Year 9

STEM Strong Sisters 2024 WFAA Field Trip

In 2024, Noggin kicked off something really special with our very first STEM Strong Sisters class. We created this program because we saw a real need: Black and Hispanic girls are still underrepresented in STEM careers, even though we know they have the talent and potential to thrive. STEM Strong Sisters is our way of opening doors, giving middle school girls the chance to connect with women who are already making their mark in STEM and surrounding them with mentorship and encouragement.

One of the biggest highlights of the year was a field trip to Mary Kay headquarters. The girls didn’t just learn how Mary Kay Ash turned an idea into an empire. They also met a panel of Black and Hispanic women in leadership roles at Mary Kay. From Directors of Global Quality Assurance to engineers, these women shared what it’s like to work in male-dominated fields and how they’ve built a culture of sisterhood, collaboration, and support. For our students, it was more than just a field trip. It was a powerful glimpse into what their own futures could look like.

We also expanded our Summer Robotics Camp into a full week in Dallas, thanks to the incredible support of the Village Giving Circle, Go AeroMx, and the Nissan Foundation. Students from underserved communities got hands-on experience with robotics, coding, and engineering. The highlight of the camp was our Shark Tank Junior competition, where campers worked in teams with industry mentors to design solutions to real-world problems. Their final presentations blew the judges away with creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving. Watching their energy and confidence shine was a reminder of why it is so important to give kids access to these opportunities early on.

Another exciting step forward came through our partnership with JP Morgan Chase’s Force for Good program. As Noggin continued to grow, we knew we needed a better way to manage student and family data. The Force for Good team stepped in and built a customized database that helped us track student progress, meet family needs more effectively, and streamline how we report on impact.

Looking back, 2024 was a year of growth and momentum. From inspiring girls to see themselves as future STEM leaders, to expanding robotics opportunities, to building the tech foundation we need to grow, Noggin is stepped boldly into the future with purpose and vision.

2024 Timeline

February- STEM Strong Sisters Begins

March- Partnership with JP Morgan's Force For Good

Year 8

Village Giving Circle Grant

In 2023, we began writing grants to fully fund our programming, and we experienced remarkable success—especially for our first year applying. We received a total of $20,000 from the Village Giving Circle and the Communities Foundation of Texas,  all on our first attempt.  The grant-writing process also revealed an opportunity to strengthen our data-gathering and analysis systems to better measure and communicate our impact.

That year, we also embarked on developing a strategic plan, which led us to adopt a more localized approach to serving students. We realized it was challenging to effectively implement our wraparound service model across the entire Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Referrals to resources—such as food pantries, job assistance, and most of our teaching staff—were concentrated in southwestern Dallas. Serving students as far away as Garland made it difficult to provide consistent, accessible support. By narrowing our focus to the southwestern Dallas area, we could maximize the time students spent with us and better prepare them for long-term success.

Most of our students were three to four grade levels behind, and one year of tutoring was not enough to close that gap. Our goal is to work with them continuously, leveling the playing field so they can compete with their peers and have every opportunity available to them.

We also began working with Social Venture Partners Dallas.  SVP is an organization that partners with nonprofits to help them achieve their goals. Through the Dana Jewitt Program—an initiative pairing young professionals with nonprofits—we spent over eight months refining our board recruitment process, creating a grant-vetting system, and organizing opportunities to ensure we pursue those that are the best fit.  Participation in that program provided grant funding from the Addy Foundation, the Sapphire Foundation, and SVP and established meaningful relationships with individuals within those organizations.  

This year in Lubbock, Texas, we expanded our one-day coding and robotics event into a full week of immersive learning. The extended format allowed students to gain more hands-on experience with robotics and explore coding in fun, creative ways. Over the course of the week, participants built a deeper understanding of how the robots function and developed practical skills they can use in the future. They learned to write algorithms and conditional statements, gaining an engaging introduction to the world of robotics.

One of the highlights of the year was when we were nominated by D CEO Magazine for their Innovation in Education Award. While we did not win, the nomination itself—given to only a select number of organizations from a large applicant pool—was a meaningful recognition of our work in education.

2023 Timeline

January- Communities Foundation of Texas grant awarded

May- D CEO Nomination- Innovation in Education

Expanded robotics to a week-long camp

June- Addy Foundation grant awarded

Social Venture Partners grant awarded

July- First coding camp

November- Sapphire Foundation grant awarded

Village Giving Circle grant awarded

Years 6 & 7

Robotics Camp 2022

2021 and 2022 were years of launching and new beginnings. I was focused on building a team that could help us stay informed about trends, offer valuable insights, and provide wisdom across various areas. With a small board, we needed additional individuals to help us answer important questions. That’s why we launched our Advisory Council—a think tank of individuals who believe in our vision and partner with us to advance our mission.

We also hosted our first robotics camp, inspired by an idea from one of our board members. Her daughter had competed on a robotics team, and she recognized the value of bringing that opportunity to our families. Camps like these are typically out of reach for the demographic we serve, but they offer students invaluable hands-on STEM experience, boost problem-solving and collaboration skills, and spark interest in high-demand careers in science and technology. She saw the need to advocate for Noggin students to have that same opportunity—and 20 students attended that first camp!

In November 2022, we reached a major milestone: $100,000 in annual donations. Many nonprofits don’t make it past $20,000 or even $50,000 annually, so this achievement marked a significant step forward in establishing our legitimacy. It demonstrated to our stakeholders the real impact we’re making and opened the door to future funding opportunities.

That December, we decided to host a Christmas party for our families. One of our core values is relationships, and we wanted to spend time with our families outside of academic programs and get to know them better. It was also a way to ease the burden of the holidays. Every family left the party with bags of gifts slung over their shoulders—just like Santa—thanks to the generosity of our donors. This is a tradition we’re proud to continue every year.

2021-2022 Timeline

December- Advisory Council established

July- First robotics camp held

August- Launch of the youth Junior Board

October- Parent Liaison program launched

November- Noggin Educational Foundation hits $100K in annual donations

December- First Noggin Families Christmas Gift Giveaway party