We’ve all heard the saying that it only takes one person to make a difference in the world. Grace Liu from Syosset, NY, is proving that statement to be true. A junior at Syosset High School, Grace was just awarded a $10,000 grant from the Be More Fund by National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) for her world betterment project, Research to Empower (ReTE).
ReTe is a student-run nonprofit that teaches young people in underserved communities the fundamentals of research through free resources, engaging curricula, a "by students, for students" approach to learning, and a comprehensive, published guidebook.
To date, ReTE has collaborated with 42 local, national, and global organizations, reaching 1,160 educators from 418 schools in 141 countries. Through free classes, podcasts, talks, and online resources, ReTE has impacted 120,000+ people since 2021, many from communities like first-generation families, people of color, new immigrants, and low-income students.
Grace's commitment to removing barriers to research education and empowering young people extends through her roles as a guest speaker at the United Nations, International Telecommunication Union, Society of Women Engineers, and TEDx. Through these roles, she encourages leadership among youth and advocates for change on local, national, and global scales.
The Be More Fund rewards the work students are doing to make the world a better, more equitable place. Students participated in a Shark Tank-like competition at NSHSS’ Scholars Day in Atlanta, where they presented their projects to a panel of judges. Ten winners were selected to each receive a $10,000 grant.