Kits Cubed: Fun, Affordable STEM Lessons:

Originally published in 2021, and now updated with a September 2024 ABC TV news report in the sources list. The teen nonprofit founder is now a college student…

Kits Cubed

In Oakland, California, teenager Ahmed Muhammad has been featured in many news stories, saluted as a CNN Hero, and profiled recently on GMA3.

He was chosen not only because of his academic success as the first Black male valedictorian at the more than 100-year-old Oakland Technical High School but also because of his acceptance by 11 universities, including Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.

Rather, it is his entrepreneurial talent and how he was inspired to use his time during the COVID lockdown that has also drawn much attention. His business idea was sparked after he learned that his younger niece and nephew had a great dislike of science.

“I wanted to know why their confidence had been destroyed at such a young age, 6-9.” — Ahmed Muhammad

So, he searched his science books and the internet and began designing science experiments with items around the house to create a series of fun projects, such as using potatoes to make a battery. The youngsters loved the hands-on experiments and gained an appreciation for science.

Enthusiastic feedback from his younger relatives and the educational challenges caused by the lockdown provided further inspiration. In June 2020, Muhammad launched a multicultural, youth-led non-profit, Kits Cubed, and later used revenues to donate thousands of kits to children struggling with science in the Oakland school district.

Remarkably, the kits are designed to be fun, affordable, and used without a computer or the Internet.

Group of children wearing masks outdoors

Several editorials feature the teen entrepreneur, but Atlanta Black Star includes tips and details about how Mohammed got his start with his nonprofit; details not included in other articles.