My Nonprofit Reviews

The Center for Excellence in Education (CEE) is excellence in itself. CEE trains students, teachers and more for excellence in their professional and personal lives. My son, River Grace, was selected to join the Research Summer Institute (RSI), sponsored by CEE, for the summer prior to his high school senior year. Already a high achiever in science, math, and other academic pursuits, he describes his summer at MIT and Harvard as truly transformational. He conducted novel research with top scientists in the exciting area of human visual perception with the goal of enhancing national security. He ultimately published his work in a world-renowned scientific journal, but moreover simply living and working with such an intellectually rich world and working alongside like-minded peers gave him the knowledge, understanding, and connections that continue to serve him daily now, seven years later. Building upon this experience, he earned two BS degrees and a minor from MIT, and is now near completion of medical school, all the while continuing to perform novel scientific research and publishing in top global scientific and biomedical journals. My son so appreciated his RSI experience that he went on to serve later as an RSI counselor, an RSI student mentor, and ultimately the RSI Assistant Director. In fact, this summer he is taking a break during his fourth year of medical school (with his medical school dean's enthusiastic support) to return again as a mentor to 2024 RSI students interested in the biomedical sciences. The CEE team treats my son like part of a family, and what an amazing family it is - highly enthusiastic people who build outstanding platforms for success. It should be noted that RSI is arguably the most prestigious summer research experience for high school students anywhere, thanks to CEE. I personally have interacted with CEE, so I can attest directly to its great value to STEM education. CEE's Teacher Enrichment Program brings professional enrichment to our nation's STEM teachers through interactive meetings with STEM leaders in academia and industry. I served the Teacher Enrichment Program, providing Florida teachers with a glimpse into the realities of cutting-edge research at the interface of science and engineering (through my work on the technological application of animal supersenses - including the thermal "vision" of rattlesnakes and their kin). CEE was the link that brought me, like many other STEM professionals, together with teachers to share exciting developments and opportunities, and to discuss how to guide students more effectively toward wonderful STEM careers. Could it get any better? Yes! CEE does all of this at NO COST to teachers, students, and parents of the young people served. It is simply amazing that CEE provides so much to so many, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, at zero cost. CEE is an organization that truly makes the world a much better place.