MEET US
Afifa Tanisa
Afifa was a freshman when the global pandemic arose. After volunteering with children for over one year, she was dissatisfied with the lack of resources many students had, especially those from low-income backgrounds. Being a low-income student herself, Afifa knew the academic struggle that came with a lack of resources. Inequalities in education motivated her to lead Project Inspire.
With more than one year with Project Inspire, Afifa has led this organization to serve more than 400 members. Through various program initiatives, such as bilingual services, learning to code, and our summer workshops, Afifa hopes students can have mentorship in multiple topics to learn, have fun, and grow.
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Apart from education, Afifa also enjoys data science. Her hobbies include baking and spending time with her family.
Cecilia Castellon
Cecilia is a high school junior who wants to make a difference and help low-income students have more accessible resources for their education. She joined as a content creator to developed presentations for students to better understand subjects or topics they may have troubled on. She would later become the Chief Informations Officer to help Project Inspire grow and to explore new ideas the organization can adapt for students.
Helen Chen
Helen was a junior when she became unsatisfied with the volunteering efforts she was involved in. She learned about the appalling educational gaps, experienced COVID19, all encouraging her to conceptualize Project Inspire. Leading Project Inspire is important to her because she experienced what it was like to live in a discouraging, underfunded, and toxic educational environment. She wants that to change for the millions of schoolchildren that follow her.
As a part of Project Inspire from the beginning, Helen's outreach efforts and the creation of the creative writing curriculum expanded our reach.
She loves reading, especially memoirs, insightful op-eds, and fiction. She is also an editor for the BK Reader, ambassador for We Power NYC, and a member of her community.
School Ours Volunteers Are From:
Brooklyn Technical High School
Stuyvesant High School
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
Midwood High School
Long Island University
Columbia University
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...and many more schools across 10 states and five countries
School Ours Students Are From:
P.S 230 Doris L. Cohen
P.S 676
BNS Elementary - P.S 146
Brooklyn Prospect
Forte Preparatory Academy
The Science and Medicine Middle School
William Alexander Middle School 51
J.H.S. 118 William W. Niles
The Young Women's Leadership School
J.H.S 190
J.H.S 185Q
PS 79Q
J.H.S 190 Russell Sage
Queens Explorers Elementary School
Our World Neighborhood Charter School
Girls Prep
Muncy Jr/Sr High School
JHS 240 HUDDE
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... and other schools across five states and two countries