Presenter: Umar Mirza
NSHSS Student Council Member
After leading the STEM club at his middle school, Umar began to work with schools and the community around him to shape, grow, and lead STEM education and innovation. Starting his work under the name “Tech Gets Real” (now "Education Experts" - umarmirza.net), Umar began teaching students as young as four years old about the basics of what STEM has to offer. During his internship with Discovery Place Education Studio, Umar learned to create curricula centered around STEM, facilitated professional development sessions to educators, and completed a project that resulted in a functional open-source product that can be utilized to teach students about STEM. Additionally, he became a program facilitator and volunteer for his local library system leading summer camps and sessions centered around 3D printing, robotics, coding, engineering, and chemistry. Through his engagement in STEM, Umar has been featured at the Charlotte Mini Maker Faire and the North Carolina Technology in Education Society Conference for several years.
