To empower students to reach their full potential, regardless of where they come from.
To Become a Leading After-School Academy that cultivates the brightest minds in the State.
STEM the Gap is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to closing educational disparities by connecting middle and high school students from underserved communities with college mentors for personalized tutoring in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Founded by Zakaria Okuwe, a nurse and former refugee who experienced firsthand the barriers to academic success, STEM the Gap aims to create early, sustained exposure to STEM fields, build academic confidence, and place students on a path to honors-level coursework and future STEM careers.
Our program offers mentorship, academic support, and enrichment activities to empower the next generation of innovators, especially first-generation Americans and students from low-income backgrounds.
Sioux Falls School District serves over 24,000 students, with nearly half living in poverty. While many organizations are working to prevent the cycle of poverty, STEM the Gap offers a targeted solution starting early. By investing in upstream workforce development beginning in middle school, we help students from the urban core build the academic foundation and confidence needed to succeed.
Our mission is to ensure every student is prepared to use the resources available to them so they can thrive, not just survive.
