History
Learn about the history of Service Beakers in a timeline format!
Isaac Lund convenes the first meeting of Service Beakers with a few friends. The initial goal was to provide free science hands-on science lessons to local elementary schools, similar to ones Isaac and his friends had experienced in elementary and middle school.
After much effort and outreach, Service Beakers secures its first donation from St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church in Chapel Hill, NC. We are forever grateful for this initial gift that kickstarted our programs!
Service Beakers presented its first lesson to Salem Elementary in Apex, NC; it was hosted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation was a great success, with over 50 students attending the session after school!
After additional school outreach and further coordination with our high school volunteers, Service Beakers launched its school presentations on a more frequent basis in March 2021. By the year's end, Service Beakers was averaging roughly 60 presentations per month, and through our nearly 100 high school volunteers, we served over 3,000 elementary and middle school students!
In April 2021, Service Beakers received 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS. This was a big step for Service Beakers, as it allowed us to gain trust within the community and access additional support from local organizations!
Service Beakers launched its youth summer camp in partnership with the Triangle Esports Academy in June 2021. Service Beakers volunteers helped students engage in STEM-based projects such as Scratch coding, in addition to hands-on science activities!
In July 2021, the Service Beakers Laptop Grant Program officially launched. Partnering first with the St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church's Honduras Ministry, Service Beakers aimed to provide 100+ laptop computers to underprivileged students in Nuestra Senora de Suyapa, Honduras.
Service Beakers received its first large laptop donation from Wolfspeed in Durham, NC! The 200+ device donation kickstarted our efforts to bring free and accessible education to more young students.
Service Beakers began to reach out and start high school chapters across the Triangle in order to garner volunteers and present in-person STEM lessons and activities more frequently and effectively. The first chapters at Raleigh Charter High School and Cardinal Gibbons High School were founded in November 2021.
Although the St. Michael Honduras Ministry was not bringing a large shipment to the community, they brought as many laptops as could fit in their luggage to Honduras. This allowed the students pictured above access to free laptop computers, providing additional educational opportunities to their community!
Service Beakers donated 300+ devices to Kramden in October 2023, another one of our targeted pipeline partners for the laptop grant program. Kramden will distribute the laptops to students across North Carolina as part of their digital literacy programs.
Service Beakers made its largest donation to the St. Michael's Honduars Mission in Sepember 2024, donating roughly 250 devices!
Service Beakers partnered with Beast Philanthropy as our third targeted pipeline partner, allowing us to funnel devices to underpriveleged students in eastern North Carolina. In January, Service Beakers donated over 300 devices to the organization!
On September 3, Service Beakers made its first donation to students in Peru through a partnership with the nonprofit Hands on Peru! These devices will serve under-resourced students in the greater Lima region.