#STEMSpotlight: Aviation Youth Empowerment Foundation

What’s the name of your organization? Aviation Youth Empowerment Foundation

What’s your name and title? Nathan Rix, Founder and Administrator

In which city (or cities) is your organization located? Portland, Seattle, and Sacramento

Describe your organization and its mission. The Aviation Youth Empowerment Foundation (AYEF) is a nonprofit, 501(c)3 and IRS tax-exempt organization that provides higher education grants to aspiring college students to strengthen racial and gender diversity within science, technology, education, and mathematics (STEM) college programs and ultimately the industries they join as college graduates. We are an open, active and inclusive organization and strive to become allies with Black, Indigenous, and Latinx folks to make our world a better place for all people.

What are the short and long-term goals for your organization? By 2023, AYEF’s goal is to provide significant financial assistance in the form of grants to twenty aspiring college students in the Pacific Northwest (Northern California, Oregon, and Washington) for four years of college.

How can TAO and community members support your work? TAO and community members can support AYEF's work by sharing TAO mentoring opportunities, inviting youth already involved with TAO to apply for AYEF scholarships, and of course, making a financial gift directly to AYEF. 100% of personal and corporate gifts go directly to support scholarships. This blog post is part of an awareness campaign about organizations working to advance STEM education opportunities for Oregon youth. A big thank you to Oregon Community Foundation for supporting STEM education!