STEM Education

We empower the next generation of innovators in science, biotech, and medicine.

At RTW Foundation, we know that empowering a diverse group of students to be the next generation of healthcare providers, biotech entrepreneurs, and scientists will lead to greater innovation and advancements in healthcare. Through our STEM Mentoring Program, BioQuest, and strong partnerships with world class academic institutions, we’re investing in students’ access to high quality mentorship, career exposure, and cross-functional training. Learn more about our work in STEM education and how to get involved below.   

RTW Foundation Donates $8 Million to Reimagine Physician Training in Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine

RTW Foundation (RTWF) and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine are proud to announce a landmark $8 million gift from RTWF Co-Chairs Roderick Wong, M’03, and Marti Speranza Wong, C’98, to reimagine medical education. This once-in-a-generation investment will support a transition to a competency-based, flexible curriculum that allows medical students to self-pace their learning while engaging with cutting-edge technology, AI, and emerging trends in global health equity. 

01 BioQuest STEM Mentoring Program

What is BioQuest?

BioQuest is a STEM mentoring program designed to give middle and high school students meaningful opportunities to explore diverse careers in science, biotechnology, and medicine. Over the past two years, we've engaged more than 200 students from the South Bronx through hands-on enrichment events, winter break experiences, and a new paid summer internship program. We are proud to have co-created this program with our incredible partners at Areté Education, BioBus, Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Futures Ignite, Mott Hall II, and Weill Cornell Medicine.

02 PennHealthX

HealthX Partnership

PennHealthX is a student-led organization within the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine that supports students with an interest in healthcare management, entrepreneurship, and technology. In 2019, RTW Foundation’s Co-Chair Roderick T. Wong, MD, an alumnus of the Perelman School of Medicine, signed a $6 million gift agreement to endow the PennHealthX Program to help influence the careers of students interested in business and medicine. This gift has enabled HealthX to expand its reach—hosting over 100 lecture series events, funding nearly 50 non-traditional summer internships, providing seed funding for more than 50 student-run startups, and awarding over 50 H-MET certificates to graduating PSOM students. RTW Foundation continues to support HealthX programming to elevate impact and empower future innovators.

Rutgers

Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s International Health Education and Learning (iHEAL) program provides medical residents with international residency opportunities to gain firsthand experience in global health. In 2021, RTW Foundation partnered with iHEAL, funding annual four-week residencies where medical residents assisted communities abroad and developed lasting medical solutions using scientific and educational models. Our first iHEAL scholar, Amanda Walker, MD, completed a four-week international residency in Kampala, Uganda to determine the knowledge and perceptions of the hydroxyurea treatment among patients with sickle cell disease and their caregivers, and created an educational curriculum with local medical staff at Mulago Hospital’s Sickle Cell Clinic. Together, we help train future physicians to advance global health equity while sharing their insights through scholarly projects and presentations. 

BioEYES

The University of Pennsylvania's BioEYES program has been providing lab experiences and science education programming to students at no cost for the past 20 years. In 2021, RTWF partnered up with BioEYES to bring their program to students in New York City for the first time. The partnership between RTWF and BioEYES continues with the aim of reaching 1,000 new students in East Harlem.

STEM Education Partners

BioBus

BioBus helps NYC students K-12+ to discover, explore, and pursue science. They focus on students excluded from the scientific community due to factors such as race, gender, economic status, and physical access.

Weill Cornell Medicine

For over 100 years, Weill Cornell Medicine has been a community of world-class physicians, researchers and educators committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world.

Liberty Science Center

Liberty Science Center is for learners of all ages. Their planetarium, exhibits, animals, and live science demonstrations make for an unforgettable experience. Their education programs enhance field trips with standards-aligned, highly interactive workshops, available for students from Pre-K through high school.

Life Science Cares

Life Science Cares provides a platform for companies and their employees to make a difference. We make impactful grants to community nonprofits that are implementing research-driven solutions in the areas of survival, education, and economic sustainability—and supercharge these grants with volunteer hours, donated goods, strategic support, and advocacy.

DNA Learning Center

Since the DNA Learning Center was established in 1988, they have been advancing genetics education through laboratory experiences for students and educators in New York and beyond. More than 750,000 middle and high school students have experienced our hands-on approach to science instruction over the last 35+ years.

New York Genome Center

New York Genome Center advances genomic science and its application to novel biomedical discoveries by leveraging technology development, computational biology, and whole-genome sequencing. The center focuses on developing new genomic technologies, designing new clinical trials, and translating genomic discoveries into new treatments, diagnostics, and preventive measures.

Genspace

Genspace is the world’s first community biology lab, where people of all backgrounds learn, create, and grow with the life sciences. They have served the greater New York area by providing hands-on STEAM education programs for youth and adults, cultural and outreach events for the public, and a membership program to support New York’s community of creatives, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Genspace provides a platform for innovation and cultivates the next generation of life sciences leaders in emerging global technologies, such as biotechnology, neuroscience, epidemiology, genomics, and many more.

Hudson River Park

Hudson River Park’s River Project hosts a series of low-cost environmental education programs for organized groups using the Hudson River waterfront as its classroom. Field trip programs allow students to interact with the River and Park through enriching and fun activities that inspire the scientist within each student!

American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world’s preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret, and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world, and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education, and exhibition.
City University of New York

The City University of New York (CUNY) provides a public, first-rate education to all students, regardless of their means or background. CUNY acts as a transformative engine of social mobility for New York City. This mission is supported by a focus on affordability, academic excellence, student support, and preparing graduates for social and economic mobility. 

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