The Need for STEM Classes

In today's world, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) skills are more important than ever. They open doors to exciting careers and innovative opportunities. However, for non-native English speakers, accessing quality STEM education can be a challenge. The good news is that there are many free resources available to help bridge this gap.

As someone who immigrated from India, and was always interested in technology and math, my learning was often bottlenecked by my English skills. I couldn't understand the the advanced words used in Youtube tutorials and articles on the internet, which meant I couldn't learn about some of the topics I was interested in.

A lot has changed in recent years however, and there are now many resources for kids to learn about more advanced topics on their own. Websites such as Khan Academy and AI models such as ChatGPT can simplify topics, or translate them to whatever language the user is most comfortable in. There are also a larger number of virtual classes kids can attend in order to get a more interactive and personalized experience.

However, all of these options face one of two problems: they either lack a human element, or are costly. There are currently no options for students who are interested STEM and want to take classes, but do not have the luxury of paying for expensive online courses.

In order to address this major gap in education, I have founded Toronto Stem Society. We offer completely free classes teaching about topics such as machine learning and engineering. Our classes are taught by bilingual teachers who speak both English and as well Mandarin, Tamil, or Urdu.