Robotics
GirlUp
Model UN
Robotics
Our approach to demonstrating how hard work pays off? Robotics.
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For 6th through 12th grade students, FORA runs a VEX Robotics program from late September through early March. The VEX Robotics curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and incorporates their core values of creativity, teamwork, persistence, and quality. Students practice these values as they navigate the field of robotics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).
Students are split into groups, and each group builds their own robot. They rely on each other, which teaches trust, communication, and creativity. Byron Bell, Director of Education at FORA, states, “Watching teams work together to create something amazing and functional is the biggest win.”
For our K-5th grade students, we have a 10 week Lego Robotics program that runs from mid-November to February. K-2nd graders receive an augmented curriculum, allowing students to interact with digital media and apply it to the real world. This program introduces young learners to the fundamentals of engineering, coding, and problem-solving, fostering a strong foundation and understanding from an early age.
“I’ve been looking forward to this for so long, I couldn’t even sleep last night!” "J," a 9-year-old student said. For both our staff and volunteers, the excitement of students is a delight to see, and this energy only grows throughout the duration of the program.
FORA’s kids deserve to unwind and to enjoy themselves after a long week of school and intense tutoring. Friday afternoon robotics is a great way to end the week and is a chance for students to express themselves through making something awesome.
What is Girl Up?​
Girl Up is an alliance hosted by the United Nations Foundation. Established in 2010, Girl Up focuses on equity for girls and women in spaces where they are unheard or underrepresented in leadership positions: fields such as tech, medicine, and government. As of 2024, it operates a global network in 155 countries and all 50 states. FORA has been a proud home to a Girl Up chapter since November 2023.
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What does Girl Up do at FORA?​
Girls from the ages of 12-18 participate in weekly meetings that cultivate the core values of the UN based organization: passionate action, youth-centered, global community, and accountability. Our students participate in activities such as writing exercises where they can practice voicing concerns, empowerment workshops, cultural diversity events and popular media analysis to cultivate media literacy.
GirlUp
What does FORA Staff have to say
about Girl UP?
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Syeda Siddiqua–Deputy Head of Family-School Partnership– leads FORA’s chapter of GirlUp. “It has impacted the students very positively, especially girls who were in their shells and are now able to voice their opinions confidently,” she said.
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Girl Up is committed to nurturing the future leaders of tomorrow and FORA’s girls will lead the charge.
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“When girls rise, we all rise”
-GirlUP website
At FORA, we prioritize confidence and critical-thinking in our students. Once they reach the fourth grade, students can join our Model UN program to engage in speech, writing, debate and more during our spring and summer semesters.
Our Model UN coordinator, Raza Zaidi, coaches students on their public speaking., having them put themselves in the shoes of diplomats and think like leaders. Maryam, a long time student of FORA and member of Model UN, says students “go up and take turns speaking in a loud clear voice.”
Students choose a stance, find evidence and build their speeches within an allotted time. Throughout the program they work both with and against each other, honing their interpersonal communication. Maryam shared that this has been highly effective for her confidence, saying “when I came to FORA I had a stutter, but after practice with Model UN, it went away.” When Model UN is in session, weekly meetings and continual feedback allow for steady growth in students’ skill and courage over time.
By participating in Model UN students learn how to speak in front of a crowd, a vital skill that will serve them in whatever path lies before them. By providing students with this platform, they are able to engage in activities that they might not feel comfortable doing at school or do not have access to.