When Makeda joined STEM From Dance during the summer before her senior year of high school, she was lost in a fog of uncertainty. "I was telling my friends, 'I don't know what makes me passionate,'" she recalls. As she prepared college applications, this ambitious young woman found herself directionless, applying to 22 different programs across wildly different disciplines—from theater to pre-med to African-American studies—hoping something would stick.

Yamilée Toussaint, the founder of STEM From Dance and MIT engineer, is named one of the Top 5 CNN Heroes of 2024. CNN’s Anderson Cooper made the announcement live on CNN’s morning show and encouraged the public to vote for their favorite finalist so they can continue their life-changing work.

Yamilée Toussaint, the founder of STEM From Dance and MIT engineer, is selected as a CNN Hero. Her groundbreaking national nonprofit is transforming the STEM field by empowering girls of color with the know-how, experience, and confidence to dream big in STEM — all through the power of dance.

We are thrilled to announce groundbreaking support from Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google.

In a powerful convergence of dance, technology, and educational leadership, our founder Yamilee Toussaint recently served as master of ceremonies for the U.S. Department of Education's "YOU Belong in STEM" convening at the White House.

In a moment that powerfully affirms our mission, STEM From Dance founder Yamilée Toussaint has been recognized with MIT's prestigious 2024 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award. This isn't just an accolade—it's a resounding validation of our revolutionary work at the intersection of art and innovation, empowering girls of color to transform the STEM landscape.

Have you ever walked into a room and immediately felt a surge of inspiration? That's the experience our students had walking into their Girls Rise Up sites this summer.