Our Future is So Bright…We Have to Wear Shades! 

 

Registration is now CLOSED for the July, 2025 event! 

If you have already registered, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday!  See directions at the bottom of this page.

To make your check in easier, please make sure you have mailed in your signed form and payment before the conference. (If you have not mailed by 7/16, please bring with you- as it may not make it in the mail system.)

Register for the conference at Tougaloo on July 19!  Before registering, please download the brochure below, review the information and frequently asked questions. 

See Full Brochure with ALL Conference Information:  Here’s the brochure!!!

Note: This brochure represents the program schedule, activities, and speakers as of the time of printing.

The conference details may change without notice.

DIRECTIONS TO THE TOUGALOO COLLEGE CAMPUS

From I-55 (Northbound):  Take the County Line Road exit and turn left at the red light. You will pass the Target Shopping Center. Proceed to the intersection of County Line Road and State Street. Turn left onto State Street. Then, turn right onto West County Line Road.

Proceed with caution across the train tracks. Tougaloo College will be on the right. Follow signs/ guard directions to HOLMES HALL to check in!

 

Our Keynote Speaker Gitanjali Rao… Inventor, Aspiring Scientist, Author, Speaker, STEM advocate

Gitanjali Rao is an 19-year-old inventor, aspiring scientist, author, speaker, and active promoter of STEM worldwide. She was recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist and received an EPA Presidential Award for her patented invention of an innovative lead contamination detection tool. Gitanjali is also the inventor of “Epione”—a device for the early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction using genetic engineering, and “Kindly”—an anti-cyberbullying service utilizing AI and natural language processing.

In 2019, she was honored as one of Forbes “30 Under 30 in Science” for addressing the environmental issue of lead contamination. TIME named her a “Top Young Innovator” and “Kid of the Year” for her groundbreaking innovations and the STEM workshops she conducts globally. These workshops have inspired over 100,000 students across 48 countries in the last five years and she has raised over $100K for maker spaces in refugee camps and rural science fairs.

Gitanjali is the author of “Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM,” available in six languages, which guides students, educators, and teachers through a self-developed, prescriptive five-step innovation process. She also authored “Young Innovator’s Guide to Planning for Success,” offering further insights into achieving and sustaining innovative endeavors.

In 2021, she was appointed as a UNICEF Youth Advocate for using science to solve social problems such as cyberbullying and developing solutions for environmental protection.

 She received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award – 2023, and the Martin Luther King Beloved Community Award – 2024 for her selfless service to students. She was honored with the prestigious Stephen Hawkings Junior Medal for Science Communications-2025 for inspiring millions of students worldwide.

She is currently a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.