Rise STEM Academy for Girls

09/22/2026

The purple carpet came out at Rise this week for one of our favorite school traditions: House Sort.

Our newest scholars, kindergartners and incoming first graders, ran down the carpet and pulled a color from the bag to find out which house they'd call home for the rest of their time at Rise. Kindergartners start the year in Nukamori, our house of kindness, before they're sorted into one of four houses built around giving, courage, dreamers, or friendship.

Every other Friday, houses meet across grade levels for meetings planned and led by student house leaders, building relationships that stretch well beyond one classroom. This is She Rises in action: girls teaming up, showing up, and lifting each other from the very first day.

Read the full story at https://stemgirlsrise.com/readthestories/down-the-purple-carpet 🔗

09/17/2026

What a wonderful night at Rise!

Our Literacy Night and Middle School Open House was full of learning, laughter, and a little adventure around the world!

Our families traveled the world through books, enjoyed special guest readers, used our Chomp Saws to create bookmarks, and explored the Book Fair. We also welcomed families to learn more about our growing middle school!

We capped off the evening with a fantastic first PTA meeting of the year. There’s nothing quite like bringing our Rise community together to celebrate learning and support our scholars.

Thank you to our amazing staff, PTA, guest readers, and families for making the night so special!

We Build. We Lead. We Rise.

09/15/2026

This summer, incoming sixth grader Marley Murray traveled to Vanderbilt University for the NYLF Pathways to STEM camp, where she dissected a heart, built a robot from scratch, and studied forensics. Her teacher, Kristen Witt, nominated her for the program after watching her curiosity show up in the classroom all year.

Marley rated the week's activities a 10 out of 10, and every station she worked through, from the heart dissection to the robotics build, reflects our Girl Code pillar She Builds: asking questions, using resources to solve problems, and sticking with a challenge until it works.

That's what Rise is all about: proving that our scholars are ready to build, question, and lead in any STEM space they enter.

Read her full story at https://stemgirlsrise.com/readthestories/marley-murray-explores 🔗

09/08/2026

09/02/2026

We are so excited to be participating in Crank & Boom’s fundraising program, PINTS FOR A PURPOSE! It’s a super easy way to enjoy delicious ice cream while supporting Rise STEM Academy PTA!

ICE CREAM PRE-ORDERS NOW OPEN!
• Pre-Order C&B ice cream pints between September 1-15, 2026, at the link HERE and designate Rise STEM Academy for Girls PTA as the beneficiary.
• From September 21-30, you can pick up your pre-order at Crank & Boom - Clays Mill (3101 Clays Mill Road, Lexington KY 40503)
• $2 from each $12 pint pre-order, that is designated for our organization, will benefit the Rise PTA!

Link to order: https://tinyurl.com/Pints-for-a-Purpose

08/22/2026

Meet Tayver Allen, a third-grade teacher at Rise STEM Academy for Girls, heading into another year with a big personal milestone behind her.

Last year, Tayver's fiancé proposed right in front of her class, and her girls' priceless reactions made the moment even more meaningful. It's exactly the kind of moment she loves sharing with the scholars she teaches every day.

Tayver says working at Rise reminds her how powerful women can be when they come together with a shared mission. She points to a community of colleagues who encourage each other, celebrate each other's wins, and use their individual strengths to build something bigger than any one of them.

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams," she says, borrowing her outlook from Eleanor Roosevelt as she looks ahead to the year to come.

Here's to another year of Tayver helping her scholars believe in their own beautiful futures.

08/22/2026

Meet Callie Gates, a fourth grade homeroom teacher at Rise STEM Academy for Girls!

Fun fact: her two dogs, Chandler and Joey, are named after characters from Friends. Callie loves being part of a school where she gets to encourage young women to dream big, challenge themselves, and know they belong in STEM. Watching her scholars build confidence and discover what they are capable of is her favorite part of the job.

As Rise heads into an exciting new chapter with its new building, teachers like Callie are ready to bring that same energy into every classroom. In her own words, "This school year, I am bringing an excitement for new beginnings and meaningful connections as we grow together in our new space." Here's to a year full of curiosity, courage, and confidence in Callie's classroom.

08/22/2026

Meet Linda Hulon, a paraeducator in our Kindergarten classrooms and someone our youngest scholars are lucky to spend their days with.

Linda moved to Lexington after teaching Early Childhood Education in Illinois, and when she saw an opening at Rise, she knew it was the right fit. Kindergarten turned out to be exactly where she belonged. This coming year marks her fifth at Rise STEM Academy. Outside the classroom, she loves working word puzzles and planting flowers all spring and summer.

"I want to bring to our scholars a desire to learn and to always do their best," Linda says. "They are special and loved."

Five years in, and she is still showing up with that same heart for our girls.

08/21/2026

Meet Jenn Valeriote, Rise's 6th Grade Special Education Teacher.

Jenn has been an athlete her whole life, and her path to Rise is one of the most personal stories on staff. In high school, she made the boys' baseball team as the starting second baseman. At 16, a derogatory comment from an opposing catcher made her walk away from the team. She wishes she could go back and tell that girl to hold her head high and swing for the fences.

That experience became her life's work. For 20 years she coached softball and volleyball, focused on one goal: instilling confidence, resilience, and strength in young female athletes. When she learned about Rise, she felt an immediate pull. "Rise's mission to empower girls to lead, innovate, and persevere matches everything I stand for as an educator and a mom."

She carries Michelle Obama into every classroom: "There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish."

Rise scholars, she is here to make sure you believe it.

08/21/2026

Meet Dr. Kristen Witt, Rise's Second Grade teacher.

Dr. Witt made her way from Chicago to Kentucky on a Varsity Cheerleading Scholarship to the University of Kentucky in 2007. She has been part of the Rise community since 2021, and as a woman with a PhD in STEM, she brings both deep expertise and deep conviction to her classroom every day.

She is passionate about creating opportunities for girls to ask questions, explore the world around them, and realize their power to change it. After years at Rise, she describes what keeps her here simply: "There is something special about the girls here. You can feel it the moment you walk through the halls. Their curiosity, confidence, and determination make Rise a unique place to learn, grow, and teach."

She challenges her scholars with Peter Kropotkin's words: "Think about the world you want to live and work in. What do you need to know to build the world? Demand that your teachers teach you that."

Second grade scholars, you have a teacher who will demand it right alongside you.