentors for project-based learning — directly comparable to OFIS's near-peer mentorship and Science Engagement Project model.
• Technovation: Technovation runs a global mentorship and competition program that pairs youth with professional mentors to develop technology-based community solutions — analogous to OFIS's mentorship + Ideas to Impact contest structure.

Others

• Generation Science / After-School STEM Programs (Aspen): Other Aspen Institute programs and adjacent youth civic-science initiatives that share the parent institution's brand, funders, and policy audience — an ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ourfutureissci
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OurFutureisSc
• Instagraminstagram.com/ourfutureisscience
• TikToktiktok.com/@ourfutureisscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ofis-2021

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Our Future is Science