DiscoverE promotes student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through programs like Future City, the organization’s signature program, which offers middle school students the chance to use the engineering design process to solve a civic engineering challenge related to sustainability in a hypothetical city in the future. The challenge taps into students’ curiosity, problem-solving skills, and concern for the future and environment, and culminates in a national showcase where teams display their solutions and receive feedback from expert judges in the field.
In SY 2024-25, Future City grew its reach by 24 percent year-over-year, serving nearly 84,000 students, the program’s highest single-year reach in Future City’s history. This strong growth demonstrates continued demand for in- and out-of-school engineering programs, as well as the success of the organization’s strategic programmatic shifts and new investments in infrastructure and marketing. Educators and students who participate in Future City report positive impacts: 76 percent of students increase their understanding of engineering, 92 percent of students are exposed to STEM content they don’t normally receive, and 73 percent of educators recommend the program. An external evaluation with partner WestEd is currently underway, supported by Overdeck Family Foundation, with findings expected in 2027.
DiscoverE has maximized capacity-building support from Overdeck Family Foundation to build alignment on prioritizing earned revenue as part of its overall revenue model, in addition to clarifying internal roles and responsibilities as it seeks to scale its programming more aggressively.
