Riseup Stars Afterschool Programs

This year we launched Pickleball at our elementary school sites - and the kids are OBSESSED! 🏓

Our students are already rallying, learning the rules, and, most importantly, having a blast. Watching elementary kids light up on the court reminds us exactly why we do this work.

This is what after school looks like when we invest in the whole child.

We're so proud to bring this to public schools across our communities. Every kid deserves to play, move, and thrive.

Cupertino Student Hackathon: Empowering Young Innovators in the Heart of San Francisco

On July 21 & 22, we hosted a two-day Hackathon that brought together 150 elementary students (grades 4–6) from 11 Cupertino schools for an unforgettable field trip — their very first with the ELOP program!

Students collaborated in teams to build 35 coding projects, presented their work to real tech professionals, and engaged in inspiring conversations with engineers and founders from companies like Google, YouTube, Waymo, Facebook, and more.

Hackathon Highlights:
👩‍💻 Hands-on STEAM workshops
🚀Mentorship from tech leaders
🎤 Career Inspiration Panel
💡Project Showcase with 35 student-built apps, games, and AI ideas

💬 "It was amazing to see students present their first-ever tech projects with so much confidence and creativity!"

📍The event marked the culmination of our Summer Coding Program and showcased what’s possible when you combine access, mentorship, and imagination.

🙏 Special thanks to all of our mentors, partners, and school staff who helped make this powerful event possible:
Megan Van Welie
Nayan Varma Alluri
Mark Sacket
Ethan Lipman
James Win
Anya Eydman
Priscilla Young
Chris Conway
Ram sharma

Together, we're showing kids that their ideas can shape the future💙

🌟 We’re still buzzing from the energy of our Compton Student Hackathon! 🌟

Together with Think Together and Compton Unified, we brought 30 incredible students to WeWork Playa Vista for a one-day Hackathon packed with innovation, mentorship, and celebration.

Students built AI-powered projects like:
💡 AI Guidance Counselor
🧱 AI LEGO Constructor
🔧 AI Car Repair App
⏰ AI Time Manager

They pitched their ideas to a panel of amazing mentors—from Google engineers to startup founders—and explored the real-world power of technology, teamwork, and creativity.

🙏 Special thanks to:
💼 WeWork for hosting us and creating a vibrant space for students to thrive
🤝 Think Together for being an outstanding partner in empowering our youth

Thank you to everyone who made this possible. The future is bright and full of promise 💙

🌟 What an inspiring day at Google! 🌟

We hosted a student hackathon where 40 middle school students from Paramount USD presented their own games, music, and interactive projects — all built using code! 🎮🎵💻

Just 3 months ago, these students had never coded before. Many had never been to a tech company or seen a future in STEAM.

Thanks to our Future Makers program, Google’s incredible team, and the support of Think Together, these students had the chance to:
✨ Present their creations on stage
✨ Explore real careers in tech
✨ Witness Gemini and Veo 3 in action — Google’s newest AI tools for creators

This is what happens when creativity, technology, and opportunity come together.
🚀 This is the future of learning.

We’re incredibly thankful for our talented yoga and mindfulness instructor, Sepi Dayan, who crafted these heartfelt affirmations to nurture confidence and joy in every child. With the support of our strong, dedicated team, we create a safe, uplifting space for kids to grow and thrive✨

Check out Sepi’s affirmations⭐

🌟 At Rising Stars, we embed three core values into every program we design — from after-school enrichment to school-day workshops and youth leadership events:

1. Learning is most powerful when it’s joyful.
Whether it’s through coding their first app, expressing themselves through dance, or playing sports in a team — every moment of joy, connection, and agency matters.

2. Let students build, not just memorize.
We believe in a future where students don’t just memorize — they build, create, move, and lead.

3. Make kids feel seen and know they matter.
One of the most important roles of educators today is ensuring every child feels seen, valued, and empowered. Because when students know they matter, they can change the world. 🌍

These principles guide everything we do — and they’re why we show up every day.

🌠Let’s build the future of education together.

Meet Randi! With 21 years in early education, Randi’s passion shines through everything she does—from mentoring our instructors to building programs where students feel seen, supported, and inspired⭐️

At Rising Stars, she’s helping shape the future of after-school learning by creating spaces where both kids and educators can grow and thrive✨

We’re so lucky to have her on our team! 💛

Meet Juan, one of our amazing Coding Instructors at Rising Stars🌟

A Computer Science grad from CSU Fullerton, Juan is passionate about helping students in grades 1–7 discover their creativity, problem-solving skills, and confidence through coding and STEAM projects💻

Outside of class, he’s building apps like Inclusi to make resources more accessible for immigrant communities—because he believes technology should lift everyone up📱

✨ Why he teaches: "Every child deserves to feel like a creator. Watching students realize, 'I didn’t know I could do this!' is the best part of what I do. At Rising Stars, we’re not just teaching skills—we’re opening doors to brighter futures."🌐

Sharing today our core 5 values that are driving all of our programs and work at Rising Stars🚀

We’re inspired by innovative thought leaders and rising stars in education to champion:
✨ Reimagining Education – Learning as active, joyful, and relevant to students’ lives.
✨ Student-Centered Innovation: Elevating youth voice, leadership, and creativity to drive change.
✨ Holistic Enrichment: Blending STEAM, wellness, movement, SEL, and career readiness for well-rounded growth.
✨ Empowered Instructors: Supporting teachers as facilitators, innovators, and leaders in the classroom.
✨ Equity & Access: Ensuring every student, regardless of background, has opportunities to thrive.

Let’s reimagine eductaion together—where every student’s potential shines! 🚀
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