On Thursday, September 17, LRSEF participated in Give for Good Louisville, an annual day of giving for nonprofits in our area. Thanks to your generous support, LRSEF surpassed our Give for Good fundraising goal with 105 donors! Funds raised during Give for Good and throughout the year directly support the annual science and engineering fair, as well as STEM outreach that is critical while many students are learning at home.
Gifts to LRSEF support Kentucky students pursuing STEM during a challenging year.
- Supporting STEM wherever students are: The over 350 students we typically serve at our annual in person regional fair may be attending school from home this fall. Many may lack access to the in-school and extracurricular guidance provided by teachers as they pursue their STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) research. This year, LRSEF is expanding online resources and mentorship for students in our 52-county service area, so that we can support them to independently engage in STEM research whether at home, virtually, or in-school.
- Donations encourage students to persist: We believe that providing a sense of normalcy and encouragement for middle and high school students is critical during these challenging times. LRSEF uses funds raised to award trophies and cash prizes to the STEM programs at the top three middle and high schools registering their students for the 2021 fair.
- Gifts reward students for their research: At LRSEF each year, our donors fund cash awards made to the students selected as First, Second and Third in 21 different science and engineering categories. These donors also have their name or company name highlighted in our program, on our website and on each student award. View last year’s sponsors.
- Fundraising sustains LRSEF: The mission of the Louisville Regional Science & Engineering Fair (LRSEF) is to awaken, promote, and recognize science and engineering talent among our area’s youth and act as a catalyst to promote science and engineering throughout Kentucky. Fundraising efforts such as Give for Good Louisville help us realize this mission.
- Donors help increase equity in STEM: Generous support is helping LRSEF volunteers expand outreach and improve diversity in the STEM fields. For the coming school year, LRSEF has increased access to its Student Equity in STEM Fund from just seven schools to include all students who qualify in our 52-county service area. This Fund is part of a statewide Amazon grant to KY-SEF with the aim to increase low-income and under-represented minority participation in all regional fairs. This LRSEF Equity Fund will provide financial support for students developing science and engineering projects including fee waivers, research materials grants, cash prizes, transportation and lodging.