Bethesda Green Launches Teen Science Café

Bethesda, MD — Bethesda Green announced today it is launching a Teen Science Café in Montgomery County, MD. Run by and for high school students ages 14 through 19, the Bethesda Green Teen Science Café will provide students the opportunity to engage with STEM professionals on environmental issues. Through regular, informal speaker sessions, participants will not only learn about advances in environmental science and technology, but also gain exposure to different careers in the environmental field.

Kim Goddu-Alexander, Director of Bethesda Green’s Be Green Living Programs, who serves as the Teen Science Cafe Program Advisor said, “We are excited to be a part of the national Teen Science Cafe Network and bring this vitally important educational experience to the county. There are many professionals working in STEM fields in Montgomery County and the program we are launching today will help students learn more about the great STEM opportunities in our area, enabling them to pursue solutions to complex and urgent environmental challenges including, importantly, climate change.”

Rakesh Krishnan, a Senior at Walt Whitman High School will serve as the President of the Leadership Team for 2021-2022 and Alicja Mazurkiewicz, a Sophomore at Holton-Arms, has been appointed the Events Officer. A search is currently underway to fill Secretary, Ambassador, and Outreach Officer positions.

“These Teen Science Cafes are wonderful chances for teens to make connections with experts and have fun discovering their passions. I can’t wait to meet new people with similar interests and learn many new things!” says Krishnan.

Teen Science Café programming will launch in the coming months. To learn more, follow Bethesda Green’s Teen Science Café on Facebook or visit https://bethesdagreen.org/begreen-living/environmental-education/teen-science-cafe

The Teen Science Café is part of a national network of similar programs throughout the country hosted by various institutions.

About The Teen Science Café Network

The Teen Science Café Network is a web of interconnected organizations that offer teen café programs, such as libraries | museums | 4-H clubs | colleges | STEM education organizations |Boys & Girls Clubs | aquariums & zoos | after school clubs | and committed individuals. Teen Science Café programs are a free, fun way for teens to engage in lively conversations with STEM experts that explore the advances in science and technology that affect their lives.In these events, teens engage in lively conversation with local scientists and engineers about current cutting-edge developments in their fields, all in a relaxed and informal out-of-school setting. Teen Science Cafés are for teens, by teens. A core group of Teen Leaders, with the committed mentorship of an Adult Leader, plan and run the café programs. They welcome as diverse of a teen crowd as possible—diverse in ethnicity, culture, gender, and motivations for learning about science. Teen Science Cafés are not just for the science geeks; they are for all curious teens. Along the way, teen organizers gain a host of leadership skills.

About Bethesda Green

Bethesda Green works to address environmental challenges locally by creating a sustainable, green community, built collaboratively through citizen engagement, environmental education, government partnership and innovative business development. Bethesda Green’s Be Green Living Program, aims to elevate community engagement in programs that address environmental challenges. Part of this community-driven work includes education initiatives such as our Environmental Leaders Program and newly launched Teen Science Café. For more information about the Teen Science Cafe or Bethesda Green programming, contact Kim Goddu-Alexander at kim@bethesdagreen.org.