URI_Research_Magazine_Momentum_Fall_2021_Melissa-McCarthy

Sprout and S.T.E.M. executive board members Weston de Lomba, Victor Hunt and Noor Kouki.

“In the very beginning, we would go to Classical High School at the end of the school day and host tutoring sessions in biology, chemistry, physics, and math. This is where our passion for helping students really came to life.”

When a 2019 review by the Johns Hopkins School of Education painted a disappointing picture of the Providence public schools, two University of Rhode Island (URI) alumni saw an opportunity to intervene. Concerned by chronic underperformance and a lack of academic resources, Victor M. Hunt ‘19 and Mark Liptak ‘19 established the nonprofit organization Sprout and S.T.E.M. to support historically disadvantaged school systems. With a focus on science and math, the organization has recruited dozens of undergraduate and graduate students to provide a free tutoring service. “Given the proximity of so many colleges and universities to public schools in Providence, it makes sense for us to connect with local high school students,” Hunt states. “We have so much intellectual talent at these institutions — why not draw from them and reallocate human resources to the schools that need them the most?” Over several months, Hunt scoured his social and professional networks to connect Sprout and S.T.E.M. with talented individuals who shared a passion for science and a strong desire to help the local community. Now the nonprofit boasts

- Mark Liptak

Biochemical neuroscience master’s candidate Victor Hunt, loads samples of hydrophobic proteins into an SDS-PAGE gel to conduct an aggregation assay.

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