The 74 Million

16 Under 16: Where Are The 74's 2022 Class of STEM Achievers Now?

March 1, 2023

What last year's most impressive teen thinkers and doers in science, technology, engineering, and math are up to 9 months later.

Last spring, we asked for the country’s help in identifying some of the most impressive students, age 16 or younger, who have shown extraordinary achievement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

After two years of COVID-era learning and daunting news that the futures of American children are ill-fated from the pandemic, it was a striking time to celebrate the triumphs of the country’s children, in spite of years of great tragedy. 

In an extensive and comprehensive selection process, industry judges scored nominees based on creativity, changemaking, and resilience in their work, or, as one judge put it, “the spark, the light and the flame.” 

We introduced you to The 74’s 2022 class of 16 Under 16 in STEM last summer, highlighting their impressive and inspirational work. But time flies, and these youngsters are ambitious, so we wanted to catch up with them to see what they’ve been up to since. Here’s a peek into their last nine months (click on portraits below to jump directly to each honoree’s biography):

In the last year, Steven has installed two hydroponic gardens to benefit formerly incarcerated women of color and more than 300 low-income seniors with disabilities. At one of the sites, he is also teaching students in grades K-5 about sustainability and hydroponics. Two other hydroponics gardens in The Bronx that he installed are producing up to 6,100 servings per year of fresh produce.

​​Steven is now working with the Federal Bureau of Prisons to install a hydroponics garden at a female penitentiary in Connecticut. The vision is to roll out hydroponics gardens at prisons across the country after the pilot.