Hands-on STEM learning
Students explore STEM subjects by building, testing, discussing, and reflecting.
Impact & innovation
Our Impact
See who we’ve reached, what we’ve learned, and how the work is growing.
Our reach
Some of our stats
Since 2018, Building Bridges, Inc. has expanded hands-on learning, outreach, partnerships, and STEM conference participation.
- youth and parents
- 10,000+
- events
- 550+
- STEM programs
- 25+
- partnerships and collaborations
- 35+
- STEM conferences
- 5
Who helps make this work possible
Grants, sponsors, community partners, and individual donors help make our programs possible.
Program impact
What students gain
Students build skills, grow their confidence, and see more career possibilities.
Mentorship and confidence
Mentorship, self-affirmation, and repeated practice help students recognize their capabilities.
Career and workforce pathways
Career exploration and internships help students connect their interests to college, work, and careers.
How we have grown
How Building Bridges has grown.
We started with hands-on STEM and confidence-building for girls. Today, our work also includes school programs, camps, career exploration, mentorship, sustainability education, college internships, and workforce development.
What confidence means here
Confidence grows through experience.
Confidence means believing you can learn, grow, try something new, and work through a challenge. Building Bridges helps students build that belief through practice.
Programs combine positive self-affirmation, creative thinking, self-perception activities, mentorship, and hands-on STEM so students can practice recognizing their own capabilities.
Research & findings
What we’re learning
We share what we learn from our programs through conference posters and annual reports.
At the 2025 STEM Empowerment Summer Camp, more than 90% of participants reported feeling extremely confident in STEM at the end, and none reported low confidence.
2026 conference poster
Strengthening STEM Confidence in Girls Through Mentorship
View the 2026 poster →2025 conference poster
Consistent STEM Exposure Drives Girls’ Career Exploration and Builds STEM Confidence
View the 2025 poster →2024 conference poster
Summer STEM Camps Can Drive Exposure and Positively Impact Middle and High School Students’ Interest and Confidence in STEM Careers
View the 2024 poster →2023 conference poster
Community Partnership Can Drive Continuous STEM Exposure for Female-Identifying and Non-Binary Youth
View the 2023 poster →2022 conference poster
Building Self Awareness through STEM Virtual Summer Camp for Young Girls
View the 2022 poster →Program innovation
How the work is growing
Our work now includes sustainability education, career exploration, internships, and programming at Southside STEM Station.
Growing program
Sustainability education
Students explore food systems, waste, and climate through choices they make every day.
From Food Waste to Action: Why Sustainability Education Matters →
Career exploration through play
Take an interest quiz, explore 120 career profiles, and try interactive career activities.
Explore the Career Game →Internships & workforce development
College internships connect mentorship, leadership development, and nonprofit experience.
Explore workforce development →Southside STEM Station
A neighborhood learning space for workshops, family STEM nights, summer programming, and community access.
Visit Southside STEM Station →Reports
Annual Reports
Read about our programs, partnerships, and progress.
Partner or give
Help us reach more young people.
Partner with us, volunteer, or help fund hands-on STEM programs.