USA (845) 600-0026
DR (829)956-0074
Who are we
Mastermind Jumpstart is a dynamic science education non-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to strengthening, enhancing and enriching students’ interest in STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) across provinces located worldwide. We bring free science programs to children who reside in remote areas where access to STEM education is not available or inaccessible. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential to our mission. One of our goals is to target the areas where we have found that there is a high number of low income-eligible students.
Why STEM?
Roughly 80% of the jobs created in the next decade will require skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). These will be among the highest paying jobs in society with the greatest opportunities for further career advancement. Unfortunately, globally only 1% of graduates pursue STEM-related fields and the number of female graduates is much lower. This is an educational crisis affecting our children.
To make matters worse, the pursuit of STEM-related degrees is severely impacted by students' gender, race, and household income - factors over which these would-be innovators have no control. When we fail to provide students with exposure and hands-on experiences, we rob these kids of their potential and we ignore the shortage of qualified STEM graduates entering tomorrow's workforce.
Consider how many brilliant engineers, scientists, and mathematicians we are losing through our current learning approach to STEM education. We face a worldwide shortage of STEM graduates because we are failing to excite and motivate our youth to pursue rewarding STEM careers. Our goal is to close that gap by making STEM challenges and competitions affordable, accessible, educational, fair, and fun for all kids.
In 1995, 37% of computer scientists were women. Today, it’s only 24%. The percent will continue to decline if we do nothing. We know that the biggest drop off of girls in computer science is between the ages of 13 and 17. We must start developing interest and in the areas of STEM in children at an early age so that we can increase the number of children entering this fields and graduating from them.
We acknowledge that historical and institutional barriers—particularly racial bias and discrimination—play a role in the widening gender gap in the different areas of science and the people who have access to opportunities in these fields. At Mastermind Jumpstart we focus our work not only on impoverished children in low income provinces across the Dominican Republic, but also in gender diversity of young women who are historically underrepresented in science fields, specifically girls who:
-
Come from underrepresented minority groups, including African American/Black, Hispanic or Latina, Bi/ Multiracial, Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander;
-
Come from low-income backgrounds, specifically free and/or reduced lunch eligible;
-
Have had a lack of exposure or access to science.
Activities
Mastermind Jumpstart is achieving more with our initiatives than ever before. We work on many exciting projects to help improve the lives of low-income families and are very proud of the progress we continue to make. Learn more about what we do, who we help, and how we work every day to promote positive change.
Mastermind Gardens
Mastermind Gardens was created by Mastermind Jumpstart and inspired by a lifelong passion for responsible gardening. Since then, we’ve managed to gain local support for our community to transform the gardens of the elderly and impoverished. We encourage the community members of all ages to join us as partners, sponsors, or volunteers. We’d love to see you at one of our gardening beautification events.
Mastermind E-Whiz
At Mastermind Jumpstart, we take our children’s safety preparedness very seriously. We believe that all children should feel comfortable when an emergency arises. They must understand that emergencies are something that they should be prepared for at any time and that they need to feel comfortable to react accordingly when they arise. Therefore, we provide workshops with exercises that help children become we call “E-Whiz”. Preparing for an emergency can be a difficult task for an adult and for a child this could be very challenging. At Mastermind Jumpstart we believe that one of the key strategies to helping children overcome the stress and anxiety that an emergency might cause is making emergency practices fun and regular. Mastermind Jumpstart provides workshops where we simulate emergency activities that teach children how to react in emergency situations that are not the frequent type of emergencies that they are used to experiencing while staying calm and safe.
​
Sign up for our E-Whiz workshops and we will notify you when we are in your area.
Mastermind Smiles
Mastermind Smiles understands that the early dental health education is crucial to help children maintain healthy teeth as they grow. This program is designed to educate children on a rich collection of lessons, activities, stories, songs and other resources that actively engage young children in fun-filled, play-based learning and help parents practice good oral health habits at home.
Once a month, a group of volunteer local Dentists gives their time to the mission of Mastermind
Smiles. This program also provides free dental cleanings to low-income families by in a mobile vehicle which is equipped with everything that is required to provide dental cleanings on the go to children who reside in remote areas. Every month we visit a different town. Join us in our goal to improve the oral health for the children of our future!