Inspiration, Ingenuity, and Re-Imagining STEM Education
How can one teenager re-imagine educational approach to STEM fields? The story FAMES® began in a High School and has culminated in an innovative program that integrates the components of Finance and Arts into technical extended learning opportunities for underserved youth.
FAMES® (previously Learn for Fun) was established in 2006 by Avik B. Ganguly while he was a student at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, Virginia. The goal of the program was to offer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education for underserved 
youth through mentoring, hands-on, and computer-based activities. That year, Avik learned about the National Defense Education Program (NDEP and SMART) being developed by the Honorable Dr. Ronald M. Sega, Undersecretary of the Air Force, a former NASA astronaut, Major General, USAF, Ret., and former Dean, College of Engineering, University of Colorado at COS. The goal of NDEP was to attract more American students to STEM fields. NDEP designed a comprehensive approach to provide scholarships to schools and college students enrolled in STEM programs of interest to the Department of Defense, and to provide job opportunities to those who graduate under this program. Avik was inspired by Dr. Sega’s work, and envisioned a program that would bring STEM to underserved youth through after-school and summer programs. Learn for Fun – now FAMES – was born.
During the summer of 2006, Avik went to Boston for training on an educational software program called, Pro/Engineer from Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC). Although the class is designed primarily for high school teachers, PTC accepted Avik when he explained his goals. This software encourages technological literacy across a broad range of abilities by allowing kids to design anything they want based on their interests. For example, if a student loves basketball, they can design a basketball shoe. Avik knew that this tool was an ideal fit for the FAMES program. Later that year as a senior year at Woodberry, Avik wrote for an assignment: “I believe I can contribute to this [NDEP] program of national importance. By introducing STEM education to children at an early age in the form of fun, we can build the pipeline for future scientists and engineers that our country needs.”
Avik attended Syracuse University and then transferred to the University of Virginia graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with concentrations in finance and management and a track in real estate from the McIntire School of Commerce. During the course of his finance and management studies in college, Avik realized that acquiring a fundamental understanding of personal finance and financial responsibility is essential for being a successful professional and it is critical to building and managing any organization. In addition, Arts and Design connect creativity and innovation to STEM. Avik decided that the new non-profit should include arts and finance with STEM education in order to offer a more well-rounded education. To reflect this change, in 2015 the name for the non-profit was changed to FAMES (Finance, Arts and STEM).
First program, comments from the U.S. Army CIO: FAMES began its first program in partnership with Science Application International Corporation (SAIC) and the National Science Center (NSC), a partnership between NSC and the U.S. Army. The program was held at an after-school facility in the Anacostia area of Washington DC. The success of this program confirmed to Avik that engaging kids is a better method of teaching science. The U.S. Army Chief Information Officer, Lt. Gen. Steven W. Boutelle: “NSC partnerships like this one with Learn for Fun and SAIC provide inner city students with exciting experiences they may otherwise not be exposed to. Together, we are preparing America’s youth for the future.”
Learn more about FAMES current programs here.