We recently connected with Saanvi Dogra and have shared our conversation below.

Saanvi, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Science fairs have always been the highlight of my educational journey, sparking innovation and a passion that has only grown stronger over the years. In my freshman year of high school, I had the incredible opportunity to become a finalist at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), standing alongside students from 80 countries on a global platform. Each finalist had an inspiring story. Despite resource constraints and lack of access to education, they harnessed ingenuity and determination to conduct groundbreaking research with the resources available to them. However, I realized that many students from underserved communities aren’t always able to work around these restrictions. They might never unlock their potential simply because they lack the opportunity or encouragement to try. This realization motivated me to found Science Nexus, an organization dedicated to promoting curiosity and nurturing creativity in underprivileged students through hands-on experiential learning. After being inspired to promote science education, I was able to host some workshops at our local library. Immediately, I saw a large interest. Families and friends all came flooding to the workshops, eager to explore activities like testing pH indicators or navigating robots that we had set up. Seeing the joy on the children’s faces as they got to experiment with these new materials they had never seen before was really exciting. If the workshops helped people in my community find their interest, imagine the impact they could have in other states or even other countries. That was the moment I realized how I can promote science education around the world using the same workshop model. Developing this plan of action was the final trigger that pushed me into starting the organization.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

From a young age, I’ve always had a passion for science. My journey into the world of science began during elementary school when I participated in my first science fair. My project investigated the melting times of differently shaped ice pieces. I spent weeks meticulously researching, designing an experiment, creating data tables, and putting it all together on a display board. I felt immensely proud of my accomplishments. The joy I experienced in meeting challenges and satisfying my curiosity through scientific exploration was exhilarating. Since then, I have eagerly participated in science fairs every year, always looking forward to new projects. These experiences have been invaluable for me to understand the role of science in everyday development and ultimately lead me to establish Science Nexus. Science Nexus is a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking barriers and promoting science education for everyone, despite resource constraints. We address this issue by collaborating with volunteers worldwide to establish learning hubs locally in their communities. These hubs host workshops designed to spark curiosity and critical thinking. Using low-cost, locally available materials, we create a comprehensive curriculum based on a hands-on, experiential learning model. Unlike other organizations, Science Nexus provides the unique opportunity for hands on learning and tailored approaches to specific needs of each student. Through our global network, we empower youth from all walks of life, including first-generation students, individuals with disabilities, and those from underserved or marginalized communities. Our goal is to help them thrive in a rapidly evolving scientific landscape. By addressing these challenges, communities can achieve self-sustainability by discovering innovative solutions to their problems, gaining tangible skills for employment, and elevating their socio-economic status. By providing children born into impoverished families with the resources they need to create opportunities for advancement, we help break the generational poverty cycle. Along the way, we aim to develop future leaders and changemakers who can drive these goals within their communities and foster problem-solving skills in the younger generation. So far we have established 17 chapters in 12 different countries, and we’re continuing to grow!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started Science Nexus, I tried to organize all the workshops and plan the curriculum on my own. However, I soon realized this was a mistake. Not only did I lack understanding of the specific resources that individual schools needed, but the distance and sheer number of workshops made it difficult for me to effectively plan each one. The workshops weren’t as beneficial, and there was a disconnect between the team leading the experiments. At that point, I decided to pivot the business and reorganize the workshop model. I started assigning local chapter leads and worked closely with them to plan workshops. Working with the leads made it easier to communicate with organizations in different areas and gave me a better understanding of where and how we might conduct experiments. Additionally, I was able to better divide my attention across all the chapters since the leads shared some of the responsibility. Through this experience, I realized the importance of collaboration and having a team to effectively lead any organization.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

In order to manage a team and maintain high morale, it is important to always stay positive, even when something doesn’t go according to plan. While starting an organization it is common for things not to go your way. However, it’s crucial to never give up and keep trying. For example, there were many instances when schools didn’t respond, libraries didn’t have open rooms for workshops, or local volunteers were hesitant to join the Science Nexus team. By maintaining a growth mindset and believing that I would figure out the next steps, I was able to overcome these barriers. I stayed in consistent communication with the chapter leads and volunteers, taking multiple perspectives into account on how to handle these problems. Without this mindset, each small setback would have diminished my motivation and passion for running the organization. Similarly, another method of maintain high morale is adapting to changes in your plans. There have been many times when I had a plan for specific experiments or a curriculum timeline for workshops. However, due to changes in student interests or the time required to complete certain activities, the entire curriculum plan changed. In such situations, many people might want to revert to the original plan, but sometimes it’s better to embrace the new path. Students were able to learn better when they got more time for certain activities than originally allocated. Consistently reiterating these ideas among your team will spread the positive thoughts and result in better management.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sciencenexus.org/
• Instagram: @science_nexus