Our Work
"What does Illuminate Edu do?" is a question we get often. Here is what we're all about:
Workshops and Activities
December 2024
Santa's Biology Workshop
At our first workshop, 25 students ages 6 through 11 explored microbiology and different parts of microorganisms by making gingerbread models, dissecting the various parts of plants, creating DNA structures, and observing capillary action firsthand. By participating, they gained exposure to complex and immersive topics, learned to think critically and creatively, worked as a team, and had fun learning!
March 2025
Race Into Engineering
At Race Into Engineering, students explored 3 types of engineering.They developed the engineering design process andmindset, where they learned how to make a product andimprove on it through trial and error. In Lab 1, the studentsbuilt catapults using simple machines and participated in acompetition. In Lab 2, they created circuits, discovering how electricity flows and finally in Lab 3, participants built chemicalreaction cars and tested them outside to see chemicalengineering in action!
July 2025
Edu Summer Quest
Edu Summer Quest was a 3-weekend summer program for students ages 8-12 with over 52 participants! In week 1, students focused on prototyping at STEM and Sustainability, by week 2 we wrote original novels with Art and Literacy, and built games, apps and music with computer science during the final week.
March 2026
The Science Behind the Mystery
At Science Behind the Mystery, students became junior detectives and solved a fictional crime scene using various types of evidence to understand how forensic science is used in criminal investigations.
April 2026
Create your Cosmos
Create your Cosmos was hosted in partnership with Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill. Students unleashed their creativity and learned introductory physics principles while creating their unique planets and rockets. We're grateful for the opportunity to work with the families at RMH!
Community Programs and Inititative
Spark Learning Tutoring Program
Spark Learning was created to be an accessible, personalized tutoring service at only $15.00 per hour, led by our student mentors. Our program is currently helping many young students build a solid academic foundation. Being taught by our hard-working mentors, it gives students valuable insight and creates a meaningful connection that helps them advance in their education.
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Student Blog and Journalism
Through our blog, students are encouraged to spread ideas they are passionate about, share their work, and be recognized by a large community. We aspire it can continue to grow digitally and become an inspiring educational space for all students.
Submit your writing in the application located on the home page!
Local Fundraisers and Community Donations
To better connect with our community and raise funds to keep our programs free, we frequently host bake sales and partner with businesses across the triangle. The Illuminate Edu team also hand made and donated over 45 care packages to Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill to support the families outside of our workshop services!
YMCA Vendor Market
Catch us at the Y on most first Saturdays of each month! We love meeting new people and spreading information about what we do. We hope to see you there!